Wardington is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in
Oxfordshire, about northeast of
Banbury
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
. The village consists of two parts: Wardington and Upper Wardington. The village is on a stream that rises in Upper Wardington and flows north to join the
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell ( or ) is a tributary of the River Thames in central England. It rises near Hellidon, Northamptonshire and flows southwards for to meet the Thames at Oxford in Oxfordshire.
The river gives its name to the Cherwell local g ...
.
The parish includes the
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Williamscot, about southwest of Wardington. The parish is bounded to the west and north by the River Cherwell, to the south by a stream that joins the Cherwell, and to the northeast by field boundaries. Its northeastern and southern boundaries also form part of the county boundary with
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
. The
2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 602.
Toponym
A
hundred roll from AD 1279 records the
toponym
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
as ''Wardinton''. Its
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
is
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
but its meaning is uncertain. "Ward" may be derived from a person called Wearda, or it may be from the Old English ''wearde'' or ''wearda'' meaning a beacon or cairn. The suffix ''-ingtūn'' is very common in Old and
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...
but its meaning is disputed.
Manor
![Wardington Manor House (geograph 4686628)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Wardington_Manor_House_%28geograph_4686628%29.jpg)
The
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...
of 1086 records Wardington as part of the
Cropredy
Cropredy ( ) is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.
History
The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The toponym comes from the Old English words ''cropp'' ...
manor of
Remigius de Fécamp
Remigius de Fécamp (sometimes Remigius; died 7 May 1092) was a Benedictine monk who was a supporter of William the Conqueror.
Early life
Remigius' date of birth is unknown, although he was probably born sometime during the 1030s, as canon la ...
,
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
.
Between Wardington and Upper Wardington is
Wardington Manor
Wardington Manor lies between Lower and Upper Wardington in Oxfordshire. The house 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 ...
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
Baron Wardington, of Alnmouth in the County of Northumberland, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1936 for John William Beaumont Pease, Chairman of Lloyds Bank from 1922 to 1945. The third Baron succeeded his ...
. In 2004 the house was severely damaged by fire but it has since been restored. It is a
Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...
.
Church and chapel
Church of England
The
Church of England parish church of Saint
Mary Magdalene has a 12th-century
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ov ...
and 13th-century
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
. In the 14th century new
Decorated Gothic
English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
windows were added to the chancel. In the 15th century a
Perpendicular Gothic clerestory was added to the nave and a west
tower
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specifi ...
was built.
Monuments
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...
in the church include two 14th-century tomb recesses and a 14th-century slab with a foliated cross. There is a 15th-century
monumental brass to Henry Freebody, who died in 1444. In the south chapel is an 18th-century monument to George Denton, who died in 1757.
The church was
restored
''Restored'' is the fourth
studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings.
Track listing
Standard release
Enhanced edition
Deluxe gold edition
Standard ...
in 1887 and 1889 under the direction of the
Gothic Revival architect
Ewan Christian
Ewan Christian (1814–1895) was a British architect. He is most frequently noted for the restorations of Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, and the design of the National Portrait Gallery. He was Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commiss ...
, and again in 1912–14 under the direction of WT Loveday. St Margaret's is a
Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
[
The tower has a ]ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
of six bells. Henry I Bagley of Chacombe
Chacombe (sometimes Chalcombe in the past) is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, about north-east of Banbury. It is bounded to the west by the River Cherwell, to the north by a tributary and to the south-east by the ...
cast the oldest in 1669, Henry II Bagley cast the tenor bell in 1682[ and Henry II and Matthew I Bagley cast the treble bell in 1685.][ John Briant of Hertford][ cast two more of the bells in 1791 and 1795.][ John Taylor cast the youngest bell in 1841, presumably at his then foundry in Oxford.][
St Mary Magdalene parish is now part of the Benefice of Shires' Edge along with those of Claydon, ]Cropredy
Cropredy ( ) is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.
History
The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The toponym comes from the Old English words ''cropp'' ...
, Great Bourton
Great Bourton is a village about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Bourton. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 614.
Church and chapel
Church of England
The Church ...
and Mollington.
Methodist
A congregation of Wesleyans
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
was established in the village by 1815 and had built a chapel by 1827. In 1895 a larger chapel was built in a Gothic Revival style next to the old one, which was sold to the owner of the manor house. The chapel was part of the Methodist Union
Methodist Union was the joining together of several of the larger British Methodist denominations. These were the Wesleyan Methodists, the Primitive Methodists, and the United Methodists. In 1932 a Uniting Conference met on 20 September in the R ...
of 1932, and was still open as part of Banbury Methodist Circuit
The organisation of the Methodist Church of Great Britain is based on the principle of connexionalism. This means that British Methodism, from its inception under John Wesley (1703–1791), has always laid strong emphasis on mutual support, in ...
in 1964.[ It has since closed and been converted into private homes.
