Rotherfield Peppard is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills

Chiltern Hills

The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...

 in South Oxfordshire

South Oxfordshire

South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....

. It is just over 3 miles (5 km) west of Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames

Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...

, about 5 miles (8 km) north of Reading, Berkshire

Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

 and just over 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the village of Rotherfield Greys

Rotherfield Greys

Rotherfield Greys is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is west of Henley-on-Thames and just over east of the village of Rotherfield Peppard....

.

History

Rotherfield derives from the Old English redrefeld meaning "cattle lands". Within the parish is the open land of Peppard Common, once used for grazing and small timber.

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 was 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...

, but was almost completely rebuilt in 1874. The ecclesiastical parish is part of the united benefice of Rotherfield Peppard, Kidmore End

Kidmore End

Kidmore End is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about north of Reading, Berkshire.The village has half-timbered cottages, early Georgian houses and a public house, the New Inn....

 and Sonning Common

Sonning Common

Sonning Common is a village and civil parish the Chiltern Hills west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire. It is on the B481 road between Reading, Berkshire to the south and Nettlebed to the north.-History:...

.

Providence Chapel was founded in 1795. It later became Peppard Congregational Church. It is now Springwater Church.

Blount's Court is an early 19th century house with neoclassical

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...

 features. However, its interior includes a 15th century doorway and 16th century panelling. It was the childhood home of Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys

Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys

Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, GCB, GCVO, KCMG, PC, ISO , was Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1901–1913....

 and is now the Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey plc is multinational chemicals and precious metals company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...

 Technology Centre.

The village has thrice been used for settings in the television drama series Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...

and also for many of the scenes (including the eponymous house) in the Merchant Ivory Productions

Merchant Ivory Productions

Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...

 film Howards End

Howards End (film)

Howards End is a 1992 film based upon the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster , a story of class relations in turn-of-the-20th-century England...

.

Peppard was once home to Peppard F.C.

Peppard F.C.

Peppard F.C. was a football team based in Rotherfield Peppard, Oxfordshire.Founded as Sonning Common Peppard F.C., they changed their name to Peppard F.C. in 1990, and after winning the Chiltonian League two years running they were promoted to the Combined Counties Football League...

, who played in the Combined Counties Football League

Combined Counties Football League

The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey...

 in the 1990s and Hellenic Football League

Hellenic Football League

The Hellenic Football League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern Herefordshire, western Greater London, and northern Wiltshire. There is also one team from Hampshire.The league...

in the early 2000s before they disbanded.

External links