Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

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Chipping Norton Town Hall

Map sources for Chipping Norton at grid reference SP3126

Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire, England. It is the highest town in the county. Popular with tourists who use it as a gateway to the nearby Cotswolds, Chipping Norton is a lively town that services a wide number of surrounding villages, continuing the tradition that gave it its name.

The "Chipping" in Chipping Norton means market, revealing the town's past importance as a commercial centre for the Evenlode valley. In mediaeval times, the Cotswolds were one of the wealthiest parts of England due to the production of wool. At that time, Chipping Norton grew in importance. Many of the mediaeval buildings built as a result remain in the town centre, adding to its character. There are also many buildings dating from the 18th century. The town was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, it retained its status as a municipal borough until 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972 made it a successor parish within the district of West Oxfordshire.

The resident population of Chipping Norton (at the 2001 Census) was 5,972; forty-eight percent were male and fifty-two percent were female. It is in the constituency of Witney.

The Rollright Stones nearby consist of a stone circle and two sets of related standing stones, and are preceded only by Avebury and Stonehenge in terms of importance.

In 2001, Chipping Norton was described as the Social "g-spot" of Great Britain by Tatler [1]

Alms houses, Chipping Norton

[edit] Notable people

In 1581, the neo-Latin poet Elizabeth Jane Weston, also known as Westonia, was born there. She soon moved to Prague with her mother and stepfather Edward Kelley, an alchemist at the court of Emperor Rudolf II. She died in Prague in 1612.

James Hind was born in 1616 in the town. He was a notorious highwayman in the area, executed for high treason in 1652.

The town owes much to William Bliss, who established the foundation of the textile industry using modern technology of the industrial revolution. After a blaze at the old works he built the impressive new mill in 1872, which remains a landmark on the edge of the town. The mill closed in 1980 and has since been converted into domestic accommodation.

In 1763 the Reverend Edward Stone (1702–1768), while living in Chipping Norton, reported to the Royal Society that willow bark relieved pain, later discovered to contain aspirin.[2]

Chipping Norton is home to broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson, while former comedian Ronnie Barker (deceased 2005) used to run the local antique shop "The Emporium" after he retired from show business in 1987.

Actor Wentworth Miller was born in Chipping Norton when his father studied at Oxford University. Actress Rachel Ward was also born in the town.

The world record holding ocean rower Janice Meek lived for many years in Chipping Norton. She was the first female Chairman of the Chipping Norton Chamber of Commerce, served on the Town Council and served for one year as Mayor [3].