Ducklington

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ducklington

Geography
Status:	Village
Region:	South East England
Admin. County:	Oxfordshire
Admin. HQ:	Oxford
Grid reference:	SP 51 06
ONS code:	38UF
Politics
West Oxfordshire District Council http://www.westoxon.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MPs:	David Cameron

Ducklington is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is one mile to the south of the town of Witney, and is located on the banks of the River Windrush. It is one of the first Saxon parishes to be recorded in Oxfordshire.

[edit] History

Ducklington is first featured in the 958 Charter of King Edgar the Peaceable, in the granting of land to his Minister Eanulf. The etymology of the name Ducklington has been translated as Ducel's Farm or as 'The farm of the sons of Docca', although it is locally thought to originate from the central duck pond, where many ducks and ducklings have dwelled for centuries. Following the Norman Conquest, Ducklington became the possession of Baron Robert D'Oyly, a friend of William I and builder of both Oxford Castle and Osney Abbey. The Dyve family then held the Lordship of Ducklington in the 13th and 14th centuries, residing there until the early part of the reign of Edward III.

Ducklington is mainly famous for the rare Fritillary flower, a large variety of which grow in a specially designated meadow just outside the village. Before the Second World War, many Fritillaries had grown on fields all over the Windrush Valley. However, the national drive for food production during the war meant that most meadows were intensively ploughed, the rivers dredged, and consequently the Fritillaries were lost. Only the current Fritillary field was left unploughed. The flowers have only managed to survive to this day due to the great assistance from locals and farmers. Now once a year, the local community celebrates Fritillary Sunday, where the field, church and hall are opened so that the public may walk amongst and enjoy the flowers. The celebration has been featured in Country Life magazine.

[edit] Other Information

Ducklington is also well known locally for its Morris dancing group [1] and Mummers performances. Recently, Ducklington has also hosted several flower and garden shows. The village boasts a collection of thatched buildings, a couple of which are several centuries old. There are also two pubs, The Strickland Arms and The Bell. Places of worship include the 12th century St Bartholomew’s Church [2]and the Baptist Chapel. The incumbent Priest in charge of St Bartholomew’s is the Reverend Bob Edy. The village is also home to the Ducklington C. E. Primary School. All three organizations are highly active in the community.

The old church tithe barn is residence to the Village Hall, which underwent significant renovation in recent years. It is used frequently by village groups, and also doubles as the parish polling station during elections. Until recently, the village had amenities such as a local shop, bakers and hairdressers, all of which have sadly closed down over the past decade.