| Ascott-under-Wychwood | |
Holy Trinity parish church |
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Ascott-under-Wychwood
Ascott-under-Wychwood shown within Oxfordshire |
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| Population | 504 (2001 census)[1] |
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| OS grid reference | SP3018 |
| Parish | Ascott-under-Wychwood |
| District | West Oxfordshire |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Chipping Norton |
| Postcode district | OX7 |
| Dialling code | 01993 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Witney |
| Website | The Ascott-under-Wychwood Community Website |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Ascott-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the Evenlode valley about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
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The village is one of several named after the historic forest of Wychwood; the others being Shipton-under-Wychwood and Milton-under-Wychwood.
Ascot d'Oilly Castle was built in about 1129-1150, and stone tower was added to it in the 13th century. The castle bailey is now occupied by the manor house, which is mainly 16th and 17th century but contains somce 13th century buttressed and other stonework.[2]
Holy Trinity Church of England parish church was built in about 1200 and remodelled in the 14th century.[3] The upper stages of the bell tower were built in the 15th century.[3] The tower has a peal of six bells. In 2001 the Church of England Benefice of Ascott-under-Wychwood, Chadlington and Spelsbury merged with that of Enstone and Heythrop to form the Chase Benefice.[4]
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway was built in 1845 and opened Ascott-under-Wychwood railway station to serve the village. The OW&WR is now the Cotswold Line and the station is served by First Great Western trains.
The village school was designed by architect C.C. Rolfe and built in 1871.[3]
In 1873 a farmer dismissed several men of Ascott-under-Wychwood because they had formed a branch of the National Union of Agricultural Workers.[5] He hired labourers from the village of Ramsden to work as strikebreakers but a group of women from Ascott-under-Wychwood tried to dissuade the Ramsden labourers from working. Sixteen of the women were arrested, tried by magistrates in Chipping Norton and given short sentences of imprisonment in Oxford Castle. Their convictions were met with rioting in Chipping Norton, questions in Parliament and a royal pardon from Queen Victoria. The 16 are commemorated as the Ascott Martyrs.[6] In 1874 at least four of the women emigrated with their families to New Zealand, where they now have numerous descendants.[7] In 1973 on the centenary of the women's ordeal a commemorative bench was erected in the village.[8]
Ascott-under-Wychwood has a public house, the Swan. As from July 2010 the Swan has been closed.[9]
Ascott-under-Wychwood has a community shop, opened in 2003.[10]