| Piddington | |
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Piddington
Piddington shown within Oxfordshire |
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| Population | 371 (2001 census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SP6417 |
| Parish | Piddington |
| District | Cherwell |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bicester |
| Postcode district | OX25 |
| Dialling code | 01869 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Banbury |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Piddington is a village and civil parish about 4.5 miles (7 km) southeast of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. Its toponym has been attributed to the Old English Pyda's tun.[2]
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Piddington was originally part of the ecclesiastical parish of Ambrosden. By 1152 "Ralph the hermit" had established Holy Cross chapel on Muswell Hill about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village. Until the English Reformation, Piddington villagers used to process to the chapel on Christian feast days. The last ruins of the chapel are reported to have disappeared in 1800.[2]
The chapel of Saint Nicholas in Piddington is known to have existed by 1309. It is now Piddington's Church of England parish church. Its chancel was built in about 1300, but has Decorated Gothic features added in about 1350. The original 13th century nave was rebuilt in the 14th or late 13th century. A number of Perpendicular Gothic windows were later added to the nave.[3] The present belltower was built in the 16th century. St. Nicholas' parish church was repaired in 1826 and restored in 1855. In 1898 it was restored again under the architect John Oldrid Scott, whose alterations included replacing the chancel arch. A 14th century wall painting of Saint Christopher on the north wall of the nave was discovered in 1896 and restored in 1935.[2]
The belltower has a ring of five bells. Edward Hemins of Bicester[4] cast the tenor bell 1729 in and the fourth bell in 1738.[5] Llewellins and James of Bristol[4] cast the treble, second and third bells in 1887,[5] the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
The Congregational chapel in the village was founded in 1825 and enlarged at a later date. It was still used for worship in 1951[2] but has since been converted into a private house.[6]
In about 1910 the Great Western Railway built a new main line linking Ashendon Junction and King's Sutton to complete a new high-speed route between its termini at London Paddington and Birmingham Snow Hill. The line passes within a few hundred metres of Piddington. The GWR opened a railway station called Brill and Ludgershall just over 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Piddington. British Railways closed the station in 1953 but the railway remains open as part of the Chiltern Main Line.
In 1941 the Bicester Military Railway was built. It connects with the Varsity Line just west of Bicester, runs through the villages of Ambrosden and Arncott and terminates at Piddington, serving various military depots en route. It remains in use today.
Piddington has one public house, the Seven Stars.
A Sunday school in Piddington was founded in 1818. It became a day school supported by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education in 1858, and a new school building was erected in 1863. In 1925 it was reorganised as a junior and infants' school. It was still open in 1952[2] but has since closed.
Piddington has a village hall.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Piddington,_Oxfordshire Piddington, Oxfordshire] at Wikimedia Commons
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