Lower Heyford
Encyclopedia
Lower Heyford is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire
, beside the River Cherwell
about 6 miles (10 km) west of Bicester
.
is pre-Anglo-Saxon
and may have been dug as a boundary ditch. It still forms the eastern boundary of the parish.
Harborough Bank, an Anglo-Saxon
burial mound
southwest of the village dates from the 6th century.
of 1086 records the village as Hegford. The toponym
evolved as Heiford until the middle of the 13th century, Heyford ad Pontem after the bridge was built (see below), Heyford Purcell since the middle of the 14th century, Nether Heyford after 1474 and sometimes Little Heyford. Some of these names were used concurrently. "Lower" distinguishes it from Upper Heyford
which is about 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream along the Cherwell valley. There are both a Nether Heyford
and a Little Heyford in Northamptonshire
, so the current "Lower Heyford" reduces confusion.
Before the Norman Conquest of England
the manor
of Lower Heyford belonged to Edwin, the son of a Saxon thegn
. William the Conqueror
granted the land to the powerful Geoffrey de Montbray
, bishop of Coutances. The manor passed through various hands until 1533 when Sir Edward Baynton
sold it to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
. Corpus Christi College still owned the estate in the 1950s.
, Bishop of Dorchester consecrated a parish church
at Lower Heyford in the 11th century. The current Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary
was built in the 13th century, and rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style in the first half of the 14th century. The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
and south porch
were added later.
The church tower
has a ring
of six bells, two of which were cast in 1766 by Matthew III Bagley of Chacombe, Northamptonshire. W&J Taylor cast another of the bells in 1825, presumably at their then foundry in Oxford. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast the tenor bell in 1867 and the two youngest bells including the treble in 1925.
St. Mary's is now part of the Cherwell Valley Benefice along with five other parishes: Ardley
, Fritwell
, Somerton
, Souldern
and Upper Heyford
.
In the latter part of the 17th century Lower Heyford had also a Quaker congregation. Lower Heyford had a Methodist
congregation by 1804, which soon had a chapel in the village and eventually became part of the United Methodist Church
. A new chapel was built in 1906, was still used for worship in 1955 but is now a private house.
Lower and Upper Heyford
had two watermill
s on the River Cherwell, and one was still in use in 1858.
There has been a bridge over the River Cherwell between Lower Heyford and Steeple Aston
since at least 1255. In the 1970s Jennifer Sherwood dated part of the present bridge to the 13th century, and its north side to either the 15th or 16th century. However, English Heritage
dates the earliest parts of the present bridge to the 14th century, its alterations to the 17th century and its widening to the 19th century. The bridge is a Grade II* listed building and forms an important part of the view from the historic adjacent landscape garden
of Rousham House
.
The stretch of the Oxford Canal
between Banbury and Tackley
was completed in 1787. It runs along the Cherwell valley and bounds Lower Heyford village on its north and west sides. Coal mined in Leicestershire
and Warwickshire
was unloaded on Heyford Wharf at Lower Heyford.
An open field system
of farming prevailed in the parish until 1802 when a Parliamentary
Inclosure Act
for the village came into force.
In 1797 the road between Bicester
and Enstone was made into a turnpike
. Lower Heyford had two toll-gates: one at Heyford Bridge and the other at the east end of the village. The road was disturnpiked in 1876, is now the B4030 road and Heyford Bridge continues to carry its traffic.
Heyford Wharf sent coal via the turnpike road to Bicester
until 1850, when the Buckinghamshire Railway
linked to on the London and North Western Railway
.
Construction of the Oxford and Rugby Railway between and began in 1845. By the time the line opened the Great Western Railway
had taken it over. In Lower Heyford the railway runs parallel with the canal on the west side. The GWR opened Heyford railway station
at Lower Heyford in 1850. The route is now the Cherwell Valley Line
and Heyford station is served by First Great Western
trains.
In 1808 Lower Heyford had two dame school
s, and by 1833 there were three more formal schools. A National School
was opened in 1867. In a reorganisation of schools in 1932, the National School became a junior school and senior pupils from Lower Heyford had to go to Steeple Aston. Lower Heyford school became a Church of England controlled school
in 1952. It closed in 1974 and is now a private house.
since at least 1819 and remains so today.
The Heyfords Women's Institute serves both Lower and Upper Heyford
.
