ic ▁origin ▁and ▁means ▁" white ▁water ", ▁composed ▁of ▁the ▁elements ▁w inn , ▁" white ", ▁and ▁du <0xE1> <0xBA> <0x9E> r , ▁" water " ▁( Wel sh ▁g w yn - dw fr ), ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁stream ▁that ▁r ises ▁in ▁the ▁adjacent ▁hills ▁and ▁flows ▁through ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁bringing ▁ch alk ▁depos its ▁on ▁its ▁way . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁document ary ▁reference ▁to ▁Wend over , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁W æ nd of ron , ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁ Æ l f he ah , ▁the ▁e ald orm an ▁of ▁Ham pshire , ▁and ▁dates ▁from ▁between ▁ 9 6 5 ▁and ▁ 9 7 1 . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁Norman ▁Con quest , ▁the ▁man or , ▁which ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁measured ▁ 2 4 ▁h ides ▁in ▁area , ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁Edward ▁the ▁Conf essor . ▁The ▁settlement ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁cent red ▁some ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁focus ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁near ▁the ▁current ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁parish ▁church ▁of ▁St ▁Mary . ▁By ▁ 1 0 8 6 ▁the ▁man or ▁of ▁Wend ov re ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁hundred ▁of ▁A yles bury , ▁with ▁William ▁the ▁Con quer or ▁as ▁its ▁ten ant ▁in ▁chief . ▁ ▁The ▁man or ▁remained ▁in ▁royal ▁ownership ▁until ▁ 1 1 5 4 , ▁and ▁then ▁passed ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁between ▁royal ▁and ▁private ▁ownership ▁several