Enstone, Oxfordshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enstone is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is the largest parish in Oxfordshire and takes its name from a neolithic burial site, a standing stone just off the Charlbury Road known as the "Ent Stone".
The parish is comprised of a number of villages – the larger villages of Church Enstone and Neat Enstone (commonly referred to just as Enstone) and the smaller villages of Chalford, Cleveley, Gagingwell, Lidstone, and Radford.
It lies on the very eastern extremities of the Cotswold Hills astride the Glyme Valley. It is also at the midway point of the A44 Trunk Road between Woodstock and Chipping Norton.
The parish church is dedicated to Saint Kenelm, "the Cotswold Saint", and contains a stained glass window by William Morris.
It is a thriving working village with two pubs (the Harrow at Neat Enstone and the Crown at Church Enstone), a junior school, a retirement home, a Post Office and general stores.
Enstone Airfield to the north west of Church Enstone is a former RAF station, now used as a civilian airfield for light aircraft and gliders, and the site of an industrial estate.
Enstone is also the home of the Renault F1 motor racing team which is based at Whiteways Technical Centre in a converted quarry site.
There are also football and cricket teams that perform well in local leagues and competitions.
It is in the electoral constituency of Witney.
Enstone was for many years the home of the Tombs and West families, ancestors of the serial killer Fred West. The West family lived in Back Lane (1861 Census) before Fred's branch moved to Warwickshire then Herefordshire and finally Gloucestershire.
