Carterton, Oxfordshire

Carterton is the second largest town in West Oxfordshire and is about 2 miles (3 km) south of the A40 and 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Witney. The town is on the edge of the Thames Valley and on the edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

Until the early 20th century, the Carterton area was farmland and belonged to the parish of Black Bourton. The land was then sold to William Carter, the director of a building company. Carterton was denied electricity and running water for decades because Black Bourton Parish Council was in charge and they didn't like their poorer cousins.

Carterton was built about 1.25 miles (2.01 km) from The East Gloucestershire Railway between Witney and Fairford. The line had been built in 1873 and had subsequently been taken over by the Great Western Railway. In 1944 the GWR opened Carterton station on the line. In 1962 British Railways closed the line, including Carterton station.^[2]

Carterton's soil is highly suitable for growing tomatoes, something for which the town is noted. RMS Titanic was carrying tomatoes from Carterton when it sank in 1912.

RAF Brize Norton was established in 1937 between Carterton and the railway line. The airbase's presence led Carterton to grow rapidly during the Second World War. The Royal Air Force is still one of the main employers in the area. The link with the air base also means that the population of Carterton continually fluctuates. There is also a significant proportion of retired RAF personnel living in the town. A new memorial garden has been built near the town to continue the public mourning seen at Royal Wootton Bassett as military repatriations for dead service personnel have now been routed to Brize Norton.^[3]

In the first decade of the 21st century the new Shilton Park district of northeast Carterton was built, providing a mix of housing for private ownership and social letting. The new St. John's Church of England primary school has been built at Shilton Park and construction of a local shopping centre is now complete.

Education

Carterton has five primary schools:

• Carterton Primary School,^[4]
• Edith Moorhouse Primary School,^[5]
• The Gateway Primary School,^[6]
• St. John the Evangelist Church of England Primary School^[7] and
• St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School.^[8]

St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's are voluntary controlled schools.

Carterton Community College, the town's secondary school, is a specialist engineering college.^[9]

Amenities

Carterton has two public houses: The Golden Eagle and the Beehive.

There is a public lending library in the town centre.^[10]

Retail

There are a number of shops, two supermarkets and car parking in the town centre. There are plans to improve and expand the retail space in the centre and create more car parking. As a result new chains such as The Original Factory Shop have recently opened in the town. West Oxfordshire Retail Park and a new business park are being built in the town. The Countryside Agency has awarded Carterton Beacon Status for the work that the Fast Forward team is undertaking on the regeneration of the town centre.

Housing

The town of Carterton has a varied mix of housing. The new development of Shilton Park has added many more houses to the current stock.

Many houses in Carterton are due to be demolished and replaced with newer stock. These are MoD housing stock that have long outlived their expected life.

References

Further reading

• Townley, Simon C. (ed.); Colvin, Christina; Cragoe, Carol; Ortenberg, Veronica; Peberdy, R.B.; Selwyn, Nesta; Williamson, Elizabeth (2006). A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 15: Bampton Hundred (Part Three). Victoria County History. pp. 1–7, 101–112.