Longdon Hill, Wickhamford

How did the road get its name?

Longdon Hill is so-called because of the old field name of the same name.  A reference to 'Longerowne Hill ' in 'Wickewantford' occurs in the conveyance of the Manor of Wickhamford, 21st June 1594.  An early Ordnance Survey map of 1811-12 gives the name as London Hill.

When did housing development begin?

With the exception of the house at the mill and the farmhouse at Field Farm (now known as Orchard Court), there was no other housing along the road until the 1870s when a pair of semi-detached cottages were built at the entrance to Field Farm, and another pair built close to The Sandys Arms.  Two large houses, Oxley House and Longdon Court were built towards the end of the 19th century, and another pair of semi-detached cottages and a cottage at Orchard Farm were built at the beginning of the 20th century.  Another dozen or so houses and bungalows have been built between the 1950s and the latter half of the 20th century.

Numbering system

The majority of the houses have names rather than numbers.  It is only the three pairs of semi-detached houses built in the latter part of the 19th century that are numbered 1-6.  The pair of semi-detached houses Present-day Nos 5 & 6) closest to The Sandys Arms, were originally known as Wickhamford 1 & 2.

19th and early 20th century auctions

Land to the north of Pitchers Hill was once part of the Elms Farm and land to the south was once part of Pitchers Hill Farm, two of four farms on the Wickhamford estate which had been owned by the Sandys family for several centuries.  The estate was sold at auction on 10th July 1869 and bought by Captain John Pickup Lord, a Lancastrian landowner who had recently bought a large amount of land in Badsey.

Captain Lord died in 1877.  In the years following his death, his trustees began to sell off some of his land in smaller parcels.  On 15th September 1930 the land to the north of the road was put up for auction; the land to the south had already been sold.  Not all of the parcels of land were sold in 1930; that which was remaining was sold in 1950 to Christ Church, which paved the way for housing development.