Northmoor, Oxfordshire
| Northmoor | |
 St. Denys' parish church |
|
  Northmoor |
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| Population | 377 (2011 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SP4202 |
| Civil parish | Northmoor |
| District | West Oxfordshire |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Witney |
| Postcode district | OX29 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Witney |
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Coordinates: 51°43′23″N 1°23′31″W / 51.723°N 1.392°W
Northmoor is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire, about 6 miles (10 km) west of Oxford and almost the same distance southeast of Witney. Northmoor is in the valley of the River Thames, which bounds the parish to the east and south, and is close to the River Windrush which forms part of the parish's western boundary. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 377.[1]
Toponym
In the 11th century the toponym was simply More or Moor, meaning "marsh". The prefix North was added by the 13th century, distinguishing the village from Southmoor, then in Berkshire, on the other side of the Thames.[2]
Parish church
In 1059 King Edward the Confessor granted land at Northmoor to St Denis Abbey in Paris.[3] Northmoor was made a separate parish in the 12th century, and the parish church of Saint Denys was then built.[4] Nothing survives of this original building except the font, which is Norman.[5]
The earliest part of the present Church of England parish church on the same site[6] is the Early English Gothic chancel, which was built in the 13th century.[5] The chancel's east window is a set of three lancets and it has another lancet in its south wall.[5] The present nave and north and south transepts were built early in the 14th century.[5] The bell tower over the west bay of the nave was added in the 15th century.[5] The tower has a ring of six bells. Abraham I Rudhall of Gloucester cast the fifth bell in 1714, and Thomas Rudhall cast all the others in 1764.[7]
The Gothic Revival architect C.C. Rolfe carried out a sensitive restoration of building in 1887.[4] St. Denys' is now a Grade I listed building.[8]
Economic and social history
Rectory Farm was built in the 16th century, and a date-stone over the entrance records alterations in 1629.[9] The farm has also a half-timbered granary on stone stooks and a timber-framed dovecote, both from the 16th or 17th centuries.[9]
There used to be a flash lock on the Thames on the southern edge of the parish at Hart's Weir, also known as Ridge's Weir. In 1879 Hart's Weir Footbridge was built at the site, and in 1896 the weir and flash lock were replaced with a pound lock, Northmoor Lock, southeast of the village.
There is a proposal to excavate 200 acres (81 ha) of Northmoor parish for gravel extraction.[10]
Amenities
Northmoor has a public house, the Red Lion[11] and a village hall. In 2014 the Red Lion was offered for sale by the brewers Greene King. An initiative led by the Parish Council successfully bought the property on behalf of the community of Northmoor. The Red Lion is now owned by shareholders who live in Northmoor and adjacent villages in the Lower Windrush area and is operated primarily for their benefit.[12]
The nearest village store and post office are 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away in Standlake. Oxfordshire County Council bus route 18 gives Northmoor a link every two hours with Oxford, Eynsham, Stanton Harcourt, Aston and Bampton. The current contractor operating the route is Stagecoach in Oxfordshire. There is no evening, Sunday or Bank Holiday service.[13]
References
- ↑ "Area: Northmoor (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ↑ Crossley & Currie 1996, pp. 150–156.
- ↑ Crossley & Currie 1996, pp. 156–158.
- 1 2 Crossley & Currie 1996, pp. 166–70.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 722.
- ↑ "Northmoor". Oxfordshire Churches & Chapels.
- ↑ Davies, Peter (14 December 2006). "Northmoor S Denys". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- ↑ "Church of St Denys". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- 1 2 Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 723.
- ↑ Stonehenge Farm
- ↑ Red Lion Northmoor
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-27252048
- ↑ "18 Oxford – Bampton". Stagecoach in Oxfordshire. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
Sources
- Crossley, Alan; Currie, C.R.J. (eds.); Baggs, A.P.; Chance, Eleanor; Colvin, Christina; Day, C.J.; Selwyn, Nesta; Townley, Simon C. (1996). A History of the County of Oxford. Victoria County History. 13: Bampton Hundred (Part One). London: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research. pp. 150–171. ISBN 978-0-19722-790-9.
- Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 722–723. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Northmoor, Oxfordshire. |
- "Northmoor". Old Oxfordshire Postcards. Stephanie Jenkins.
