Thrupp, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Thrupp is a hamlet
just north of Kidlington
in Oxfordshire
. It is beside the Oxford Canal
and close to the River Cherwell
.
in 1066 the manor
of Thrupp belonged to Stigand
, Archbishop of Canterbury
. In 1070 Stigand was deposed and William the Conqueror
confiscated his lands. William granted Thrupp to Roger d'Ivry
, who sold it to Wadard, a knight
in William's court. In 1086 Thrupp was such a small settlement that the Domesday Book
did not record it as having any tenants.
Thrupp has the remains of a 15th century cross carved from local Jurassic limestone
. The cross itself has been lost, but the base and rather weathered shaft survive.
The present Manor Farm buildings date from the early part of the 17th century. As well as the farmhouse there are a granary
and dovecote
from the same period. The farm used to have a watermill
powered by the River Cherwell.
In 1788 the Oxford Canal was extended southwards from Northbrook Lock just north of Tackley
towards Kidlington
and Oxford
. It roughly parallels the River Cherwell until Thrupp, where it turns away from the river in a right-angle around Manor Farm in order to approach Oxford along the valley of the River Thames
rather than that of the Cherwell. The canal company bought the manorial watermill, demolished most of it, and built a row of cottages beside the canal in its place. They used to be called Salt Row, and one historian suggests that they served as salt warehouses.
In the 18th century Thrupp had two public house
s: the Axe which is now the Boat Inn, and the Three Horseshoes which closed in 1924. In the 20th century the Britannia opened on the main Banbury Road. It has since been renamed the Jolly Boatman. Both the Boat Inn and the Jolly Boatman are now controlled by Greene King Brewery
.
Thrupp has no Church of England parish church
of its own. In 1876 Woodstock
Baptist
Church converted a house in Thrupp into a chapel
. In 1953 the Baptists built a new church in nearby Kidlington, and in 1954 Thrupp chapel was consequently closed and sold. It has since been converted back into a house, but retains the external appearance of a chapel that it acquired in 1876. The 15th century cross, which may have originally stood on the main Banbury Road, now stands in front of the former chapel.
At the end of the road through Thrupp is a drawbridge
across the canal. On the other side is a yard with three cottages with a common thatched roof. These cottages and the yard belonged to the British waterboard. The cottages were used by employees of the waterboard.
Thrupp was also used in the popular television series Inspector Morse
, in the episode "The Last Enemy" . Scenes were shot near the canal and the Boat House public house during 1989.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
just north of Kidlington
Kidlington
Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It is beside 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...
and close to 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...
.
History
Before the Norman conquest of EnglandNorman 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...
in 1066 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 Thrupp belonged to Stigand
Stigand
Stigand was an English churchman in pre-Norman Conquest England. Although his birthdate is unknown, by 1020, he was serving as a royal chaplain and advisor. He was named Bishop of Elmham in 1043, and then later Bishop of Winchester and Archbishop of Canterbury...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. In 1070 Stigand was deposed and 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...
confiscated his lands. William granted Thrupp to Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry or d'Ivri was an 11th century nobleman from Ivry-la-Bataille in Normandy. He took part in William of Normandy's conquest of England in 1066 and founded the Abbey of Notre-Dame-d'Ivry in 1071...
, who sold it to Wadard, a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
in William's court. In 1086 Thrupp was such a small settlement that 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...
did not record it as having any tenants.
Thrupp has the remains of a 15th century cross carved from local Jurassic limestone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
. The cross itself has been lost, but the base and rather weathered shaft survive.
The present Manor Farm buildings date from the early part of the 17th century. As well as the farmhouse there are a granary
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
and dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
from the same period. The farm used to have a 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 :...
powered by the River Cherwell.
In 1788 the Oxford Canal was extended southwards from Northbrook Lock just north of 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:...
towards Kidlington
Kidlington
Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:...
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...
. It roughly parallels the River Cherwell until Thrupp, where it turns away from the river in a right-angle around Manor Farm in order to approach Oxford along the valley of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
rather than that of the Cherwell. The canal company bought the manorial watermill, demolished most of it, and built a row of cottages beside the canal in its place. They used to be called Salt Row, and one historian suggests that they served as salt warehouses.
In the 18th century Thrupp had two 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...
s: the Axe which is now the Boat Inn, and the Three Horseshoes which closed in 1924. In the 20th century the Britannia opened on the main Banbury Road. It has since been renamed the Jolly Boatman. Both the Boat Inn and the Jolly Boatman are now controlled by Greene King Brewery
Greene King Brewery
Greene King is a British brewery established in 1799 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It has grown to become one of the largest British owned breweries in the UK through a series of takeovers which have been the subject of some criticism. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent...
.
Thrupp has no 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 its own. In 1876 Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church converted a house in Thrupp into a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. In 1953 the Baptists built a new church in nearby Kidlington, and in 1954 Thrupp chapel was consequently closed and sold. It has since been converted back into a house, but retains the external appearance of a chapel that it acquired in 1876. The 15th century cross, which may have originally stood on the main Banbury Road, now stands in front of the former chapel.
At the end of the road through Thrupp is a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
across the canal. On the other side is a yard with three cottages with a common thatched roof. These cottages and the yard belonged to the British waterboard. The cottages were used by employees of the waterboard.
Thrupp was also used in the popular television series Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
, in the episode "The Last Enemy" . Scenes were shot near the canal and the Boat House public house during 1989.