Longcot
Encyclopedia
Longcot is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse
District. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Faringdon
and about 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of Shrivenham
. The A420 road
between Swindon
and Oxford
passes through the parish 1 miles (1.6 km) northwest of the village.
, in typical low-lying vale landscape. The view to the south is dominated by the scarp of the Lambourn downs, including the Uffington White Horse
.
Longcot had many mature elm trees in hedgerows and gardens until Dutch elm disease
affected them early in the 1970s.
.
For most of its history Longcot was an agricultural community, but population growth in early 19th Century began with the arrival of the Wilts & Berks Canal in 1805 and the building of Longcot Wharf, which was the busiest wharf on this section of the canal due to its nearness to Faringdon. The village population declined in line with the loss of commercial traffic on the canal to the Great Western Railway
, completed in 1841. Commercial traffic on the canal ceased completely in 1902 and it was formally abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1914.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary the Virgin
has a 13th century Norman
nave
and chancel
. One lancet window
on the north side of the chancel is original but all other the current windows were inserted later. On the north side of the church they include one two-light Decorated Gothic and one four-light Perpendicular Gothic window. The pulpit
is Jacobean
.
St. Mary's original west tower collapsed while the bells were being rung. The tower was rebuilt in 1721 or 1722. Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester
cast five new bells in 1722, followed by the treble bell in 1729 to complete a ring
of six. Four stone urns, mounted on iron spikes at each corner of the tower, were removed in the late 1970s for safety.
The parish has had a Church of England school since 1717, the original building in the southwest corner of the churchyard paid for by voluntary subscription. The current school building, built in 1969 opposite The Green on Kings Lane, replaced a previous building on the same site built in 1874.
Longcot was awarded the Marlborough Trophy for Oxfordshire's Best Kept Village
in 2002.
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...
District. 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. The village is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Faringdon
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...
and about 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
. The A420 road
A420 road
The A420 is a road between Bristol and Oxford in England. Between Swindon and Oxford it is a primary route.-Present route:Since the opening of the M4 motorway, the road is in two sections. The first section begins on Old Market Street near the centre of Bristol, it passes through Kingswood before...
between Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
passes through the parish 1 miles (1.6 km) northwest of the village.
Geography
Longcot Civil Parish covers 1894 acres (766.5 ha). It is in a wide bend of the nascent River OckRiver Ock
The River Ock is a small English river which is a tributary of the River Thames. It has as its catchment area the Vale of White Horse, a low-lying and wide valley in South Oxfordshire and flows into the River Thames, at Abingdon on the reach above Culham Lock.-Course:The River Ock rises near the...
, in typical low-lying vale landscape. The view to the south is dominated by the scarp of the Lambourn downs, including the Uffington White Horse
Uffington White Horse
The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistoric hill figure, 110 m long , formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk...
.
Longcot had many mature elm trees in hedgerows and gardens until Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
affected them early in the 1970s.
History
Longcot (or, until 20th century, Longcott) was in the Shrivenham Hundred, with the manor and most of the land belonging to Viscount BarringtonViscount Barrington
Viscount Barrington, of Ardglass in the County of Down, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1720 for the lawyer, theologian and politician John Barrington. He was made Baron Barrington, of Newcastle in the County of Limerick, also in the Peerage of Ireland, at the same time...
.
For most of its history Longcot was an agricultural community, but population growth in early 19th Century began with the arrival of the Wilts & Berks Canal in 1805 and the building of Longcot Wharf, which was the busiest wharf on this section of the canal due to its nearness to Faringdon. The village population declined in line with the loss of commercial traffic on the canal to 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...
, completed in 1841. Commercial traffic on the canal ceased completely in 1902 and it was formally abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1914.
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 Mary the Virgin
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...
has a 13th century 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...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. One lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
on the north side of the chancel is original but all other the current windows were inserted later. On the north side of the church they include one two-light Decorated Gothic and one four-light Perpendicular Gothic window. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
.
St. Mary's original west tower collapsed while the bells were being rung. The tower was rebuilt in 1721 or 1722. Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
cast five new bells in 1722, followed by the treble bell in 1729 to complete 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 six. Four stone urns, mounted on iron spikes at each corner of the tower, were removed in the late 1970s for safety.
The parish has had a Church of England school since 1717, the original building in the southwest corner of the churchyard paid for by voluntary subscription. The current school building, built in 1969 opposite The Green on Kings Lane, replaced a previous building on the same site built in 1874.
Longcot was awarded the Marlborough Trophy for Oxfordshire's Best Kept Village
Best kept village
A best kept village is a village that has won an annual competition in the UK for its tidiness, appropriateness and typicality...
in 2002.
Population
The following data has been taken from historical Census information in the public domain.| Year | Total | Male | Female | Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | 494 | 229 | 265 | 110 |
| 1881 | 393 | 198 | 195 | 92 |
| 1891 | 310 | 162 | 148 | 77 |
| 1901 | 256 | 139 | 117 | 65 |
| 1911 | 334 | 169 | 165 | 77 |
| 1921 | 295 | 146 | 149 | 71 |
| 1931 | 264 | 139 | 125 | 76 |
| 1941 | No Census Taken | |||
| 1951 | 285 | 143 | 142 | 88 |
| 1961 | 337 | 173 | 164 | 102 |
| 1971 | 446 | |||
| 1981 | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 2001 | 574 | 290 | 284 | 220 |