Witney
Encyclopedia
Witney is a town on the River Windrush
, 12 miles (19.3 km) 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'.
of St Mary the Virgin
was originally Norman
. The north porch and north aisle were added in this style late in the 12th century, and survived a major rebuilding in about 1243. In this rebuilding the present chancel
, transepts, tower
and spire
were added and the nave
was remodelled, all in the Early English style. In the 14th century a number of side chapels and some of the present windows were added in the Decorated style. In the 15th century the south transept was extended and the present west window of the nave were added in the Perpendicular style. The tower has a peal
of eight bells.
Holy Trinity parish church
in Wood Green was built in 1849 in the Early English style. Both St. Mary the Virgin and Holy Trinity are now members of a single team parish.
Witney Market began in the Middle Ages
. Thursday is the traditional market day but there is also a market on Saturday. The buttercross
in the market square
is so called because people from neighbouring towns would gather there to buy butter and eggs. It was built in about 1600 and its clock was added in 1683.
The town hall is 18th century. A local legend holds that it was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, but there is little evidence to support this claim.
Witney has long been an important crossing over the River Windrush
. The architect Thomas Wyatt
rebuilt the bridge in Bridge Street in 1822.
The Friends Meeting House
in Wood Green was built in the 18th century. Since 1997 Quakers in Witney have met at the corn exchange
. The Methodist
church in High Street was built in 1850. It is now one of five Methodist churches and chapels in Witney. The Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady and Saint Hugh
was founded in 1913. It originally used a chapel in West End built in 1881 but now has its own modern building. The old chapel in West End is now Elim Christian Fellowship
.
West End, part of the road to Hailey
, is one of Britain's best-preserved streets and inspired the song Just an Old Fashioned House in an Old Fashioned Street. Although it is called West End, it is actually on the northern side of the town and gets its name from when it was not actually in Witney parish but at the west end of the adjacent Hailey parish.
Witney Workhouse
was on Razor Hill (now Tower Hill). It was built in 1835–36 by the architect George Wilkinson
. It had four wings radiating from an octagonal central building, similar to Chipping Norton workhouse, which also was built by Wilkinson. His younger brother William Wilkinson
added a separate chapel to Witney Workhouse in 1860. During the First World War the workhouse contained prisoners of war
. In 1940 it became Crawford Collets engineering factory and the chapel became the factory canteen. In 1979 Crawford Collets demolished the main buildings and replaced them with a modern factory but preserved the entrance gate and former chapel. In 2004 the modern factory was demolished for redevelopment. The gate and chapel have again been preserved but the chapel is in a poor state of repair.
s since the Middle Ages. The water for the production of these blankets is drawn from the River Windrush
, which was believed to be the secret of Witney's high quality blankets. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets. At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker, in 2002, Early's, the town's blanket industry completely ceased production. Early's factory, once a vital and important part of the town's history, has now been demolished, and is the site of several new housing estates. Witney United FC retains its nickname "The Blanketmen" from the town's traditional trade.
For many years Witney had its own brewery and maltings: J.W. Clinch and Co, which founded the Eagle Maltings in 1841. Courage
took over Clinch's and closed it down, but since 1983 Refresh UK's Wychwood Brewery
has brewed real ales in the Eagle Maltings. In 2002 Refresh UK contracted to produce ales for W.H. Brakspear
, who had sold their former brewery in Henley-upon-Thames for redevelopment. Refresh UK also brews ale
for the Prince of Wales
' Duchy Originals
company.
The Witney Railway
opened in 1861, linking the town to Yarnton
where the line joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
. In 1873 the East Gloucestershire
Railway opened linking Witney with Lechlade
and Fairford
. The Great Western Railway
operated services on both lines and eventually took them over. In 1962 British Rail
ways closed the EGR completely and withdrew passenger trains from the Witney Railway. In 1970 BR closed the Witney Railway completely and it was dismantled.
, in the 13th-century manor house and farm of Cogges
, represents farming and countryside history. The Witney and District Museum
has many artefacts and documents representing the history of the town.
, Wood Green School
and Springfield School. In 1660 Henry Box founded Witney Grammar School
. In 1968 it became the comprehensive
Henry Box School. In 1970 new school buildings were added to the original 17th century premises beside Church Green. Wood Green School
was founded in 1954 and is at the top of Woodstock Road. Springfield School was founded in 1967 and is a special needs
school for pupils with severe learning difficulties, Springfield School senior section is a self contained unit, with some shared facilities, within the grounds of Wood Green School. Wood Green was substantially expanded from 2000 to 2004, an additional block with 15 teaching rooms was added together with purpose-built sixth form
centre, school restaurant and new AstroTurf
pitch. 2009 saw part of the old Lower School being remodelled to provide new changing and shower facilities for the AstroTurf pitch and its many users from local community sports clubs.
