Did you know?
‘Sheepdrove’ is the name for the wide lanes that were once used to herd livestock across the countryside. This was long associated with the lanes leading north out of Lambourn, up onto the downs – hence the name of Sheepdrove Farm and Sheepdrove Road.
Drovers were highly skilled people in charge of the stock, and responsible for the animals reaching market towns in good condition. Cattle and sheep were led along the droveways from Lambourn and up to the Ridgeway Path which is to the north of Sheepdrove.
The village name ‘Lambourn’ comes from Lamb and bourne – which is another word for a stream. The local landscape holds several winterbournes which only appear or really come to life when winter rains bring enough water. Rainwater seeps into the chalk all over the Berkshire Downs and as the level of the water table in the chalk rises, water is brought to these low-lying dips in the valleys.
Sheepdrove\'s Weblog 