Great Coxwell
Encyclopedia
Great Coxwell is a village and civil parish 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Faringdon
in Oxfordshire
, England. It was in Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
The village lies on the Corallian limestone
beds on the northern slope of the Vale of White Horse
.
of 1086 records the village as belonging to King Harold
before the Norman Conquest of England
. In 1205 the manor
was granted to Beaulieu Abbey
, which held it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
. In 1540 the manor was bought by Thomas Morris, whose descendants sold it in 1638 to the Pratt family.
of Saint Giles
stands in prominently on a ridge at the south end of the village. Parts of the church date date from about 1200. The west tower was added in the 15th century. The tower has a ring
of five bells. Three were cast in 1738: two including the tenor bell by Henry Bagley of Chacombe. Another was cast by James Wells of Aldbourne
in 1824, and the tenor bell was cast by Mears and Stainbank
in 1911. The bells are currently unringable.
The churchyard is now managed as a wildlife area. It contains over 100 species of wildflower, including the rare wild clary (Salvia verbenacea).
, built for Beaulieu Abbey to store the crop of its monastic grange. The barn is now in the care of the National Trust
.
hill fort
on its summit, and there is ancient woodland
on its slopes. The hill is in the care of the National Trust.
Faringdon
Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
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. It was in 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.
The village lies on the Corallian limestone
Corallian Limestone
Corallian Limestone is a coralliferous sedimentary rock, laid down in Jurassic times. It is a hard variety of "coral rag". Building stones from this geological structure tend to be irregular in shape. It is often found close to seams of Portland Limestone...
beds on the northern slope of the Vale of White Horse
Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. The main town is Abingdon, other places include Faringdon and Wantage. There are 68 parishes within the district...
.
History
The Domesday BookDomesday 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 the village as belonging to King Harold
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
before the Norman Conquest of England
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...
. In 1205 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...
was granted to Beaulieu Abbey
Beaulieu Abbey
Beaulieu Abbey, , was a Cistercian abbey located in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203-1204 by King John and peopled by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order...
, which held it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. In 1540 the manor was bought by Thomas Morris, whose descendants sold it in 1638 to the Pratt family.
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 Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
stands in prominently on a ridge at the south end of the village. Parts of the church date date from about 1200. The west tower was added in the 15th century. The tower 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 five bells. Three were cast in 1738: two including the tenor bell by Henry Bagley of Chacombe. Another was cast by James Wells of Aldbourne
Aldbourne
Aldbourne is a village and civil parish about northeast of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. It is in a valley in the south slope of the Lambourn Downs, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
in 1824, and the tenor bell was cast by Mears and Stainbank
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...
in 1911. The bells are currently unringable.
The churchyard is now managed as a wildlife area. It contains over 100 species of wildflower, including the rare wild clary (Salvia verbenacea).
Great Coxwell Barn
On the northern edge of the village is a large 14th century tithe barnTithe 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....
, built for Beaulieu Abbey to store the crop of its monastic grange. The barn is now in the care of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Badbury Hill
Badbury Hill is in the north of the parish. There is an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
on its summit, and there is ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
on its slopes. The hill is in the care of the National Trust.