Mollington, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Mollington is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Banbury
in Oxfordshire
, England. It has an area of about 2 mi2.
, eldest son of Æthelred the Unready willed an estate at Mollington to his father in 1014 or 1015. The Domesday Book
records that by 1086 the manor
had passed to William d'Évreux
, a kinsman of William the Conqueror
.
In 1086 Mollington was partly in three counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire
and Northamptonshire
. Later the village was only in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, and in 1895 the Warwickshire part was transferred to Oxfordshire by the Local Government Act 1894
.
The earliest parts of the Church of England parish church
of All Saints
date from the 14th century, but the font
is 13th century so there may have been an earlier church building on the site. The Gothic Revival architect
William White
restored All Saints in 1856. All Saints' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shire's Edge along with those of Claydon
, Cropredy
, Great Bourton
and Wardington
.
In 1872 a National School
was built in the village. It was a Church of England school
and was still open in 1996, but has since been closed.
Mollington used to have a post office.
A Point to point racing racing ground opened at Mollington in 1972 and was home to a number of hunt groups until its closure in 2007.
, The Green Man, a village hall
and two children's playgrounds.
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
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 has an area of about 2 mi2.
History
Æthelstan ÆthelingÆthelstan Ætheling
Æthelstan Ætheling , early or mid 980s to 25 June 1014, was the eldest son of King Æthelred the Unready by his first wife Ælfgifu and the heir apparent to the kingdom until his death. He made his first appearance as a witness to a charter of his father in 993...
, eldest son of Æthelred the Unready willed an estate at Mollington to his father in 1014 or 1015. The Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
records that by 1086 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...
had passed to William d'Évreux
Évreux
Évreux is a commune in the Eure department, of which it is the capital, in Haute Normandie in northern France.-History:In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area...
, a kinsman of William the Conqueror
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...
.
In 1086 Mollington was partly in three counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. Later the village was only in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, and in 1895 the Warwickshire part was transferred to Oxfordshire by the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
.
The earliest parts of 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 All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
date from the 14th century, but the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is 13th century so there may have been an earlier church building on the site. The Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
William White
William White (architect)
William White, F.S.A. was an English architect, famous for his part in 19th century Gothic Revival architecture and church restorations...
restored All Saints in 1856. All Saints' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shire's Edge along with those of Claydon
Claydon, Oxfordshire
Claydon is a village in Claydon with Clattercot civil parish, about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The village is about above sea level on a hill of Early Jurassic Middle Lias clay. Claydon is the northernmost village in Oxfordshire...
, Cropredy
Cropredy
Cropredy is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.-Early history:The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book...
, Great Bourton
Great Bourton
Great Bourton is a village about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Bourton.-History:...
and Wardington
Wardington
Wardington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about northeast of Banbury. The village consists of two parts, Lower Wardington and Upper Wardington...
.
In 1872 a National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
was built in the village. It was a Church of England school
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...
and was still open in 1996, but has since been closed.
Mollington used to have a post office.
A Point to point racing racing ground opened at Mollington in 1972 and was home to a number of hunt groups until its closure in 2007.
Amenities
Mollington has one public housePublic 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...
, The Green Man, a 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...
and two children's playgrounds.