Warborough is a village that takes its name from its strategic position overlooking the Thames valley, meaning ‘watch or look-out hill’. The village has been inhabited since ancient times, and has witnessed many historical events and changes. In the Anglo-Saxon period, Warborough was part of the large royal estate of Benson, and belonged to various religious institutions, such as Osney Abbey and Godstow Nunnery. The Church of England parish church of Saint Laurence was originally a chapel of the parish of Benson, and remained part of the peculiar of Dorchester until 1846. The church has some features from the 12th and 13th centuries, but was mostly rebuilt in the 14th and 19th centuries. The village was affected by the Civil War, the Plague, and the Enclosure Acts, and saw the rise and decline of several local industries, such as brewing, engineering, and agriculture. The village has a War Memorial, a cruck cottage, numerous thatched cottages and farmhouses.