The King's School
is independent of Oxfordshire Local Education Authority
. It was founded by Oxfordshire Community Churches, an evangelical
Christian organisation, in 1984.
St. Mary's School beside Church Green was established in 1813. It was a Church of England
primary school but in 1953 it became a Church of England controlled School for Infant children, and the Junior children transferred to the Batt School premises. Witney now has two Church of England primary schools: The Batt School in Corn Street and The Blake School in Cogges Hill Road.
Our Lady Of Lourdes
Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school founded in 1958.
Witney has five community primary schools: Madley Park Community Primary School, Queen's Dyke Primary School, Tower Hill Community Primary School, West Witney Primary School and Witney Community Primary School.
The former Witney Technical College is now part of Abingdon and Witney College
. A complete rebuilding of its premises began in September 2008.
Premier Division. Witney and District League
is a local association football league with about 32 clubs in five divisions. Witney Rugby Football Club first XV plays in the RFU
South West 1 East. Witney Hockey
Club men's first XI plays in the England Hockey
Men's Conference East division and its ladies' first XI plays in South Clubs' Women's Hockey League Division 3A. Witney Swifts Cricket Club first XI plays in Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Three. Witney Houstons Basketball Club plays in the Oxford and Chiltern League Also known as the home of choice for the self proclaimed 'bad boy' of golf, William Fox BscHons
, and as such has been the constituency for both Douglas Hurd
and the current leader of the Conservative Party
, and prime minister, David Cameron
. This clear party preference led to controversy when Shaun Woodward
was appointed to succeed the retiring Hurd as Conservative candidate. Woodward was elected in the 1997 General Election
, but switched allegiance to the Labour Party
in 1999. In the 2001 General Election
Woodward stood as the Labour candidate for St. Helens, Lancashire
and David Cameron retook Witney for the Conservatives. Witney MP David Cameron became Prime Minister following a pact with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, May 2010.
with: Unterhaching
, Germany Le Touquet, France
, was closed. About 200 properties in central Witney were flooded, with areas around Bridge Street, Mill Street and West End the worst affected. The new and incomplete housing development Aquarius also suffered substantial flooding.
In 2008 further flooding contributed to the death of a 17-year-old youth who drowned in a culvert.
, just under 4 miles to the South West.
The absolute maximum recorded was 35.4c(95.7f) during August 1990, although in a typical year the warmest day should only reach 29.5c(85.1f) with an average of 14.6 days reporting a maximum temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or above.
The absolute minimum is −20.7c(−5.3f), recorded in January 1982. In a more typical year the annual minimum temperature should be −8.1c(17.4f), although a total of 47.1 nights should report an air frost.
Rainfall averages slightly under 644mm per year
with over 1mm of rain falling on just under 115 days of the year.
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) west of 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...
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
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...
of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'.
Notable buildings
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 St 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...
was originally 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...
. The north porch and north aisle were added in this style late in the 12th century, and survived a major rebuilding in about 1243. In this rebuilding the present 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...
, transepts, 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...
and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
were added 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 remodelled, all in the Early English style. In the 14th century a number of side chapels and some of the present windows were added in the Decorated style. In the 15th century the south transept was extended and the present west window of the nave were added in the Perpendicular style. The tower has 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 eight bells.
Holy Trinity parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Wood Green was built in 1849 in the Early English style. Both St. Mary the Virgin and Holy Trinity are now members of a single team parish.
Witney Market began in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Thursday is the traditional market day but there is also a market on Saturday. The buttercross
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where people from neighbouring villages would gather to buy locally produced...
in the market square
Market square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
is so called because people from neighbouring towns would gather there to buy butter and eggs. It was built in about 1600 and its clock was added in 1683.
The town hall is 18th century. A local legend holds that it was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, but there is little evidence to support this claim.
Witney has long been an important crossing over the River Windrush
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
. The architect Thomas Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt was an Irish British architect. He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870-73 and awarded their Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1873...
rebuilt the bridge in Bridge Street in 1822.
The Friends Meeting House
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
in Wood Green was built in the 18th century. Since 1997 Quakers in Witney have met at the corn exchange
Corn exchange
A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...
