Kingham
Encyclopedia
Kingham is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds
about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
of Saint Andrew
has a 15th century Perpendicular Gothic west tower. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1852-1853. The tower has a ring
of eight bells, all cast in 1924 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
.
Both The Rectory and the Old Rectory Cottage are 17th century.
Construction of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
(OW&W) along the Evenlode Valley began in 1845 and was completed in 1853. It passes through the western part of Kingham parish but originally there was no station. In 1855 the Chipping Norton Railway
was opened linking with the OW&W 1 miles (1.6 km) south of Kingham village where new station, Chipping Norton Junction
, was opened. In 1862 the Bourton on the Water Railway
opened between Chipping Norton Junction and . The Great Western Railway
took over the OW&W in 1862 and the Chipping Norton and Bourton lines in 1897. In 1909 the GWR renamed the junction station "Kingham
". In 1962 British Rail
ways closed the branch lines to Chipping Norton and Bourton-on-the-Water. BR later replaced the historic Kingham railway station with a modern building.
In 1955 the Royal Navy
named a Ham class minesweeper
HMS Kingham
after the village.
is now served by Cotswold Line
trains between London Paddington, , and .
The village has two public house
s: The Plough which is beside one of the village green
s and The Tollgate which was built in 1720 as a farmhouse. The village has one hotel: The Mill House
The village has a county primary school. The private Kingham Hill School
is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the village.
Kingham has a village shop and post office, a Royal British Legion club, a village hall, two village greens, a children's play park and a football field.
Kingham is twinned with the village of Pont-à-Marcq
near Lille
in France
.
In 2004 a Country Life
panel judged Kingham to be "England's Favourite Village".
Blur
bass-player Alex James
lives on a sheep and dairy farm outside the village and chronicles the experience in his column in The Independent
.
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
History
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 Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
has a 15th century Perpendicular Gothic west tower. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1852-1853. 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 eight bells, all cast in 1924 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
Both The Rectory and the Old Rectory Cottage are 17th century.
Construction of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
(OW&W) along the Evenlode Valley began in 1845 and was completed in 1853. It passes through the western part of Kingham parish but originally there was no station. In 1855 the Chipping Norton Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
was opened linking with the OW&W 1 miles (1.6 km) south of Kingham village where new station, Chipping Norton Junction
Kingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
, was opened. In 1862 the Bourton on the Water Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
opened between Chipping Norton Junction and . The Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
took over the OW&W in 1862 and the Chipping Norton and Bourton lines in 1897. In 1909 the GWR renamed the junction station "Kingham
Kingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
". In 1962 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the branch lines to Chipping Norton and Bourton-on-the-Water. BR later replaced the historic Kingham railway station with a modern building.
In 1955 the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
named a Ham class minesweeper
Ham class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
HMS Kingham
HMS Kingham
HMS Kingham was a of the Royal Navy.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Kingham in Oxfordshire.-References:*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships...
after the village.
Amenities
Kingham railway stationKingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
is now served by Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
trains between London Paddington, , and .
The village 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 Plough which is beside one of the village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
s and The Tollgate which was built in 1720 as a farmhouse. The village has one hotel: The Mill House
The village has a county primary school. The private Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School is a Christian school based on the Church of England denomination. It was founded by local Christian landowner Charles Edward Baring Young in 1886 as a school and home for deprived boys and was designed by the architect William Howard Seth-Smith...
is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the village.
Kingham has a village shop and post office, a Royal British Legion club, a village hall, two village greens, a children's play park and a football field.
Kingham is twinned with the village of Pont-à-Marcq
Pont-à-Marcq
-References:**...
near Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In 2004 a 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...
panel judged Kingham to be "England's Favourite Village".
Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
bass-player Alex James
Alex James (musician)
Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur...
lives on a sheep and dairy farm outside the village and chronicles the experience in his column in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
.