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Until the middle of the 20th century this small settlement had existed as a
separate entity from the market town of Wantage, a mile away, since at least the
11th century, when it was mentioned in the Domesday Book. An 18th century map
shows the land divided into strips giving each family a share of the arable and
grazing lands. The whereabouts of a mill mentioned in Domesday is now not
certain.
Since the Second World War Charlton has been almost swallowed up by housing
estates and is now firmly joined to Wantage. The ‘Atomics’ came first and built
their well-landscaped estate along the Humber Ditch on part of the old Charlton
House estate. Palmers Farmhouse still stands in the middle of a cul-de-sac and
Truelocks and Barnards Farms have become Charlton Heights estate, although the
farmhouses are still there. Sadly, Truelocks Farm lost its old barn in a
spectacular blaze one Friday afternoon in 1989.
The Victorian church of Holy Trinity, which was built as a chapel of ease,
stands near the old stone school house with its rolls of honour of prize winners
proudly displayed on one wall. Many families bearing these names are still to be
found nearby.
The new Charlton primary school and adult training centre are across the road
and Maude House for the elderly now stands on the site of Chestnuts Farm — or
Pococks — where Charles I is reputed to have had ‘supper and bed’ with Sir
George Wilmot in 1643 and again in 1644. This farmhouse and several thatched
cottages disappeared as recently as the late 1960s and a well-loved pony —
Smokey — almost came to grief in the old well soon afterwards.
The town pound is only remembered by house names in the locality but a number of
old houses still stand. The fifth generation of Castles are at Home Farm where
they have provided a field centre for schools in one of their barns. The old
farmhouse has recently been sold as a private residence. Parsonage Farm —
scarcely visible from the village street — is also a working farm and further
on, past the eyesore of the scrapyard, Gypsy Lane leads across the fields, over
the canal, to Grove.
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