a market-town of England, county of Berks, on a branch of the Ock and of the Wilts and Berks Canal, at the E. extremity of the vale of the White Horse, 22 miles W.N.W. of Reading. It stands at the intersection of the high roads from Hungerford to Oxford, and from Farringdon to Wallingford, which form its principal streets. The parish church is an ancient cruciform edifice, with a square embattled tower rising from its centre, and some fine monuments. It has also several dissenting places of worship, a new town-hall, and a free grammar-school. The manufactures are unimportant, but it has a large weekly market on Wednesdays for the sale of agricultural produce, from the fertile vale district. Alfred the Great was born here in 849, and a festival commemorating his 1000th birthday was held on 25th October 1849. Bishop Butler was also a native of this place. Pop. (1851) 2951.