Taston

Taston

Thor Stone (left foreground), with the
Medieval preaching cross beyond
Taston
 Taston shown within Oxfordshire
OS grid referenceSP3621
Civil parishSpelsbury
DistrictWest Oxfordshire
Shire countyOxfordshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited 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 ParliamentWitney
WebsiteSpelsbury Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire

Coordinates: 51°54′14″N 1°28′26″W / 51.904°N 1.474°W / 51.904; -1.474

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]

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

Thor Stone
  1. ↑ faerygirl (6 January 2011). "Thor Stone; Standing Stone / Menhir". The Modern Antiquarian. Julian Cope. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 776. ISBN 0 14 071045 0.
  3. ↑ "Cross". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Middle Farmhouse". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Barn Approximately 15 Metres South East of Middle Farmhouse". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "The Firkins". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Memorial Fountain". National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

External links

Medieval preaching cross: the steps, base and broken shaft survive
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