Taston
| Taston | |
 Remains of medieval preaching cross |
|
  Taston Taston shown within Oxfordshire | |
| OS grid reference | SP3621 |
|---|---|
| Civil parish | Spelsbury |
| District | West Oxfordshire |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Chipping Norton |
| Postcode district | OX7 |
| Dialling code | 01608 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Witney |
| Website | Spelsbury Parish Council |
| |
Taston is a hamlet in Spelsbury civil parish, about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north of Charlbury and 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
History
Its toponym is derived from Thorstan meaning "Thorstone", a small standing stone claimed to be a thunderbolt of the god Thunor.[1]
At the centre of Taston are the base and broken shaft of a Medieval preaching cross.[2] It is a Grade II* listed building.[3]
The steps of the cross are very worn.
Nearby, just to the north of the cross on the verge of the road, is the "Thorstone". The top curves away from the road towards the wall of a modern house of the same name.
Middle Farmhouse is a house built of coursed rubble in the 17th and early 18th centuries.[4] Part of the roof is of Stonesfield slate.[4] The farmstead has a four-bay barn that was built of stone early in the 18th century and altered in 1884.[5]
The Firkins is a small house near Thorsbrook Spring. It is built of rubble and probably dates from early in the 18th century.[6]
At Thorsbrook Spring, about 140 yards (130 m) southeast of the preaching cross, is a Victorian Gothic Revival memorial fountain. It was built in 1862 in memory of Henrietta, Viscountess Dillon,[7] wife of Henry Dillon, 13th Viscount Dillon.
References
- ↑ faerygirl (6 January 2011). "Thor Stone; Standing Stone / Menhir". The Modern Antiquarian. Julian Cope. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ↑ Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 776. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
- ↑ "Cross". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Middle Farmhouse". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ↑ "Barn Approximately 15 Metres South East of Middle Farmhouse". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ↑ "The Firkins". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ↑ "Memorial Fountain". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
External links
- Map sources for Taston