In 2000 Lower Heyford Cricket Club was the champion of Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Four.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, beside the River Cherwell
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
about 6 miles (10 km) west of Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
.
Prehistory
Aves ditchAves ditch
Aves Ditch is a pre-Saxon ditch and bank structure running about on a northeast to southwest alignment in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire....
is pre-Anglo-Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
and may have been dug as a boundary ditch. It still forms the eastern boundary of the parish.
Harborough Bank, an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
burial mound
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
southwest of the village dates from the 6th century.
Manor
The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 records the village as Hegford. The toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
evolved as Heiford until the middle of the 13th century, Heyford ad Pontem after the bridge was built (see below), Heyford Purcell since the middle of the 14th century, Nether Heyford after 1474 and sometimes Little Heyford. Some of these names were used concurrently. "Lower" distinguishes it from Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Upper Heyford is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England.-Location:Upper Heyford is on the east bank of the River Cherwell. "Upper" distinguishes it from Lower Heyford which is about "lower", downstream along the Cherwell valley...
which is about 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream along the Cherwell valley. There are both a Nether Heyford
Nether Heyford
Nether Heyford is an English village west of Northampton off the A45 road, in the shire county of Northamptonshire, known as "Northants". It is by road to the M1 London to Yorkshire motorway junction 16, north of London and southeast of Birmingham...
and a Little Heyford in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, so the current "Lower Heyford" reduces confusion.
Before the Norman Conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Lower Heyford belonged to Edwin, the son of a Saxon thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
. William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
granted the land to the powerful Geoffrey de Montbray
Geoffrey de Montbray
Geoffrey de Montbray , bishop of Coutances , a right-hand man of William the Conqueror, was a type of the great feudal prelate, warrior and administrator at need....
, bishop of Coutances. The manor passed through various hands until 1533 when Sir Edward Baynton
Edward Baynton
Sir Edward Bayntun , of Bromham, Wiltshire, was a gentleman at the court of Henry VIII of England. He was vice-chamberlain to Anne Boleyn, the King's second wife, and was the brother-in-law of Queen Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife.-Early life:Sir Edward Bayntun was born at Faulston House...
sold it to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. Corpus Christi College still owned the estate in the 1950s.
Church and chapel
WufwigWulfinus
Wulfwig was a medieval Bishop of Dorchester, when the city was seat of the united dioceses of Lindsey and Dorchester.-Life:He was consecrated in 1053 on the continent. and died in 1067. He was buried in Dorchester.-References:...
, Bishop of Dorchester consecrated a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
at Lower Heyford in the 11th century. The current Church of England parish church
Church 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 Saint Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
was built in the 13th century, and rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style in the first half of the 14th century. The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
and south porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
were added later.
The church 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...
has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells, two of which were cast in 1766 by Matthew III Bagley of Chacombe, Northamptonshire. W&J Taylor cast another of the bells in 1825, presumably at their then foundry in Oxford. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
cast the tenor bell in 1867 and the two youngest bells including the treble in 1925.
St. Mary's is now part of the Cherwell Valley Benefice along with five other parishes: Ardley
Ardley
Ardley is a village in Ardley with Fewcott civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, about northwest of Bicester. The parish includes the village of Fewcott that is now contiguous with Ardley.-History:...
, Fritwell
Fritwell
Fritwell is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire. The parish's southern boundary is a stream that flows eastwards through Fewcott and past the villages of Fringford and Godington before entering Buckinghamshire where it becomes part of Padbury Brook, a tributary of...
, Somerton
Somerton, Oxfordshire
Somerton is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, in the Cherwell valley about northwest of Bicester.-Early history:More than a dozen Saxon or early Mediaeval graves have been discovered in the yard of Somerton's former Free School....
, Souldern
Church of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Souldern
The Parish Church of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Church of England parish church of Souldern, a village in Oxfordshire about northwest of Bicester and a similar distance southeast of Banbury.-History:...
and Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Upper Heyford is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England.-Location:Upper Heyford is on the east bank of the River Cherwell. "Upper" distinguishes it from Lower Heyford which is about "lower", downstream along the Cherwell valley...
.
In the latter part of the 17th century Lower Heyford had also a Quaker congregation. Lower Heyford had a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
congregation by 1804, which soon had a chapel in the village and eventually became part of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church (Great Britain)
There are other bodies that have been called the United Methodist Church----The United Methodist Church in Great Britain was a Protestant denomination that existed in the early twentieth century...
