Coordinates: 51°26′30″N 1°36′21″W / 51.4418, -1.6057
Ramsbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. In the Census 2001, the parish had a population of 3,257. Locals are known as the Ramsbury Bulldogs which is similar to the neighbouring village of Aldbourne where the locals are known as Dabchicks.
Location
Ramsbury lies in the Kennet Valley near the Berkshire border. The nearest towns are Hungerford, about 4 miles east, and Marlborough, 6 miles west. The larger town of Swindon is 12 miles north
Administration
As a civil parish, it has an elected parish council. It is within the areas of Kennet District Council and Wiltshire County Council. All three councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.
History
Littlecote Roman Villa is within the parish, but the earliest recorded history of Ramsbury can only be traced back to the Saxons who created the a bishopric in 909AD. The see was moved to Old Sarum in 1075.
The church is 13th century, and has a ghost story: if anyone counts the hundred studs on the north door at midnight, it will open, and Wild William Darrell of Littlecote House will come out.[1]
Notable residents
The village's notable residents have included Sir Francis Burdett, a radical whig politician, and his daughter Angela Burdett-Coutts. In 1837 Angela became the wealthiest woman in England when she inherited her grandfather's fortune. Over the next few years she gave most of this money away to good causes. By the time she died in 1906 Angela Burdett-Coutts had given away nearly three million pounds. Both lived in Ramsbury Manor, originally built in 1680 by John Webb, a son-in-law of Inigo Jones and where Oliver Cromwell drew up his plans for the subjugation of Ireland. Ramsbury Manor was sold in the 1960s and is now home to Harry Hyams, the property tycoon who built the office block Centre Point at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, London. The Manor was the target for a major burglary by a professional gang in 2006. The culprits received long prison sentences in 2008[2][3].
Stefan Persson (owner of H&M) also has a main residence on the outskirts of Ramsbury. He also owns the Ramsbury microbrewery[4] which produces 'Ramsbury Gold' bottled beer amongst others.
Church of the Holy Cross, Ramsbury.
Ramsbury Manor, Ramsbury.
References
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