Great Bourton
Encyclopedia
Great Bourton is a village about 3 miles (5 km) north of Banbury
in Oxfordshire
, England
. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Bourton
.
of All Saints
was originally 13th century. The west wall of the nave
has a recess containing a small bell cast by Henry I Bagley of Chacombe in 1673. In 1863 the architect William White
rebuilt the church almost entirely and added a bell tower
, separate from the church, built over the lychgate
. It is one of only three such bell towers in Britain to be so sited. All Saints' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shire's Edge along with those of Claydon
, Cropredy
, Mollington
and Wardington
.
Great Bourton village hall used to be the Methodist
Chapel.
Great Bourton's public house
, The Bell, is controlled by Hook Norton Brewery
.
During the Battle of Cropredy Bridge
in June 1644, the Parliamentarian
General Waller
saw that the Royalist
army was strung out from its position on higher ground near Great Bourton and took the decision to order an attack. The Royalists pushed Waller's force back to Great Bourton when it met the Royalist Earl of Northampton
's brigade of horse.
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Bourton
Bourton, Cherwell
Bourton is a civil parish in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire, England, including Great Bourton and Little Bourton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 604. The villages are about three miles north of Banbury.-External links:...
.
History
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
was originally 13th century. The west wall of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
has a recess containing a small bell cast by Henry I Bagley of Chacombe in 1673. In 1863 the architect William White
William White (architect)
William White, F.S.A. was an English architect, famous for his part in 19th century Gothic Revival architecture and church restorations...
rebuilt the church almost entirely and added a bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, separate from the church, built over the lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
. It is one of only three such bell towers in Britain to be so sited. All Saints' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shire's Edge along with those of Claydon
Claydon, Oxfordshire
Claydon is a village in Claydon with Clattercot civil parish, about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The village is about above sea level on a hill of Early Jurassic Middle Lias clay. Claydon is the northernmost village in Oxfordshire...
, Cropredy
Cropredy
Cropredy is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.-Early history:The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book...
, Mollington
Mollington, Oxfordshire
Mollington is a village and civil parish about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It has an area of about .-History:Æthelstan Ætheling, eldest son of Æthelred the Unready willed an estate at Mollington to his father in 1014 or 1015...
and Wardington
Wardington
Wardington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about northeast of Banbury. The village consists of two parts, Lower Wardington and Upper Wardington...
.
Great Bourton village hall used to be the Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
Chapel.
Great Bourton's public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Bell, is controlled by Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
.
During the Battle of Cropredy Bridge
Battle of Cropredy Bridge
The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was a battle of the English Civil Wars, fought on 29 June 1644 between a Parliamentarian army under Sir William Waller and the Royalist army of King Charles...
in June 1644, the Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
General Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
saw that the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
army was strung out from its position on higher ground near Great Bourton and took the decision to order an attack. The Royalists pushed Waller's force back to Great Bourton when it met the Royalist Earl of Northampton
James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton
James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1630 to 1643, was an English peer, soldier and politician....
's brigade of horse.