]
Social and economic history
In 1469 in the Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
the Battle of Edgecote Moor
The Battle of Edgcote (also known as the Battle of Banbury or the Battle of Danes Moor) took place on 24 July 1469, during the Wars of the Roses. It was fought between a Royal army, commanded by the earls of Pembroke and Devon, and a rebel forc ...
was fought near Wardington. In 1644 in the English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
the Battle of Cropredy Bridge
The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was fought on 29 June 1644 near Banbury, Oxfordshire during the First English Civil War. In the engagement, Sir William Waller and the Parliamentarian army failed to capture King Charles.
The site was placed ...
was fought across the parishes of Bourton, Cropredy
Cropredy ( ) is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.
History
The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The toponym comes from the Old English words ''cropp'' ...
, Prescote and Wardington. The site is now on the Register of Historic Battlefields.
Williamscot House is Elizabethan, built for Walter Calcott in about 1568. A Queene Anne style wing was added in 1704 and extended in Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
style in 1777. The Elizabethan part of the house is now Grade II* listed.[
]
From 1574 Wardington was served by the Free School northeast of Williamscot House. 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.[ The school was closed in 1991 and is now a private house.
In 1753 Wardington had three ]public houses
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
: 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.[ Today only the Hare and Hounds remains in business, as the others have been converted into private homes.
In 1900 the ]Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the ...
's branch line between and was built through the southern edge of Wardington parish. In 1911 the railway opened more than a mile south of the village on Wardington Road. British Railways closed the halt in 1956 and the line in 1966.
Wardington Memorial Hall was built in 1920 as a monument to members of the village who were killed serving in the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.[
]
Amenities
Wardington has only one public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
, The Hare and Hounds, controlled by Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, several miles outside the Cotswold Hills. Founded in 1849, the brewing plant is a traditional Victorian 'tower' brewery in which all the stages of the brewing pr ...
.
Wardington Cricket Club plays in South Northants Cricket League Division four.
Transport
The A361 road
The A361 is an A class road in southern England, which at is the longest three-digit A road in the UK.
History
When first designated in 1922, the A361 ran from Taunton (Somerset) to Banbury (Oxfordshire). It was later extended west through ...
runs through Wardington, with some sharp bends where there has been a number of crashes. Northamptonshire County Council
Northamptonshire County Council was the county council that governed the non-metropolitan county of Northamptonshire in England. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888, recreated in 1974 by the Local Government Act 19 ...
's ''Transport Prioritisation Framework'' includes plans for an A361 bypass of Wardington, Chipping Warden
Chipping Warden is a village in Northamptonshire, England about northeast of the Oxfordshire town of Banbury. The parish is bounded to the east and south by the River Cherwell, to the west by the boundary with Oxfordshire and to the north by f ...
and Byfield.
Since 2011 Stagecoach in Oxfordshire
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire is the trading name of Thames Transit Ltd. It is a bus operator serving the county of Oxfordshire, England. Since 1997 has been a subsidiary of Stagecoach Group, and since February 2021 it has been part of Stagecoac ...
has operated bus route 200 between Banbury and Daventry
Daventry ( , historically ) is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority in Northamptonshire, England, close to the border with Warwickshire. At the 2021 Census Daventry had a population of 28,123, making ...
via Wardington, running hourly from Mondays to Saturdays. There is no Sunday or bank holiday service.
Until 2011 Geoff Amos Coaches of Eydon
Eydon is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, about north-east of Banbury. The village is between 510 and above sea level on the east side of a hill, which rises to and is the highest point in the parish. The parish is bounded ...
had run a Monday to Saturday bus service between Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
and Banbury via Daventry and Wardington. In April 2011 Northamptonshire County Council
Northamptonshire County Council was the county council that governed the non-metropolitan county of Northamptonshire in England. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888, recreated in 1974 by the Local Government Act 19 ...
reduced its English National Concessionary Travel Scheme
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme is a national scheme by the Department for Transport in conjunction with local authorities across England.
The scheme extended the provision of free bus travel within individual local authorities ...
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. On 4 August 2011 Geoff Amos Coaches announced the withdrawal of its scheduled bus services with effect from 5 August until further notice.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Wardington.net the website of Wardington, Williamscot and Coton
{{Authority control
Civil parishes in Oxfordshire
Villages in Oxfordshire