Ducklington
Encyclopedia
Ducklington is a village and civil parish on the River Windrush
1 miles (1.6 km) south of Witney
in West Oxfordshire
.
parishes to be recorded in Oxfordshire. In a charter of AD 958 King Edgar the Peaceable granted at Ducklington to his Minister, Eanulf. The toponym
"Ducklington" may originate from "Ducel's Farm" or "the farm of the sons of Docca", but it is locally thought to have originated from the central duck pond
, where many duck
s and ducklings have lived for centuries. After the Norman Conquest
Ducklington became a possession of Robert D'Oyly
, a Norman
nobleman who took part in William I's
conquest of England. The Dyve family then held the Lordship of Ducklington throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, living there until early in the reign of Edward III
.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Bartholomew is 12th century. The Gothic Revival architect
E.G. Bruton
restored the building in 1871. The bell tower
has a ring of six bells including one cast by Henry Bagley of Chacombe
in 1732.
The village also has a Baptist
Chapel.
The former village schoolhouse was built in 1858. The modern Ducklington Church of England
Primary School is across the village green from the original site.
Today, Ducklington is famous for the rare Fritillary flower (of mainly the Snake's Head
variety), many of which grow in a specially designated meadow just outside the village. Before the Second World War
, many fritillaries had grown on fields all over the Windrush Valley. However, the national drive for food production during the war meant that most meadows were intensively ploughed, the rivers dredged, and consequently the fritillaries were lost. Only the current fritillary field was left coincidentally unploughed. The flowers have survived with help from both locals and farmers. Once a year, the local community celebrates Fritillary Sunday when the field, church and hall are opened so that the public may walk amongst and enjoy the flowers. The celebration has been featured in Country Life
magazine.
group and Mummers performances. It also has its own Morris Dance tradition; its own style of dance that was collected around the turn of the 19th Century. The Ducklington tradition is danced by many sides throughout Britain and the United States.
Recently Ducklington has hosted several flower and garden shows. Ducklington has two public house
s: The Bell and The Strickland Arms as well as a sports and social club.
The former tithe barn
is now the village hall
, which has been renovated in the last few years. It is used by village groups including the Parish Council and is the parish polling station
in local and national elections. Ducklington has a Women's Institute.
1-0 in the final to win the trophy for the first time in its history. Ducklington Sports Club has numerous youth and adult cricket and football teams. The football section has four men's teams, a veterans' team and 9 boys' teams. The cricket section has two adult teams and three youth teams. The sports club is currently trying to build a new pavilion as it has outgrown its current building.
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
1 miles (1.6 km) south of Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
in 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 ....
.
History
Ducklington is one of the first SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
parishes to be recorded in Oxfordshire. In a charter of AD 958 King Edgar the Peaceable granted at Ducklington to his Minister, Eanulf. The toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
"Ducklington" may originate from "Ducel's Farm" or "the farm of the sons of Docca", but it is locally thought to have originated from the central duck pond
Duck pond
A duck pond is a pond for ducks and other water fowl. Duck ponds provide habitats for water fowl and other birds, who use the water to bathe in and drink....
, where many duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and ducklings have lived for centuries. After the Norman Conquest
Norman 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...
Ducklington became a possession of Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman Conquest, his invasion of England. He died in 1091.-Background:Robert was the son of Walter D'Oyly and elder brother to Nigel D'Oyly...
, a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
nobleman who took part in William I's
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...
conquest of England. The Dyve family then held the Lordship of Ducklington throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, living there until early in the reign of Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
.
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 Saint Bartholomew is 12th century. The Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
E.G. Bruton
Edward George Bruton
Edward George Bruton was a British Gothic Revival architect who practiced in Oxford. He was made an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1855 and a Fellow of the RIBA in 1861.-Work:...
restored the building in 1871. The 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 of six bells including one cast by Henry Bagley 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...
in 1732.
The village also has a 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...
Chapel.
The former village schoolhouse was built in 1858. The modern Ducklington Church of England
Voluntary 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 is across the village green from the original site.
Fritillaria meleagris
Fritillaria meleagris is a fritillary in the family Liliaceae. Its common names include Snake's Head Fritillary, Snake's Head , Checkered Daffodil, Chess Flower, Frog-cup, Guinea-hen Flower, Leper Lily , Frog-cup, Lazarus bell or, in northern...
variety), many of which grow in a specially designated meadow just outside the village. Before the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many fritillaries had grown on fields all over the Windrush Valley. However, the national drive for food production during the war meant that most meadows were intensively ploughed, the rivers dredged, and consequently the fritillaries were lost. Only the current fritillary field was left coincidentally unploughed. The flowers have survived with help from both locals and farmers. Once a year, the local community celebrates Fritillary Sunday when the field, church and hall are opened so that the public may walk amongst and enjoy the flowers. The celebration has been featured in Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
magazine.
Amenities
Ducklington has a Morris dancingMorris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
group and Mummers performances. It also has its own Morris Dance tradition; its own style of dance that was collected around the turn of the 19th Century. The Ducklington tradition is danced by many sides throughout Britain and the United States.
Recently Ducklington has hosted several flower and garden shows. Ducklington has 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 Bell and The Strickland Arms as well as a sports and social club.
The former 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....
is now the 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...
, which has been renovated in the last few years. It is used by village groups including the Parish Council and is the parish polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
in local and national elections. Ducklington has a Women's Institute.
Sport
The village football team won the Oxfordshire Junior Shield in 2008. It beat FreelandFreeland
-Places:Canada*Freeland, Prince Edward IslandUnited Kingdom*Freeland, OxfordshireUnited States*Freeland, Maryland*Freeland, Michigan*Freeland, Pennsylvania*Freeland, Washington-People:...
1-0 in the final to win the trophy for the first time in its history. Ducklington Sports Club has numerous youth and adult cricket and football teams. The football section has four men's teams, a veterans' team and 9 boys' teams. The cricket section has two adult teams and three youth teams. The sports club is currently trying to build a new pavilion as it has outgrown its current building.