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Lambourn
is on beautiful chalk downland near the source of the River
Lambourn, a summer bourn. The town, a large village, is near
the borders of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
This
is ancient settlement dates back to the time of King Alfred
the Great, who mentioned the settlement in his will. Lambourn's
parish church, dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, was
established in Saxon times and has a surrounding wall made
of sarcen stones.
At the
crossroads of the B4001 and B4000, Lambourn developed as an
important market centre and is sometimes known as Chipping
Lambourn ('chipping' means market).
A market
is still held weekly in the Market Place.
One of
Lambourn's notable landmarks, a 500 year old Market Cross,
stands in the Market Place. This was erected in 1446 when
Henry V1 granted the settlement a charter for markets and
fairs.
]Since
the 18th century Lambourn has been an important centre of
National Hunt horse racing. There are over 50 Racing Yards
in the area amd around 2,000 racehorses are in training in
the surrounding valley, known as the 'Valley of the Racehorse'.
The springy downland turf is perfect for gallops and there
also all-weather gallops.
Lambourn
Open Day, held on Good Friday, gives everyone a chance to
see these beautiful thoroughbred horses close up. Horseracing
provides a good deal of employment for the local population
but the growth of the area means many villagers now commute
to various points along the M4.
One of
the last makers of cravats in the UK is located in Lambourn.
Nearby
tourist attractions include Ashdown
House and the White Horse at Uffington Castle, the UK's
oldest and most famous hill figure.
The White
Horse lies near the Ridgeway National Trail, an 87 mile trail
following the ancient chalk ridge route used since prehistoric
times by travellers, herdsmen and soldiers. Said to be, 'Britain's
oldest road', the trail runs from Overton Hill near Avebury
to Ivinghoe Beacon. A route for walkers, the trail is also
suitable for cyclists and horseriders in the west.
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Lambourn
