History   The plains of Chain Hill were held by the King as part of the Royal Estate in Wantage as referred to by Asser in the opening paragraph of the Life of King Alfred  and as also recorded in the Domesday Book. According to the Vale and Downland Museum, the current name most likely is a derivative of the French word, 'Chêne', meaning Oak named by a French speaking settler over the years. It may have been named in Norman times or possibly much earlier by the daughter of Charles the Bald, king of the West Franks; Princess Judith (Leotheta). If so, it would probably have been during a stay at Ælfred's birthplace in Wantage after Æthelwulf's pilgrimage to Rome and return via France with his new bride in 856. Over the years the name became 'Chayne Hill' and then finally the 'y' became an 'i' and the 'e' was dropped, and so the current name, Chain Hill, came into common use.
History The plains of Chain Hill were held by the King as part of the Royal Estate in Wantage as referred to by Asser in the opening paragraph of the Life of King Alfred and as also recorded in the Domesday Book. According to the Vale and Downland Museum, the current name most likely is a derivative of the French word,'Chene', meaning Oak named by a French speaking settler over the years. It may have been named in Norman times or possibly much earlier by the daughter of Charles the Bald, king of the West Franks; Princess Judith (Leotheta). If so, it would probably have been during a stay at Alfred's birthplace in Wantage after AEthelwulf's pilgrimage to Rome and return via France with his new bride in 856. Over the years the name became'Chayne Hill' and then finally the'y' became an'I' and the'e' was dropped, and so the current name, Chain Hill, came into common use.

