Oaksey

Oaksey
Oaksey

 Oaksey shown within Wiltshire
Population 490 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference ST9993
Parish Oaksey
Unitary authority Wiltshire
Ceremonial county Wiltshire
Region South West
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Postcode district SN16
Dialling code 01666
Police Wiltshire
Fire Wiltshire
Ambulance Great Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK Parliament North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Website Oaksey
List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire

Oaksey is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the county boundary with Gloucestershire. The village is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of the market town of Malmesbury and a similar distance south of the Gloucestershire market town of Cirencester.

Contents

Norwood Castle

Norwood Castle is an earthwork about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) north of the village at Dean Farm.[2] It may be the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.[2][3]

Parish church

The Church of England parish church of All Saints existed by the first half of the 12th century, and the nave walls of the current building may date from that time.[2] In the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and the three-bay south aisle was added, along with the south porch.[2] The Decorated Gothic[4] north porch was added in the first half of the 14th century.[2] The five-bay Perpendicular Gothic[4] clerestory was added in the first half of the 15th century.[2] Further Perpendicular Gothic additions were made early in the 16th century: the south aisle was extended to form the south chapel, new windows were inserted in the north wall of the nave, the third stage of the tower was added.[2]

A number of wall paintings were painted in the church either in the 15th century[5] or early in the 16th century.[2] Those that survive today include a painting of Saint Christopher with a mermaid,[6] one of Christ surrounded by instruments of torture as a warning to Sabbath breakers[5] and a badly damaged one of Saint Edmund.[5]

In 1553 All Saints' tower had three bells, one of which had been cast at Worcester.[2] In 1773 these were replaced by a ring of six new bells cast by Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester.[2] In 1960 the ring was recast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough.[2]

Amenities

Oaksey has a gastropub, the Wheatsheaf Inn.[7] Oaksey built a new village hall that opened in 2000.[8] Oaksey has a cricket club,[9] a football club[9] and a Women's Institute.

References

  1. ^ "Area selected: North Wiltshire (Non-Metropolitan District)". Neighbourhood Statistics: Full Dataset View. Office for National Statistics. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&containerAreaId=790550. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Crowley et al., 1991, pages 176-186
  3. ^ "Places of Interest in Our Village". Oaksey. http://www.oaksey.com/index.php?section=51. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  4. ^ a b Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page362
  5. ^ a b c Marshall, Anne. "Warning to Sabbath Breakers: Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡Bristol) C.15". Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church. Anne Marshall. http://www.paintedchurch.org/oaksey.htm. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  6. ^ Marshall, Anne. "St.Christopher, Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡ Bristol) C.15". Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church. Anne Marshall. http://www.paintedchurch.org/oakschr.htm. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  7. ^ The Wheatsheaf Inn
  8. ^ "Oaksey Village Hall". Oaksey. http://www.oaksey.com/index.php?section=24. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
  9. ^ a b "Sports". Oaksey. http://www.oaksey.com/index.php?section=22. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 

Sources and further reading

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Oaksey Oaksey] at Wikimedia Commons