Aldworth is a village and mainly farmland civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, near the boundary with Oxfordshire. Orthography and slight change of name Aldworth was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 by scribes whose orthography was heavily geared towards French, lacking k and w, regulated forms for sounds ð and θ and ending many hard consonant words with e, as Elleorde, hinting at El(d)ward, the Old English for Old Ward i.e. Old farmed out (let) land. Scribes in the 12th century rendered it at least once as Aldewurda. Geography Aldworth is in a rural area between Reading, Newbury and Streatley. It includes the hamlet of Westridge Green. It lies on the high ground of the Berkshire Downs, just off the B4009 road between Newbury and Streatley. The Ridgeway, an 87-mile (140 km) pre-Roman footpath crosses the north of the parish. History King Alfred's defeat of the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in January 871, is said by some to have occurred near The Ridgeway and Lowbury Hill. In medieval times there was a fortified manor house or castle; La Beche Castle once stood on the site of what is now Beche Farm in the parish. This was the main residence of the De La Beche family, after whom it was named. This well-known family of medieval knights had held high positions at court since at least 1260. The De La Beche family remained powerful landowners and knights in the 14th century. Many were retainers to the king, warders to the Tower of London, and sheriffs of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The family was influential in the reigns of Edward II and Edward III, and embroiled in the royal intrigue of the time. Sir Phillip was imprisoned in Scarborough Castle from 1322 to 1327, but later pardoned by Edward III. His father, also Sir Phillip, had been imprisoned and later pardoned under Edward II. Amenities A small area in the south of the village bears woodland centuries old that is still coppiced and carpeted with bluebells. It is open to the public subject to informal permission. The Bell Inn is a 15th-century inn that has twice won a National Pub of the Year award. Another pub, The Four Points, stands at a crossroads south of the village centre. Governance Aldworth is a civil parish with an elected parish council. It belongs to the West Berkshire unitary authority