Widford, Oxfordshire
Widford is a deserted medieval village on the River Windrush about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Burford in West Oxfordshire. The village was an exclave of Gloucestershire until 1844.
| Widford | |
|---|---|
 St. Oswald's parish church | |
  Widford Location within Oxfordshire | |
| OS grid reference | SP2712 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Burford |
| Postcode district | OX18 |
| Dialling code | 01993 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
History
Early occupation is evidenced by the remains of a Roman villa. The Church of England parish church of St. Oswald stands on its site, and a small area of Roman mosaic was visible in its chancel,[1] but has been moved to Cirencester museum.
The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded that St Oswald's Priory in Gloucester held the manor of Widford.[2] It was a detached part of Gloucestershire until the 19th century.[2] St Oswald's church in Widford is Early English Gothic and was built in the 13th century.[1] In the 14th century numerous wall paintings were added, remains of which survive.[1] Most of the church's present windows were added in the 16th and 17th centuries.[1]
Widford was a substantial village in the Middle Ages but today only the 16th-century manor house and a few other houses remain. St. Oswald's stands in a field whose cropmarks show the outlines of former buildings.
In 1844 the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 transferred Widford to Oxfordshire.[2]
Widford was a civil parish from 1866, but by 1931 its population was only 29.[3] In 1932 the civil parish was merged with the parish of Swinbrook to form the civil parish of Swinbrook and Widford.
References
Sources and further reading
- Baggs, A.P.; Chance, Eleanor; Colvin, Christina; Day, C.J.; Selwyn, Nesta; Townley, Simon C. (1996). Crossley, Alan; Currie, C.R.J. (eds.). A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 13: Bampton Hundred (Part One). Victoria County History. pp. 1–5.
- Edwards, John (1982). "A Newly-Deciphered Wall-painting of St. Martin at Widford". Oxoniensia. Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society. XLVII: 127–132.
- Edwards, John (1984). "Widford Wall-paintings: More New Decipherments". Oxoniensia. Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society. XLIX: 133–139.
- Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 841. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
External links
Media related to Widford, Oxfordshire at Wikimedia Commons