. A new chapel was built in 1906, was still used for worship in 1955 but is now a private house.
Economic and social history
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Lower and Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Upper Heyford is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England.-Location:Upper Heyford is on the east bank of the River Cherwell. "Upper" distinguishes it from Lower Heyford which is about "lower", downstream along the Cherwell valley...
had two watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s on the River Cherwell, and one was still in use in 1858.
There has been a bridge over the River Cherwell between Lower Heyford and Steeple Aston
Steeple Aston
Steeple Aston is a village and civil parish on the edge of the Cherwell Valley in Oxfordshire, England, about west of Bicester and south of Banbury...
since at least 1255. In the 1970s Jennifer Sherwood dated part of the present bridge to the 13th century, and its north side to either the 15th or 16th century. However, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
dates the earliest parts of the present bridge to the 14th century, its alterations to the 17th century and its widening to the 19th century. The bridge is a Grade II* listed building and forms an important part of the view from the historic adjacent landscape garden
Landscape garden
The term landscape garden is often used to describe the English garden design style characteristic of the eighteenth century, that swept the Continent replacing the formal Renaissance garden and Garden à la française models. The work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown is particularly influential.The...
of Rousham House
Rousham House
Rousham House is a Jacobean country house at Rousham in Oxfordshire, England. The house has been in the ownership of one family since it was built.-History:...
.
The stretch of the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
between Banbury and Tackley
Tackley
Tackley is a village and civil parish beside the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. It is about west of Bicester and north of Kidlington. The village consists of two neighbourhoods: Tackley itself, and Nethercott.-Archaeology:...
was completed in 1787. It runs along the Cherwell valley and bounds Lower Heyford village on its north and west sides. Coal mined in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
was unloaded on Heyford Wharf at Lower Heyford.
An open field system
Open field system
The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in some places, particularly Russia and Iran. Under this system, each manor or village had several very large fields, farmed in strips by individual families...
of farming prevailed in the parish until 1802 when a Parliamentary
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
Inclosure Act
Inclosure Act
The Inclosure or Enclosure Acts were a series of United Kingdom Acts of Parliament which enclosed open fields and common land in the country. They removed previously existing rights of local people to carry out activities in these areas, such as cultivation, cutting hay, grazing animals or using...
for the village came into force.
In 1797 the road between Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
and Enstone was made into a turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. Lower Heyford had two toll-gates: one at Heyford Bridge and the other at the east end of the village. The road was disturnpiked in 1876, is now the B4030 road and Heyford Bridge continues to carry its traffic.
Heyford Wharf sent coal via the turnpike road to Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
until 1850, when the Buckinghamshire Railway
Buckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
linked to on the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
.
Construction of the Oxford and Rugby Railway between and began in 1845. By the time the line opened the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
had taken it over. In Lower Heyford the railway runs parallel with the canal on the west side. The GWR opened Heyford railway station
Heyford railway station
Heyford railway station serves the village of Lower Heyford in Oxfordshire, England. The station, and the ten trains each Monday to Saturday serving it, are operated by First Great Western. It is situated on the Cherwell Valley Line, and is ideally located for visiting the Oxford Canal and...
at Lower Heyford in 1850. The route is now the Cherwell Valley Line
Cherwell Valley Line
The Cherwell Valley Line is the railway line between Didcot and Banbury via Oxford. It links the Great Western Main Line and the south to the Chiltern Main Line and the Midlands...
and Heyford station is served by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
trains.
In 1808 Lower Heyford had two dame school
Dame school
A Dame School was an early form of a private elementary school in English-speaking countries. They were usually taught by women and were often located in the home of the teacher.- Britain :...
s, and by 1833 there were three more formal schools. A National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
was opened in 1867. In a reorganisation of schools in 1932, the National School became a junior school and senior pupils from Lower Heyford had to go to Steeple Aston. Lower Heyford school became a Church of England controlled school
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
in 1952. It closed in 1974 and is now a private house.
Amenities
The Bell Inn is a 17th century building that has been a public housePublic 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...
since at least 1819 and remains so today.
The Heyfords Women's Institute serves both Lower and Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford may refer to:*Upper Heyford, Northamptonshire*Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire*RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire...
.
In 2000 Lower Heyford Cricket Club was the champion of Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Four.