Ludgershall is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, England. It is near the boundary with

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, about south-east of Bicester and west of Waddesdon.

Toponym

The toponym is said to be derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

for ''"nook with a trapping spear"'' but this is disputed. It occurs in more than one place in England (see Ludgershall (disambiguation)). The Domesday Book of 1086 records the village as ''Litlegarsele''. The place spelt at ''Lotegarshale'', seen in 1381, may refer to the Buckinghamshire village, or the one in Wiltshire.

History

Henry II granted land in the parish to the priory of Santingfeld in

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

, France. It is possible that a hospital was founded on this land, although it is uncertain. In the reign of Henry VI, when all alien church possessions were seized by the Crown, this land was given to King's College, Cambridge. The theologian

John Wyclif John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, and other variants; 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, biblical translator, reformer, Catholic priest, and a seminary professor at the University of O ...

was vicar of Ludgershall 1368–74.

St Mary the Virgin Church

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin on Church Lane is a Grade I listed church, dating from the 14th century with 19th century additions. The Bible scholar John Wycliffe is reported to have been an early vicar.

Ludgershall Bike Night

The village plays host to an annual charity motorbike night, typically on the first Monday in July. The free to attend meet sees riders of vintage, classic and contemporary motorcycles gather on the village green. The event is attended by multiple motorcycle clubs and enthusiasts alike.

References

Sources & further reading

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External links

{{authority control Villages in Buckinghamshire Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire