Steeple Aston
Encyclopedia
Steeple Aston is a village and civil parish on the edge of the Cherwell Valley
in Oxfordshire
, England
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Bicester
and 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Banbury
. In 1988, parts of the village were designated a conservation area.
burial site in the west of the parish near Hopcroft's Holt.
The Domesday Book
of 1086 records Steeple Aston as Estone, derived from East Tun meaning "east village". By 1220 it was Stipelestun, with the "steeple" prefix referring to the church tower.
The Domesday Book records that in 1086 Odo, Bishop of Bayeux was overlord of the manor
of Steeple Aston.
The Holt Hotel
at Hopcroft's Holt, about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-west of the village on the A4260 main road began as a coaching inn in 1475. It was frequented by the 17th century highwayman Claude Duval
who is said to haunt it. In 1754 the licensee and his wife at Hopcroft's Holt were murdered. In 1774 the inn at Hopcroft's Holt was called the King's Arms.
The village has several 17th-century buildings from the Great Rebuilding
of England. The School formerly occupied a building in North Side built in 1640. Next to it are Radcliffe's Almshouses which Brasenose College founded in the 1660s. In South Side, Grange Cottage is early 17th century and Manor Farm House is late 17th century.
of Saint Peter
and Saint Paul
is 13th century, with subsequent Perpendicular Gothic alterations, and the architect John Plowman
restored it in 1842. The parish church is the source of the Steeple Aston cope
, an important piece of 14th century embroidery
now on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London
.
The church tower
has a ring
of eight bells. Richard Keene of Burford
cast
the three oldest bells in 1674 and 1675. A further bell was cast in 1700 by one of the Chandler family of bell-founders from Drayton Parslow
in Buckinghamshire
. Two bells were added in the 19th century cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
: one cast by Thomas Mears II in 1827 and the other, the present tenor, cast by Mears and Stainbank in 1879. This completed a ring of six bells, with the smallest of the Keene bells being the treble. In 1986 the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast two slightly smaller bells which were added as a new treble and second bell, increasing the ring to eight. SS Peter and Paul has also a Sanctus bell, cast in 1701 by Henry Bagley II, who had foundries in the Northamptonshire
villages of Chacombe
and Ecton
.
Steeple Aston had a small number of recusants
in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and a small number of Quakers
in the 17th century. Methodist
meetings were held in the home of one of the villagers for a few years early in the 19th century but had ceased by 1817. Meetings were held in 1838 and 1839 to hear Primitive Methodist
preachers and were well-attended despite uproarious organised protests. A Methodist
chapel in South Street was opened in 1852. It was used for worship until 1968 when it was converted into a shop.
the village is in the Deddington ward, represented by Conservative Councillor Ray Jeff. The parish is in the Banbury Constituency
, represented by Tony Baldry
MP.
of Oxfordshire
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Bicester
and 12 miles (19.3 km) north of the county seat of Oxford
. The village is 108 metres (354.3 ft) above sea level. The River Cherwell
and the Oxford Canal
pass 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the village. The river forms part of the eastern boundary of the parish. The parish's southern boundary, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the village, also forms part of Cherwell District's boundary with West Oxfordshire
.
s. The Red Lion opened in 1903 and is controlled by Hook Norton Brewery
. The White Lion opened in 1870 and is owned by a pubco
. There is also The Holt Hotel public house on the edge of the parish on the A4260 main road about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-west of the village.
The village has a village shop and post office
, pre-school, village hall
, and a sports and recreation club and sports pitch. Annual parish events include the Whit
Races, and the spring and summer flower shows. A mobile library also calls at the village on alternate Thursdays.
The Steeple Aston Players is an amateur dramatic
group that regularly perform plays in the village.
Steeple Aston Village Archive (SAVA) holds annual talks and exhibitions and has produced CDs and books, all on the subject of the village's history.
and Oxford
. To the east it is linked with Bicester by the B4030. About 1 miles (1.6 km) south-east of the village is Heyford railway station
providing a rail link to Banbury
, Oxford
and Birmingham
. The nearest motorway access is via junctions 9 or 10 of the M40
.
