Blewbury
Encyclopedia
Blewbury is a village and civil parish at the foot of the Berkshire Downs
about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Didcot
. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
downland and includes a number of prehistoric sites. Half of the 360 feet (109.7 m) high Blewburton Hill
is in the parish.It is topped by Iron Age
hill fort that may have been occupied from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC. The parish's highest point is the 520 feet (158.5 m) Churn Hill, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the village. On its northwestern side are two round barrows
, the larger of which is Churn Knob. There are other round barrows further south, towards the boundaries with Compton
and East Ilsley
parishes.
of Saint Michael the Archangel
was originally an early Norman
building of the 11th century. St. Michael's is now a member of the Churn Benefice
.
cottage in South Street. Hall Barn may date from about 1660.
William Malthus was a London merchant who left land at Noke, Oxfordshire
to fund a school at Blewbury. Its five-bay
Queen Anne style
school building close to St. Michael's church was built in 1709.
Also close to the church are two almshouse
s. Nikolaus Pevsner
states that he first was built in 1738 for the oldest man in the village and the second was added on its centenary in 1838. However, Page and Ditchfield state that there are two cottages that one James Bacon founded in 1747.
, Dick Francis
, Kenneth Grahame
, Marguerite Steen
Barbara Euphan Todd
.
The artist William Nicholson
, father of abstract painter Ben Nicholson
, also lived in Blewbury.
BBC News Anchor Katty Kay
spent much of her early childhood in Blewbury in the 1970s.
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Didcot
Didcot
Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
. It was part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until the 1974 boundary changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Prehistory
The southern part of the parish is chalkChalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
downland and includes a number of prehistoric sites. Half of the 360 feet (109.7 m) high Blewburton Hill
Blewburton Hill
Blewburton Hill is the site of an Iron Age hillfort located in Oxfordshire. It is described as an irregular oval fort of about 365m by 135m enclosed by a single ditch and rampart, although maps and photographs clearly show at least 4 ditches and ramparts on the Western side. The area is mostly...
is in the parish.It is topped by Iron Age
British 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...
hill fort that may have been occupied from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC. The parish's highest point is the 520 feet (158.5 m) Churn Hill, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the village. On its northwestern side are two round barrows
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...
, the larger of which is Churn Knob. There are other round barrows further south, towards the boundaries with Compton
Compton, Berkshire
Compton is a village and civil parish in the River Pang valley in the Berkshire Downs about south of Didcot. It has a population of 1,521. The Pang flows through the village as a winter bourne, a stream that only flows after periods of unusually high rainfall.-Parish church:The bell tower of the...
and East Ilsley
East Ilsley
East Ilsley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.It is situated at in West Berkshire, north of Newbury very close to the A34 road which bypasses the village....
parishes.
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 Michael the Archangel
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
was originally an early Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
building of the 11th century. St. Michael's is now a member of the Churn Benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
.
Secular buildings
Blewbury has a number of historic timber-framed buildings. There is a cruckCruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which supports the roof of a building, used particularly in England. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally bent, timber beams that lean inwards and form the ridge of the roof. These posts are then generally secured by a...
cottage in South Street. Hall Barn may date from about 1660.
William Malthus was a London merchant who left land at Noke, Oxfordshire
Noke, Oxfordshire
Noke is a small village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about northeast of Oxford. It is on the southeast edge of Otmoor and is one of the "Seven Towns of Otmoor".The toponym is derived from Old English and means "at the oak trees"...
to fund a school at Blewbury. Its five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
Queen Anne style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
school building close to St. Michael's church was built in 1709.
Also close to the church are two almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s. Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
states that he first was built in 1738 for the oldest man in the village and the second was added on its centenary in 1838. However, Page and Ditchfield state that there are two cottages that one James Bacon founded in 1747.
Notable people
Blewbury has been the home of writers including Elizabeth FerrarsElizabeth Ferrars
Elizabeth Ferrars , born Morna Doris MacTaggart, was a British crime writer.-Life:She was born in Rangoon , Burma into a Scottish timber and rice-trading family. Her early years were in the hands of a German nanny, and the initial intention was that she should be sent to Berlin to complete her...
, Dick Francis
Dick Francis
Richard Stanley "Dick" Francis CBE was an English jockey and crime writer, many of whose novels centre around horse racing.- Personal life :...
, Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....
, Marguerite Steen
Marguerite Steen
Marguerite Steen was a British writer, most popular in the 1930s and 1940s.- Life :Daughter of Capt. George Connolly Benson and Margaret Jones, Marguerite was adopted by Joseph and Margaret Jane Steen...
Barbara Euphan Todd
Barbara Euphan Todd
Barbara Euphan Todd was a British writer, most notable for her children's books about the scarecrow Worzel Gummidge....
.
The artist William Nicholson
William Nicholson (artist)
Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson was an English painter of still-life, landscape and portraits, also known for his work as a wood-engraver, illustrator, author of children's books and designer for the theatre....
, father of abstract painter Ben Nicholson
Ben Nicholson
Benjamin Lauder "Ben" Nicholson, OM was a British painter of abstract compositions , landscape and still-life.-Background and Training:...
, also lived in Blewbury.
BBC News Anchor Katty Kay
Katty Kay
Katty Kay is an English journalist and correspondent, based at the Washington, D.C. bureau of BBC News. She also blogs at the website True/Slant and is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Biography:...
spent much of her early childhood in Blewbury in the 1970s.