Cholsey
Encyclopedia
Cholsey is a village and civil parish 2 miles (3 km) south of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire
. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire
, and from Wallingford Rural District
to the district of South Oxfordshire
.
The village green is known as The Forty. Winterbrook
, at the north end of Cholsey parish adjoins Wallingford, and is the site of Winterbrook Bridge, which crosses the Thames.
site has been found beside the River Thames at Whitecross Farm in the northeast of the parish.
A pre-Roman
road, the Icknield Way
, crosses the River Thames
at Cholsey.
Isle) in marshy ground close to the Thames. There is evidence that the House of Wessex
Royal family owned land in Cholsey in the 6th and 7th century. A royal nunnery, Cholsey Abbey
, was founded in the village in 986 by Queen Dowager Ælfthryth on land given by her son, King Ethelred the Unready
. The nunnery is thought to have been destroyed by invading Danes
in 1006 when they camped in Cholsey after setting nearby Wallingford ablaze. However, Saxon
masonry still survives in the Church of England parish church
of St Mary
. Most of this flint
and stone church was built in the 12th century.
The novelist Agatha Christie
's grave is in the churchyard. She died at Winterbrook House in the parish in 1976.
In the 13th century a tithe barn
was built in the village. It was, at the time, the largest aisled building in the World, being 51 feet (15.5 m) high, 54 feet (16.5 m) wide and over 300 feet (91.4 m) long. It was demolished in 1815.
Cholsey is served by Cholsey railway station
, a calling point for First Great Western
stopping services on the Great Western Main Line
between Reading
and Didcot
.
The station was also the junction for a branch line to , which the heritage
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
now operates on Bank Holiday
s and some weekends.
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and from Wallingford Rural District
Wallingford Rural District
Wallingford Rural District, an administrative area in what was then Berkshire, now Oxfordshire area, in southern England was established in 1894, from the then Berkshire area within Wallingford Rural Sanitary Authority...
to the district of South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
.
The village green is known as The Forty. Winterbrook
Winterbrook
Winterbrook is a small settlement in the English county of Oxfordshire, which adjoins the south end of Wallingford and sits on the west bank of the Thames. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire....
, at the north end of Cholsey parish adjoins Wallingford, and is the site of Winterbrook Bridge, which crosses the Thames.
Archaeology
A Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
site has been found beside the River Thames at Whitecross Farm in the northeast of the parish.
A pre-Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
road, the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
, crosses 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,...
at Cholsey.
History
The village was originally founded on an island (Ceol'sCeol of Wessex
Ceol was King of Wessex from 592 to 597.He was the son of Cutha , the son of Cynric of Wessex. He reigned from either 591 AD or 592 to 597...
Isle) in marshy ground close to the Thames. There is evidence that the House of Wessex
House of Wessex
The House of Wessex, also known as the House of Cerdic, refers to the family that ruled a kingdom in southwest England known as Wessex. This House was in power from the 6th century under Cerdic of Wessex to the unification of the Kingdoms of England....
Royal family owned land in Cholsey in the 6th and 7th century. A royal nunnery, Cholsey Abbey
Cholsey Abbey
Cholsey Abbey was an Anglo-Saxon nunnery in Cholsey in the English county of Berkshire , which was founded in 986.After King Edward the Martyr was murdered, his stepmother, Ælfthryth, was implicated in the crime. Edward's death had allowed Ælfthryth's son, Ethelred the Unready, to become King of...
, was founded in the village in 986 by Queen Dowager Ælfthryth on land given by her son, King Ethelred the Unready
Ethelred the Unready
Æthelred the Unready, or Æthelred II , was king of England . He was son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. Æthelred was only about 10 when his half-brother Edward was murdered...
. The nunnery is thought to have been destroyed by invading Danes
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
in 1006 when they camped in Cholsey after setting nearby Wallingford ablaze. However, Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
masonry still survives in the 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 St 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...
. Most of this flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and stone church was built in the 12th century.
The novelist Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's grave is in the churchyard. She died at Winterbrook House in the parish in 1976.
In the 13th century a tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
was built in the village. It was, at the time, the largest aisled building in the World, being 51 feet (15.5 m) high, 54 feet (16.5 m) wide and over 300 feet (91.4 m) long. It was demolished in 1815.
Transport
Cholsey railway station
Cholsey railway station, previously known as Cholsey and Moulsford railway station, is a railway station located in the village of Cholsey in Oxfordshire in England...
, a calling point for 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....
stopping services on the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
between Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
and Didcot
Didcot Parkway railway station
Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. The station was opened as Didcot on 12 June 1844, and renamed Didcot Parkway on 29 July 1985 to reflect its role as a park and ride railhead....
.
The station was also the junction for a branch line to , which the heritage
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a long standard gauge heritage railway in the English county of Oxfordshire. It operates along most of the length of the former Wallingford branch of the Great Western Railway , from Cholsey station, north of Reading on the Great Western Main Line, to a...
now operates on Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
s and some weekends.