Primary School, in Firs Lane. Dr. Samuel Radcliffe, principal of Brasenose College, Oxford
, founded it in 1640 along with a pair of almshouse
s.
Most secondary school pupils from the village attend The Warriner School, Bloxham
near Banbury.
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...
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...
, about 7 miles (11.3 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...
and 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Banbury
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 1988, parts of the village were designated a conservation area.
History
The earliest evidence of occupation in the area is an Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
burial site in the west of the parish near Hopcroft's Holt.
The Domesday Book
Domesday 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 Steeple Aston as Estone, derived from East Tun meaning "east village". By 1220 it was Stipelestun, with the "steeple" prefix referring to the church tower.
The Domesday Book records that in 1086 Odo, Bishop of Bayeux was overlord of 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 Steeple Aston.
The Holt Hotel
Holt Hotel (Oxfordshire)
The Holt Hotel is an historic hotel near Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the corner of the crossroads between the A4260 Oxford Road and the B4030, about southwest of Steeple Aston opposite a fuel station. It was founded in 1475 as a coaching inn in 1475 with six rooms and now has 86...
at Hopcroft's Holt, about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-west of the village on the A4260 main road began as a coaching inn in 1475. It was frequented by the 17th century highwayman Claude Duval
Claude Duval
For other uses, see Claude Duval Claude Du Vall was a French-born gentleman highwayman in post-Restoration Britain.-Early life:...
who is said to haunt it. In 1754 the licensee and his wife at Hopcroft's Holt were murdered. In 1774 the inn at Hopcroft's Holt was called the King's Arms.
The village has several 17th-century buildings from the Great Rebuilding
Great Rebuilding
A Great Rebuilding is a period in which a heightened level of building work, architectural change, building or rebuilding occurred.More specifically, W. G. Hoskins defined the term "The Great Rebuilding" in England as the period from the mid-16th century until 1640...
of England. The School formerly occupied a building in North Side built in 1640. Next to it are Radcliffe's Almshouses which Brasenose College founded in the 1660s. In South Side, Grange Cottage is early 17th century and Manor Farm House is late 17th century.
Church and chapel
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...
and Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
is 13th century, with subsequent Perpendicular Gothic alterations, and the architect John Plowman
John Plowman
John Plowman was an architect based in Oxford, England.From 1812 until 1837 Plowman worked in partnership with the builder, civil engineer and architect Daniel Harris.-Work:...
restored it in 1842. The parish church is the source of the Steeple Aston cope
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
, an important piece of 14th century embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
now on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
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 eight bells. Richard Keene of Burford
Burford
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about west of Oxford, southeast of Cheltenham and only from the Gloucestershire boundary...
cast
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
the three oldest bells in 1674 and 1675. A further bell was cast in 1700 by one of the Chandler family of bell-founders from Drayton Parslow
Drayton Parslow
Drayton Parslow is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire about south of Bletchley.-Manor:In the 11th century the toponym was Draintone or Draitone. This is derived from Old English and means "farm where sledges are used"...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Two bells were added in the 19th century cast by 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...
: one cast by Thomas Mears II in 1827 and the other, the present tenor, cast by Mears and Stainbank in 1879. This completed a ring of six bells, with the smallest of the Keene bells being the treble. In 1986 the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast two slightly smaller bells which were added as a new treble and second bell, increasing the ring to eight. SS Peter and Paul has also a Sanctus bell, cast in 1701 by Henry Bagley II, who had foundries in the 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,...
villages of Chacombe
Chacombe
Chacombe is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, about northeast of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. It has sometimes been spelt Chalcombe...
and Ecton
Ecton
Ecton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The village is just east of Northampton, just off the A4500 road. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status...
.
