Burdrop is a village in

Sibford Gower Sibford Gower is a village and civil parish about west of Banbury in Oxfordshire, on the north side of the Sib valley, opposite Sibford Ferris. Sibford Gower parish includes the village of Burdrop. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's popul ...

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 ...

, about west 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 ...

in Oxfordshire, England. Burdrop is contiguous with Sibford Gower and sometimes considered part of the village. Burdrop's

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 ...

means the "hamlet near the

burh A burh () or burg was an Old English fortification or fortified settlement. In the 9th century, raids and invasions by Vikings prompted Alfred the Great to develop a network of burhs and roads to use against such attackers. Some were new constr ...

", which implies it was near a fortified settlement.

Parish church

Burdrop was part of the parish of Swalcliffe until 1841, when a new ecclesiastical

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

of Sibford Gower, with Sibford Ferris and Burdrop was created. The Church of England parish church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1840 to plans by the architect H.J. Underwood. It is a

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly describe ...

Gothic Revival building that emulates an

Early English 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 ...

style. The porch was designed by W.E. Mills and added in 1897.

Public houses

In 1782 Burdrop was recorded as having two

pub 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 ...

s: the Old Inn and the Wykeham Arms. (In fact the latter is in Sibford Gower.) The earliest known record of the Bishop Blaize Inn dates from 1816. Its namesake is Saint Blaise, an early 4th-century

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

n bishop who is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of wool-combers. By the 21st century the Bishop Blaize Inn was the only pub in Burdrop still trading now as Blaze Inn Saddles, a venue for motorcyclists who travel from all over the country to enjoy splendid views and fabulous hospitality.

Parish church

Public houses

References

Sources

External links