Wickham

Wickham is a small village on a slight deviation off the Roman Road Ermin Street, just south of the M4 motorway between Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) with Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester). Many traces have been found locally of habitation when Britain was under Roman rule.

The parish church of St. Swithun has a Saxon tower, built probably in the 11th century. It is one of only two in the county with sizeable Anglo-Saxon remains, and seems to have been built originally as a free-standing defensive tower. Later a nave and small chancel were added to form a chapel of ease, which in the Middle Ages was a hamlet of Welford. In 1845 the nave, chancel and north aisle were all demolished. Between 1845 and 1849 a new church was built with a nave, chancel and both north and south aisles in a Decorated Gothic style, and a Norman Revival style bell-chamber was added to the top of the tower.

Adjacent to the church is Wickham House which was built in the 18th century and was formerly the rectory. It was later enlarged and altered, and a tower, 100-feet high spire and remarkable Gothic Revival bay window were added. The spire has since been removed.

About halfway between Wickham and the nearby village of Welford among a clearing in the trees is a War Memorial which commemorates those from both villages who died in the two World Wars.

Wickham is on the B4000 about 5.5 miles north-west of Newbury.