Carterton, Oxfordshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carterton | |
  Carterton shown within Oxfordshire |
|
| Population | 18000 (Parish) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 72.4mi |
| Parish | Carterton |
| District | West Oxfordshire |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Carterton is a town in Oxfordshire, England. It is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) west of Witney, on the B4020 and B4477 roads. It is close to the A40 road.
Carterton is one of the newest towns in Oxfordshire. Despite this, Carterton is the second largest settlement in the West Oxfordshire District. Its population is approximately 20,000.
Until the early 19th century, the Carterton area was farmland. It belonged to the parish of Black Bourton. The land was then sold to William Carter, the director of a building company.
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[edit] History
Carterton grew rapidly during World War II, due to its proximity to the RAF Brize Norton military airbase. The Royal Air Force is still one of the main employers on the area. The link to the airbase also means that the population of Carterton is constantly fluctuating. There is also a significant proportion of retired RAF personnel living in the town.
The Witney and East Gloucestershire branch line railway from Yarnton to Fairford passed to the south of Carterton and RAF Brize Norton.[[1]] The line was part of the Great Western Railway, which in 1944 opened a station for Carterton on the line. In 1962, British Railways closed the Witney - Fairford section of the line, including Carterton station.
Carterton continues to grow. A new north eastern district of the town has been built, providing a mix of housing for private ownership and social letting. A new primary school has been built on the development and work has begun to build a local shopping center.
[edit] Education
Education in Carterton is provided by Carterton Primary School [2], Gateway Primary School, Edith Moorhouse Primary School, St. Joseph's Primary School, St John the Evangelist CE Primary School, and Carterton Community College (the town's secondary school) [3]. There is also a library located in the town center.
[edit] Hospitality
There are three pubs within the town, the Beehive (late licence), the Aviator and the Jaggers Bar. A fourth pub, The Osprey has recently closed. Rumor has it that a national chain of pub/restaurant is about to open in the town.
[edit] Retail
There are many shops and parking within the town center. Two supermarkets serve the town and both are located within the center. There are plans afoot to improve and expand the retail space within the center and to create more car parking. A new development, West Oxfordshire Retail Park is being built within the town as is a new business park, which will offer many more employment opportunities away from the RAF base.
The Countryside Agency has awarded Carterton Beacon Status for the work that the Fast forward team is undertaking on the regeneration of the town center.
[edit] Housing
The town of Carterton has a varied mix of housing, some of which belongs to the MOD. The new development of Shilton Park has added many more houses to the current stock.
[edit] People
The Grandfather of the Arsenal and England superstar Theo Walcott was once the mayor of Carterton, so the young footballer turned on the Christmas lights in the town in 2006. Also, Mark Flint lives there. Former British Touring Car Champion Tim Harvey also used to live in the town. Plus Beehive Famous Barman Robert Harrington, brother of celebrity chef, Daniel Harrington.
