Marsh Baldon
Encyclopedia
Marsh Baldon is village and civil parish about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Oxford
in Oxfordshire
.
of Saint Peter
dates from the 12th century. Its 14th century bell tower
has a ring
of five bells, the oldest of which was cast by John White of Reading
in about 1480. Ellis Knight I of Reading cast two more, including the tenor bell, in about 1628. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast another bell in 1902 and finally the treble bell in 1954. There is also a Sanctus
bell that was cast in about 1760 by Robert Wells of Aldbourne
. The church building was restored in 1890.
, which is an irregular square shape with an area of more than 1.2 acre (0.4856232 ha). The green is common land
that was used for grazing. Until the 20th century the road through Marsh Baldon was gated at both ends of the village to prevent livestock from straying.
It may be that the earliest settlement was clustered around St. Peter's church. The large green north-east of this original settlement would subsequently have been reclaimed from marshland early in the Middle Ages and then surrounded by houses.
Baldon House was built in the 17th century and extended in the 18th century.
primary school. It was founded at Toot Baldon in 1771, when Elizabeth Lane left the house and four acres of land at Herbert's Farm for the purpose. The farmhouse accommodated the schoolmaster, the four acres were for a site for the school and an orchard as its endowment. Elizabeth Lane's bequest funded free education for six boys and six girls; other families paid fees for the school to educate their children. By 1866 the school had 56 pupils.
The present building at Marsh Baldon was erected in 1873 and a second classroom was added in 1897. In 1929 the school was reorganised for junior pupils only, with children over 11 years old going to the Church of England school at Dorchester on Thames from then onwards. The number of pupils enrolled in the reorganised school rose from 40 in 1929 to 52 in 1952.
, the Seven Stars. Marsh Baldon and Toot Baldon
share a cricket club.
In the southeast of the parish, next to the boundary with Nuneham Courtenay
, are two woods: Old Common and Bluebell Wood. The latter contains Harcourt Arboretum
, which is part of the University of Oxford
's Botanic Garden.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
Parish church
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 Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
dates from the 12th century. Its 14th century 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...
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 five bells, the oldest of which was cast by John White of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in about 1480. Ellis Knight I of Reading cast two more, including the tenor bell, in about 1628. 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 another bell in 1902 and finally the treble bell in 1954. There is also a Sanctus
Sanctus
The Sanctus is a hymn from Christian liturgy, forming part of the Order of Mass. In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
bell that was cast in about 1760 by Robert Wells of Aldbourne
Aldbourne
Aldbourne is a village and civil parish about northeast of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. It is in a valley in the south slope of the Lambourn Downs, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
. The church building was restored in 1890.
Economic and social history
Most of Marsh Baldon's houses and cottages are arranged around the village greenVillage green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, which is an irregular square shape with an area of more than 1.2 acre (0.4856232 ha). The green is common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
that was used for grazing. Until the 20th century the road through Marsh Baldon was gated at both ends of the village to prevent livestock from straying.
It may be that the earliest settlement was clustered around St. Peter's church. The large green north-east of this original settlement would subsequently have been reclaimed from marshland early in the Middle Ages and then surrounded by houses.
Baldon House was built in the 17th century and extended in the 18th century.
School
The parish has a Church of EnglandVoluntary 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...
primary school. It was founded at Toot Baldon in 1771, when Elizabeth Lane left the house and four acres of land at Herbert's Farm for the purpose. The farmhouse accommodated the schoolmaster, the four acres were for a site for the school and an orchard as its endowment. Elizabeth Lane's bequest funded free education for six boys and six girls; other families paid fees for the school to educate their children. By 1866 the school had 56 pupils.
The present building at Marsh Baldon was erected in 1873 and a second classroom was added in 1897. In 1929 the school was reorganised for junior pupils only, with children over 11 years old going to the Church of England school at Dorchester on Thames from then onwards. The number of pupils enrolled in the reorganised school rose from 40 in 1929 to 52 in 1952.
Amenities
Marsh Baldon has 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...
, the Seven Stars. Marsh Baldon and Toot Baldon
Toot Baldon
Toot Baldon is village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire.The Church of England parish church of Saint Lawrence was built mostly in the 13th century. The Gothic Revival architect Henry Woodyer restored the building in 1865...
share a cricket club.
In the southeast of the parish, next to the boundary with Nuneham Courtenay
Nuneham Courtenay
Nuneham Courtenay is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford.-Manor:The toponym evolved from Newenham. In the 14th century the village belonged to the Courtenay family and in 1764 "Newenham" was changed to "Nuneham"....
, are two woods: Old Common and Bluebell Wood. The latter contains Harcourt Arboretum
Harcourt Arboretum
Harcourt Arboretum is an arboretum owned and run by the University of Oxford. It is a satellite of the university's botanic garden in the city of Oxford, England...
, which is part of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
's Botanic Garden.