 | Buckland is a village of great natural beauty. The population is around 460 and there are many fine houses and cottages, some of considerable age. The largest is Buckland House, which has much history. The village has no shop but a fine pub! (The Lamb Inn)
There is a large, well-maintained Village Hall, named the Memorial Hall, which is available for Church functions, and includes an enclosed swimming pool open to the public in the summer months. The Buckland Community Bus (RWMT) provides transport to local towns and is available for private hire. Buckland is an active community with a Youth Club, Badminton Club and Women's Institute. The Open Gardens day is popular and raises around £1,500 each year for village charities. The Church of England School has about 90 pupils, many of whom live in the Parish.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin has stood in Buckland for eight centuries. The church contains a wealth of historic items, some of which are briefly mentioned here. The unusually wide Nave was started in the 12th Century, followed by the Chancel and transepts in the 13th Century, while the vestry was added in Victorian times. The niche in the porch is 600 years old and now contains a statue of the Virgin Mary to whom the church is dedicated. A rare matching pair of Norman arches form the North and South doorways to the Nave. The Font is late 14th century, is octagonal and well preserved with a wooden lid. The ring of eight bells, some dating from 1636, are in the key of E major and are in regular use by the village team of bell-ringers and teams of visiting ringers.
The clock was made by EJ Dent, makers of the Big Ben clock and is listed in their 1877 catalogue. An ancient iron bound chest located in the North Transept dates from the 12th century and may have been used to hold donations for the Third Crusade in 1189 AD. The Barcote Chapel in the South Transept, illustrating the 'Te Deum Laudamus', is dedicated to Clara Jane, wife of the millionaire William West of Barcote and its highly decorated panels of mosaic were installed during 1890-92. The Chapel is used today for the saying of the Evening Office at 6pm on Wednesdays.
The organ, a fine three manual instrument by Holdich/Martin, and dating back to the end of the 19th Century, has recently been restored.
Two exterior sundials, dated 1707 and 1741, are mounted on the south facing walls. The church is supported by volunteer groups who help maintain the fabric of the church.
St. George's Roman Catholic Church stands close to St. Mary's. However, it is no longer used and services are now held in Faringdon.
The Churches in Littleworth, Pusey and Buckland were joined together as a single parish in 1999 under the auspices of Gainfield Parochial Church Council, which is part of the United Benefice of Cherbury with Gainfield. |  | The village is situated in open country, on the River Ock and comprises a little over 100 houses.
Children under 11 Years of age attend school in the next village of East Hanney. Older pupils attend school in Wantage. The medieval Charney Manor, next to the church, is owned by the Quakers and used as a conference centre and guest house. There is an excellent relationship between the Manor and the Church.
St. Peter's church has some sections dating back to the 12th Century. A major restoration was undertaken some 10 years ago. | | All Saints is the largest church in the Deanery and is the Parish Church for the town of Faringdon. As well as its normal parish services it is used for Confirmation and other Deanery services as required. The Vicar is the Revd. Charles Draper. |  | Hinton Waldrist and its neighbouring hamlet of Duxford have a combined adult population of around 260 encompassing 145 houses and four farms. Although some of them are still involved in agriculture, most people commute to jobs in local towns.
The 13th century church is dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch and has a tower with a ring of 6 bells which are regularly rung. There is a memorial window to Airey Neave who was the local MP and lived in the village up to his death from terrorist action in 1979.
There are 19 on the church electoral roll but services for major festivals attract twice this number. Normal weekly services include both 1662 Prayer Book and Common Worship Communion.
The village is served by the Buckland Community Bus taking villagers to Faringdon, Swindon and Witney. |  | Littleworth has a population of around 200. It was formerly a farming community, but now many of its residents commute to the nearby towns of Faringdon, Wantage, Abingdon, Swindon and Oxford.
Until the early 19th Century, Littleworth was part of the parish of Faringdon and had no church of its own. As a result of the inspiration of Edward Pusey, the Church of the Holy Ascension was consecrated on 29th May 1839. It was designed by Henry James Underwood and paid for by the generosity of the Fellows of Oriel College. The church and the school are built from stone quarried from nearby Hatford. The chancel and sanctuary were added in 1876.
The roof is of hammer-beam construction carrying decorative shields at the ends of the beams. The original box pews were stripped out, the roof repaired and the organ moved to the back of the nave in a major refurbishment in 1927. The oak pulpit, dating from 1924, was salvaged from a redundant church in Kingston Blount. The Baptistery contains a large framed picture of the presentation of Christ in the Temple and was painted by Mother Maribelle of the Convent of Saint Mary the Virgin in Wantage.
There is a vibrant village community that organises social events throughout the year. Winter Whist Drives are well attended and raise money for local charities. The former Reading Room serves as the village hall and provides the focus for both village and church events.
Littleworth is served by buses on the A420 but also the Buckland Community 'Bus stops in the village to pick up citizens to Faringdon two mornings a week and for Swindon and Witney once a month.
The churches in Littleworth, Pusey and Buckland were joined together as a single parish in 1999 under the auspices of Gainfield Parochial Church Council, which is part of the United Benefice of Cherbury and Gainfield.
|  | The 13th century church has seating for 150, a small pipe organ and an oil fired heating system. The churchyard is closed and is maintained by the Parish Council. There is a new adjacent cemetery.
There is a popular village pub, a primary school, market garden and a well appointed village hall. The village is served by the Buckland Community Bus on its twice-weekly trips to Faringdon. | | The Barn, part of the farm of Lyford Grange, can accommodate 100 people and contains an Altar used for United Benefice acts of worship and for the annual pilgrimmage service, led by the local RC church, in memory of St Edmund, martyr. |  | Lyford is a small but long established hamlet (944AD) with a civil electoral register of 35 with 9 on the church electoral roll.
The church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin and dates back to the 13th century. A wooden tower containing three bells has been added and the church fabric extensively restored in 1875, since when it has remained largely unaltered. There is a regular monthly service of Holy Communion (BCP) with hymns, attended by worshippers from Charney Bassett as well as from West Hanney, the original mother church. Other services include Harvest Festival, Carols by candlenight and joint benefice services.
The village contains an 18th Century Almscourt forming homes for 8 elderly people. Lyford Grange lies just outside the village and was originally a moated manor house built in a quadrangle. It was here that Edmund Campion SJ was arrested in 1581, leading to his martyrdom at Tyburn. The event is still commemorated by a pilgrimage that includes Lyford Church and Grange. |  | Pusey is a small village of only twenty dwellings, almost all are Georgian, including the very large Pusey House with its very interesting history. The nearby Cherbury Camp is an ancient earthworks giving its name to the Benefice.
All Saints' Church was built in 1744 by John Allen Pusey and stands in the grounds of the House. Cruciform in shape the church is notable for its classical simplicity and has changed very little since it was built. It has especially vivid acoustics. Dr Edward Pusey, joint leader with Newman and Keeble, of the Oxford Movement, lived in Pusey and his portrait hangs in the church.
Although in a village of barely 20 residents, All Saints attracts worshippers from across the Benefice, which often swells the congregation to more than the village population! The Friends of All Saints Charity does assist greatly to the Parish share and has also assisted in important renovation work to the fabric of the Church.
The churches of Littleworth, Pusey and Buckland were joined together as a single parish in 1999 under the auspices of Gainfield Parochial Church Council, which is part of the United Benefice of Cherbury and Gainfield.
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