Shellingford
Encyclopedia
Shellingford, historically also spelt Shillingford is a village and civil parish about 2.5 miles (4 km) south-east of Faringdon
in the Vale of White Horse
. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 Local Government Act
transferred it to Oxfordshire
.
In the 10th century the toponym
was spelt Scaringaford and in the 11th century it was Serengeford. 13th century forms of the name included Salingeford, Schalingeford, Shallingford, Sallingford and Schillingford. In the 18th century it was recorded as Shillingworth. The spelling Shillingford has been discontinued to avoid confusion with the village of Shillingford
near Wallingford, also in Oxfordshire.
held the manor of Shellingford from 931 to 1538. In 1598 the courtier Sir Henry Neville bought the manor. It was later held by the Packer family. In 1738 Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
bought it as an investment. It was later held by the Goodlake and Ashbrook families.
In the 19th century the Goodlakes built a new house to the north of the village, Kitemore House, to replace the Elizabethan manor house south of the church, which was then demolished.
Between 1931 and 1957 there was an aerodrome, RAF Shellingford
, between Shellingford and Stanford in the Vale
. A quarry now occupies part of the site.
of Saint Faith has a late 12th century Norman
nave
and chancel
. The church has been much altered in succeeding centuries but retains its Norman chancel arch, south door, priest's door and part of the north door. The west tower is an Early English Gothic addition from the early part of the 13th century. In the 14th century the chancel was rebuilt with Decorated Gothic windows and a Decorated wondow was inserted in the south wall of the nave. In about 1400 a chapel was added to the north side of the chancel, but it does not survive. The tower arch was rebuilt in the 15th century. Early in the 16th century two four-light Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted in the south wall of the nave and another Perpendicular window was inserted in the north wall of the chancel.
The spire was added in 1625 and three windows in the north wall of the nave were probably added at the same time. The spire was destroyed by lightning in 1848 and rebuilt in 1852. The church contains a number of monuments, including one to William, 2nd Viscount Ashbrook
(1767-1802) by John Flaxman
. St. Faith's is a Grade I listed building.
The tower seems to have had a ring
of four bells by the early part of the 20th century. The tenor bore the date 1586 but the founder
was unidentified. Edward Neale of Burford cast the treble in 1653. Another bell bore no date but may have been cast in about 1599. Henry Bagley III, who had foundries at Chacombe and Witney
, cast the final bell of the four in 1738. There is also a Sanctus bell that was cast in 1663. In the 20th century the ring was increased to six, but of the original bells only the Bagley and undated bells survive. Mears & Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast the current tenor in 1920. In 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the present treble and another bell. There is also another bell from the Whitechapel foundry, cast by Thomas Mears II in 1841.
St. Faith's is now part of the Uffington
Benefice, along with the parishes of Baulking
and Woolstone
.
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 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...
. 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 Local Government Act
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
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
In the 10th century the toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
was spelt Scaringaford and in the 11th century it was Serengeford. 13th century forms of the name included Salingeford, Schalingeford, Shallingford, Sallingford and Schillingford. In the 18th century it was recorded as Shillingworth. The spelling Shillingford has been discontinued to avoid confusion with the village of Shillingford
Shillingford
Shillingford is a hamlet on the River Thames in Warborough civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England. It lies on the main road between Oxford and Reading, at the junction with the A329.-History:...
near Wallingford, also in Oxfordshire.
History
Abingdon AbbeyAbingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
held the manor of Shellingford from 931 to 1538. In 1598 the courtier Sir Henry Neville bought the manor. It was later held by the Packer family. In 1738 Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
bought it as an investment. It was later held by the Goodlake and Ashbrook families.
In the 19th century the Goodlakes built a new house to the north of the village, Kitemore House, to replace the Elizabethan manor house south of the church, which was then demolished.
Between 1931 and 1957 there was an aerodrome, RAF Shellingford
RAF Shellingford
RAF Shellingford was a Royal Air Force station located approximately 4 miles east of the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It occupied land adjacent to the A417 road, between the villages of Shellingford and Stanford-in-the-Vale....
, between Shellingford and Stanford in the Vale
Stanford in the Vale
Stanford in the Vale is a large village and civil parish about south-east of Faringdon and north-west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire....
. A quarry now occupies part of the site.
Parish 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 Faith has a late 12th 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...
. The church has been much altered in succeeding centuries but retains its Norman chancel arch, south door, priest's door and part of the north door. The west tower is an Early English Gothic addition from the early part of the 13th century. In the 14th century the chancel was rebuilt with Decorated Gothic windows and a Decorated wondow was inserted in the south wall of the nave. In about 1400 a chapel was added to the north side of the chancel, but it does not survive. The tower arch was rebuilt in the 15th century. Early in the 16th century two four-light Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted in the south wall of the nave and another Perpendicular window was inserted in the north wall of the chancel.
The spire was added in 1625 and three windows in the north wall of the nave were probably added at the same time. The spire was destroyed by lightning in 1848 and rebuilt in 1852. The church contains a number of monuments, including one to William, 2nd Viscount Ashbrook
Viscount Ashbrook
Viscount Ashbrook is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1751 for Captain Henry Flower, 2nd Baron Castle Durrow. The title of Baron Castle Durrow, in the County of Kilkenny, had been created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1733 for his father William Flower...
(1767-1802) by John Flaxman
John Flaxman
John Flaxman was an English sculptor and draughtsman.-Early life:He was born in York. His father was also named John, after an ancestor who, according to family tradition, had fought for Parliament at the Battle of Naseby, and afterwards settled as a carrier or farmer in Buckinghamshire...
. St. Faith's is a Grade I listed building.
The tower seems to have had 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 four bells by the early part of the 20th century. The tenor bore the date 1586 but the founder
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
was unidentified. Edward Neale of Burford cast the treble in 1653. Another bell bore no date but may have been cast in about 1599. Henry Bagley III, who had foundries at Chacombe and Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
, cast the final bell of the four in 1738. There is also a Sanctus bell that was cast in 1663. In the 20th century the ring was increased to six, but of the original bells only the Bagley and undated bells survive. Mears & Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
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...
cast the current tenor in 1920. In 1998 Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the present treble and another bell. There is also another bell from the Whitechapel foundry, cast by Thomas Mears II in 1841.
St. Faith's is now part of the Uffington
Uffington, Oxfordshire
Uffington is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Uffington is most commonly known as the location of the Uffington White Horse hill figure....
Benefice, along with the parishes of Baulking
Baulking
Baulking or Balking is a village and civil parish about southeast of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 Boundary Changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
and Woolstone
Woolstone, Oxfordshire
Woolstone is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse. Woolstone was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
.