Marcham is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire and accommodates a parish church, primary school, local village shop and regular bus services to Abingdon, Oxford and Wantage. The A34 Marcham interchange is roughly 1.5 miles east of the village providing road links with areas such as Oxford, Didcot and Newbury and motorways M4 and M40. Marcham itself lies on the A415 which provides links with Abingdon and Witney. The parish lies on the 'Golden Ridge' of Corallian limestone which runs from Cumnor to Faringdon. Its fertile soils have nurtured farms famous for their fruit and hops. The name comes from ‘de Bachepuise’, a Norman family who controlled the estates after the Conquest. With an excellent range of amenities including a shop, newsagents, post office, hairdresser, village hall, there is a good selection of local pubs and a popular country house hotel. Excellent state and private education nearby and in the village itself a pre-school and primary school. The village also houses a host of community clubs and societies, including Guides & Scouts.