Faringdon | |
---|---|
Faringdon Market Place and Town Hall |
|
Faringdon shown within Oxfordshire | |
Population | 7,121 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | SU286954 |
• London | 78 miles (126 km) |
Civil parish |
|
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Faringdon |
Postcode district | SN7 |
Dialling code | 01367 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Oxfordshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Website | Faringdon Town Council |
Faringdon /ˈfærɪŋdən/ is a historic market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England, about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Oxford, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Wantage, 34 miles (55 km) northwest of Reading and 12 miles (19 km) east-northeast of Swindon. It is a large parish, its lowest parts extending to the River Thames in the north and its highest ground reaching the Ridgeway in the south. It was the westernmost town in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.
The civil parish is formally called Great Faringdon, to distinguish it from Little Faringdon in West Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded its population as 7,121.
On 1 February 2004, Faringdon was granted Fairtrade Town status, becoming the first Fairtrade Town in South East England. Faringdon is the base for the Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, which is run by the South East England Development Agency to help and advise businesses in rural west Oxfordshire.