Oaksey

Oaksey is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the county boundary with Gloucestershire. The village is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of the market town of Malmesbury and a similar distance south of the Gloucestershire market town of Cirencester.

Oaksey

The Street, Oaksey
Oaksey
Location within Wiltshire
Population530 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid referenceST991937
Civil parish
  • Oaksey
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMalmesbury
Postcode districtSN16
Dialling code01666
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteVillage

The Swill Brook forms part of the northern boundary of the parish.

History

A settlement of 28 households at Wochesie was recorded in Domesday Book of 1086.[2] There was a church at Oaksey in the 12th century, and in 1377 there were 86 poll tax payers.[3]

Norwood Castle is an earthwork about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) north of the village at Dean Farm. It may be the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.[3]

An early manor house, near the church, was in ruins by 1593. Oaksey Park House, a three-storey manor house, was built in the early 17th century, possibly for Sir Henry Poole. It was demolished in 1956.[3]

Parish church
All Saints Church, Oaksey

The Grade I listed[4] Church of England parish church of All Saints[5] existed by the first half of the 12th century, and the nave walls of the current building may date from that time.[3] In the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and the three-bay south aisle was added, along with the south porch.[3] The Decorated Gothic[6] north porch was added in the first half of the 14th century.[3] The five-bay Perpendicular Gothic[6] clerestory was added in the first half of the 15th century.[3] Further Perpendicular Gothic additions were made early in the 16th century: the south aisle was extended to form the south chapel, new windows were inserted in the north wall of the nave, the third stage of the tower was added.[3]

A number of wall paintings were painted in the church either in the 15th century[7] or early in the 16th century.[3] Those that survive today include a painting of Saint Christopher with a mermaid,[8] one of Christ surrounded by instruments of torture as a warning to Sabbath breakers[7] and a badly damaged one of Saint Edmund.[7]

In 1553 the tower had three bells, one of which had been cast at Worcester.[3] In 1773 these were replaced by a ring of six new bells cast by Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester.[3] In 1960 the ring was recast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough.[3]

Amenities

Oaksey has a pub, the Wheatsheaf Inn.[9] A village hall was opened in 2000.[10] Oaksey has primary school, a shop and Post Office, a cricket club, a football club which plays in the Cirencester and District League and a branch of the Women's Institute.

Oaksey Park Airfield (ICAO code EGTW) has two grass runways[11] and is operated by Austen Aviation Services.[12]

The Cotswold Water Park extends into the eastern part of the parish.

Railway

The Golden Valley Line between Swindon and Cheltenham was built across the parish in 1841. Between 1929 and 1964 there was a small station (Oaksey Halt) where the road to Somerford Keynes crossed the line. The nearest station is Kemble, about 3 miles distance by road.

References
  1. "Parish population". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  2. Oaksey in the Domesday Book
  3. Baggs, A.P.; Freeman, Jane; Stevenson, Janet H (1991). Crowley, D.A. (ed.). "Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 14 pp176–186: Parishes: Oaksey". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  4. Historic England. "Church of All Saints, Oaksey (1022262)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  5. "Church of All Saints, Oaksey". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page 362
  7. Marshall, Anne. "Warning to Sabbath Breakers: Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡Bristol) C.15". Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church. Anne Marshall. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
  8. Marshall, Anne. "St.Christopher, Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡ Bristol) C.15". Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church. Anne Marshall. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
  9. "The Wheatsheaf". Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  10. "Oaksey Village Hall". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  11. "Oaksey Park Airfield". Light Aircraft Association. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  12. "Austen broadens services at Oaksey". Business Air News. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

Sources and further reading
  • "Oaksey". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 22 March 2015.

Media related to Oaksey at Wikimedia Commons

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