Towersey
Encyclopedia
Towersey is a village and civil parish about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Thame
in Oxfordshire
. The village was part of Buckinghamshire
for most of its history, but the boundary was moved in 1933 when Towersey was swapped for Kingsey
.
is Old English
in origin, meaning island held by the de Turs family. This refers to a dry area of land in the marshes of the Aylesbury Vale
, on the edge of which the village stands.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Catherine
is said to date from the 12th century. Its chancel
was built early in the 13th century in the Early English style, and the nave
was rebuilt early in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. In 1850-54 the architect James Cranston restored St. Catherine's and added the bell tower
, which is in a slightly unusual position on the south side of the nave. The tower has five bells: a peal
of four cast
in the 17th century and a small Sanctus bell cast at a later date.
In 1862 the Wycombe Railway
was extended from High Wycombe
to Thame
, crossing Chinnor Road on a bridge just south of Towersey. In 1864 the line was extended again from Thame to Oxford
. In 1933 the Great Western Railway
opened on the west side of the bridge. British Rail
ways withdrew passenger services in 1963 and freight services in 1991. The track has now been lifted but the bridge with its steel span over Chinnor Road still survives.
, the Three Horseshoes.
The village is the setting for the Towersey Village Festival
which is a festival of folk music
and dance
. It was founded in 1965 and is held annually on August bank holiday
weekend. Its foundation was followed by the foundation in 1966 of a Cotswold Morris side, Towersey Morris, which still performs today.
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The village was part of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
for most of its history, but the boundary was moved in 1933 when Towersey was swapped for Kingsey
Kingsey
Kingsey is a small village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is near the boundary with Oxfordshire, about two miles east of Thame and a mile south of Haddenham....
.
History
The toponymToponymy
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...
is Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
in origin, meaning island held by the de Turs family. This refers to a dry area of land in the marshes of the Aylesbury Vale
Aylesbury Vale
The Aylesbury Vale is a large area of flat land mostly in Buckinghamshire, England. Its boundary is marked by Milton Keynes to the north, Leighton Buzzard and the Chiltern Hills to the east and south, Thame to the south and Bicester and Brackley to the west.The vale is named after Aylesbury, the...
, on the edge of which the village stands.
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 Catherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
is said to date from the 12th century. Its 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...
was built early in the 13th century in the Early English style, and 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...
was rebuilt early in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. In 1850-54 the architect James Cranston restored St. Catherine's and added the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, which is in a slightly unusual position on the south side of the nave. The tower has five bells: a peal
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 cast
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...
in the 17th century and a small Sanctus bell cast at a later date.
In 1862 the Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
was extended from High Wycombe
High Wycombe railway station
High Wycombe railway station is situated in High Wycombe in South Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains on the Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone towards Birmingham Snow Hill. It is situated between Beaconsfield and Saunderton stations.-History:The station was built...
to Thame
Thame railway station
Thame railway station was a station on the Wycombe Railway serving the town of Thame in Oxfordshire. It was opened in 1862 as the terminus of an extension from High Wycombe via Princes Risborough. In 1864 the line was extended from Thame to Oxford. The station was built with a train shed over its...
, crossing Chinnor Road on a bridge just south of Towersey. In 1864 the line was extended again from Thame to Oxford
Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via...
. In 1933 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...
opened on the west side of the bridge. 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 withdrew passenger services in 1963 and freight services in 1991. The track has now been lifted but the bridge with its steel span over Chinnor Road still survives.
Amenities
Towersey 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 Three Horseshoes.
The village is the setting for the Towersey Village Festival
Towersey Village Festival
Towersey Village Festival is an annual festival of folk and world music and traditional dance held in the village of Towersey in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place every August bank holiday weekend since its founding in 1965....
which is a festival of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
. It was founded in 1965 and is held annually on August bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
weekend. Its foundation was followed by the foundation in 1966 of a Cotswold Morris side, Towersey Morris, which still performs today.