| Wardington | |
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Wardington
Wardington shown within Oxfordshire |
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| Population | 580 (parish, including Williamscot) (2001 census)[1] |
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| OS grid reference | SP4946 |
| Parish | Wardington |
| District | Cherwell |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Banbury |
| Postcode district | OX17 |
| Dialling code | 01295 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Banbury |
| Website | Wardington.net The website of the villages of Wardington and Williamscot |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Wardington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Banbury. The village consists of two parts, Lower Wardington and Upper Wardington. The parish includes the hamlet of Williamscot, about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Wardington.
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The Domesday Book of 1086 records Wardington as part of the Cropredy manor of Remigius de Fécamp, Bishop of Lincoln.[2]
Between Lower and Upper Wardington is Wardington Manor house, which dates from the middle of the 16th century or possibly earlier. The house was remodelled in 1665 and twice early in the 20th century. From 1917 Wardington Manor was the seat of Baron Wardington.[3] In 2004 the house was severely damaged by fire but it has since been restored.
The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary Magdalen has a 12th century chancel and 13th century nave. In the 14th century new Decorated Gothic windows were added to the chancel. In the 15th century a clerestory was added to the nave and a west tower was built.[4]
The tower has a ring of six bells. Henry I Bagley of Chacombe[5] cast the oldest in 1669,[6] Henry II Bagley cast the tenor bell in 1682[6] and Henry II and Matthew I Bagley cast the treble bell in 1685.[6] John Briant of Hertford[5] cast two more of the bells in 1791 and 1795.[6] John Taylor cast the youngest bell in 1841, presumably at his then foundry in Oxford.[5]
St. Mary Magdalene parish is now part of the Benefice of Shire's Edge along with those of Claydon, Cropredy, Great Bourton and Mollington.[7]
A congregation of Wesleyans was established in the village by 1815 and had built a chapel by 1827. In 1894 a larger chapel was built next to the old one, which was sold to the owner of the manor house. The chapel was Methodist from 1932, and was still open as part of the Banbury Methodist Circuit in 1964,[2] but has since closed and been converted into private homes.
In 1469 during the Wars of the Roses the Battle of Edgecote Moor was fought near Wardington. In 1644 during the English Civil War some of Battle of Cropredy Bridge was fought at Wardington.[8]
From 1574 Wardington was served by the Free School at Williamscot. The Free School was closed in 1857 but the building survives. By 1833 a school had been established at Wardington itself. This became a National School and acquired its own purpose-built premises in 1845. After 1947 it became a primary school, with children older than 11 being schooled in Banbury.[2] The school was closed in 1991 and is now a private house.
In 1753 Lower Wardington had three public houses: the Green Man, the Hare and Hounds and the Wheatsheaf (also called the White Swan and the White Lion). The Green Man seems to have ceased trading by 1787. In 1966 Upper Wardington had two public houses: the Plough and the Red Lion.[2] Today only the Plough and the Hare and Hounds remain in business (see below): the remainder have become private homes.
Wardington Memorial Hall was built in 1920 as a memorial to members of the village who were killed on active service during the First World War.[2]
Wardington has two public houses:
Wardington Cricket Club plays in South Northants Cricket League Division Two.[10]
The A361 runs through Wardington, with some sharp bends where there has been a number of crashes.[11] Northamptonshire County Council's Transport Prioritisation Framework includes plans for an A361 bypass of Wardington, Chipping Warden and Byfield.[12]
Until August 2011 Geoff Amos Coaches of Eydon operated a bus service between Rugby and Banbury via Daventry, including three stops in Wardington village. The service ran hourly between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday, with a less frequent service on Saturdays between 8am and 6pm.[13] In April 2011 Northamptonshire County Council reduced its English National Concessionary Travel Scheme payment to bus operators from 53 pence to 38 pence per passenger and Geoff Amos Coaches warned that this would threaten the viability of its bus services.[14] On 4th August 2011 Geoff Amos Coaches announced the withdrawal of its scheduled bus services with effect from 5th August until further notice.[15]
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