Steeple Aston had a small number of recusants
Recusancy
In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...
in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and a small number of Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
in the 17th century. 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...
meetings were held in the home of one of the villagers for a few years early in the 19th century but had ceased by 1817. Meetings were held in 1838 and 1839 to hear Primitive Methodist
Primitive Methodism
Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. The Primitive Methodist Church still exists in the United States.-Origins:...
preachers and were well-attended despite uproarious organised protests. A 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 in South Street was opened in 1852. It was used for worship until 1968 when it was converted into a shop.
Governance
Steeple Aston has a parish council that meets monthly in the village hall. The council has 7 members and is chaired by Margaret Mason. The village forms part of The Astons and The Heyfords ward of Cherwell District Council and has two Conservative councillors, Luke Annaly and James Macnamara. For Oxfordshire County CouncilOxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
the village is in the Deddington ward, represented by Conservative Councillor Ray Jeff. The parish is in the Banbury Constituency
Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Banbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a strongly Conservative seat.The constituency was created January 26, 1554 through the efforts of Henry Stafford and Thomas Denton...
, represented by Tony Baldry
Tony Baldry
Anthony Brian 'Tony' Baldry is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Banbury.-Early life:...
MP.
Geography
Steeple Aston is in the Cherwell DistrictCherwell (district)
Cherwell is a local government district in northern Oxfordshire, England. The district takes its name from the River Cherwell, which drains south through the region to flow into the River Thames at Oxford....
of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, about 7 miles (11.3 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...
and 12 miles (19.3 km) north of the county seat of Oxford
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...
. The village is 108 metres (354.3 ft) above sea level. 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...
and 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...
pass 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the village. The river forms part of the eastern boundary of the parish. The parish's southern boundary, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the village, also forms part of Cherwell District's boundary with West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire is a local government district in north west Oxfordshire, England including towns such as Woodstock, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, and Witney ....
.
Amenities
Steeple Aston village has two 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...
s. The Red Lion opened in 1903 and 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...
. The White Lion opened in 1870 and is owned by a pubco
Pub chain
A pub chain is a group of pubs or bars with a brand image. The brand may be owned outright by one company, or there may be multiple financiers; the chain may be a division within a larger company, or may be a single operation. Examples include Chef & Brewer, Wetherspoons, Walkabout, Taylor Walker...
. There is also The Holt Hotel public house on the edge of the parish on the A4260 main road about 1 miles (1.6 km) south-west of the village.
The village has a village shop and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, pre-school, village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, and a sports and recreation club and sports pitch. Annual parish events include the Whit
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
Races, and the spring and summer flower shows. A mobile library also calls at the village on alternate Thursdays.
The Steeple Aston Players is an amateur dramatic
Amateur theatre
Amateur theatre is theatre performed by amateur actors. These actors are not typically members of Actors' Equity groups or Actors' Unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and therefore discourage their members from appearing with companies which are not a signatory...
group that regularly perform plays in the village.
Steeple Aston Village Archive (SAVA) holds annual talks and exhibitions and has produced CDs and books, all on the subject of the village's history.
Transport
Steeple Aston lies east of the A4260 road between BanburyBanbury
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...
and Oxford
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...
. To the east it is linked with Bicester by the B4030. About 1 miles (1.6 km) south-east of the village is 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...
providing a rail link to Banbury
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...
, Oxford
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...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The nearest motorway access is via junctions 9 or 10 of the M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
.
Education
Steeple Aston has one school, Dr. Radcliffe's Church of EnglandVoluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
Primary School, in Firs Lane. Dr. Samuel Radcliffe, principal of Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, founded it in 1640 along with a pair of almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s.
Most secondary school pupils from the village attend The Warriner School, Bloxham
The Warriner School, Bloxham
The Warriner School is a secondary school which opened in 1971 and is situated on the Bloxham Road in Bloxham, Oxfordshire. The school has 1,114 pupils in the 11–16 range. It has Technology College status and serves the villages in the northern half of the Cherwell District...
near Banbury.