. The Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
church in High Street was built in 1850. It is now one of five Methodist churches and chapels in Witney. The Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady and Saint Hugh
Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln was at the time of the Reformation the best-known English saint after Thomas Becket.-Life:...
was founded in 1913. It originally used a chapel in West End built in 1881 but now has its own modern building. The old chapel in West End is now Elim Christian Fellowship
Elim Fellowship
The Elim Fellowship is a North American based Pentecostal/charismatic Christian denomination that emphasizes the spread of revival and renewal.- History :...
.
West End, part of the road to Hailey
Hailey, Oxfordshire
Hailey is a village and civil parish about north of Witney, Oxfordshire. The village comprises three neighbourhoods: Middletown on the main road between Witney and Charlbury, Poffley End on the minor road to Ramsden and Delly End on Whiting's Lane.-Manors:...
, is one of Britain's best-preserved streets and inspired the song Just an Old Fashioned House in an Old Fashioned Street. Although it is called West End, it is actually on the northern side of the town and gets its name from when it was not actually in Witney parish but at the west end of the adjacent Hailey parish.
Witney Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
was on Razor Hill (now Tower Hill). It was built in 1835–36 by the architect George Wilkinson
George Wilkinson (architect)
George Wilkinson, FRIBA was a British architect who practised largely in Ireland. He was born at Witney, Oxfordshire in 1814. He was the elder brother of William Wilkinson , who practised in Oxford.-Career:...
. It had four wings radiating from an octagonal central building, similar to Chipping Norton workhouse, which also was built by Wilkinson. His younger brother William Wilkinson
William Wilkinson (architect)
William Wilkinson was a British Gothic Revival architect who practised in Oxford, England.-Family:Wilkinson's father was a builder in Witney in Oxfordshire. William's elder brother George Wilkinson was also an architect, as were William's nephews C.C. Rolfe and H.W. Moore .-Career:Wilkinson...
added a separate chapel to Witney Workhouse in 1860. During the First World War the workhouse contained prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. In 1940 it became Crawford Collets engineering factory and the chapel became the factory canteen. In 1979 Crawford Collets demolished the main buildings and replaced them with a modern factory but preserved the entrance gate and former chapel. In 2004 the modern factory was demolished for redevelopment. The gate and chapel have again been preserved but the chapel is in a poor state of repair.
Industry
Witney has been famous for its woollen blanketBlanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
s since the Middle Ages. The water for the production of these blankets is drawn from the River Windrush
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
, which was believed to be the secret of Witney's high quality blankets. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets. At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker, in 2002, Early's, the town's blanket industry completely ceased production. Early's factory, once a vital and important part of the town's history, has now been demolished, and is the site of several new housing estates. Witney United FC retains its nickname "The Blanketmen" from the town's traditional trade.
For many years Witney had its own brewery and maltings: J.W. Clinch and Co, which founded the Eagle Maltings in 1841. Courage
Courage (brewery)
Courage is a former British brewery. The brands are now 100 per cent owned and brewed by Wells & Young's Brewery as part of a venture called Courage Brands Ltd.-History:...
took over Clinch's and closed it down, but since 1983 Refresh UK's Wychwood Brewery
Wychwood Brewery
Wychwood Brewery is an English brewery founded by Paddy Glenny in 1983, and located in the town of Witney, Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Refresh UK, a subsidiary of Marstons plc...
has brewed real ales in the Eagle Maltings. In 2002 Refresh UK contracted to produce ales for W.H. Brakspear
Brakspear
WH Brakspear & Sons Ltd is the name of a brand of English beers and pubs, based in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. While the beer brewing and pub management sides of the business were originally unified, the brewing has since been sold to Wychwood Brewery owners Refresh UK.-History:The Brakspear...
, who had sold their former brewery in Henley-upon-Thames for redevelopment. Refresh UK also brews ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
for the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
' Duchy Originals
Duchy Originals
Duchy Originals from Waitrose is a brand of organic food sold mainly in Waitrose stores in the United Kingdom, but also in Booths supermarkets and small independent stores. The Duchy Originals company was originally set up by Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1990 and named after the Duchy of Cornwall...
company.
The Witney Railway
Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway
The Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway was a single track railway line, long, in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.-The Witney Railway:In 1849 a branch line was proposed from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway at Wilcote near Charlbury via North Leigh to Witney, but the route was...
opened in 1861, linking the town to Yarnton
Yarnton
Yarnton is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about southwest of Kidlington and northwest of Oxford and southeast of Woodstock.-Archaeology:Early Bronze Age decorated beakers have been found in the parish...
where the line joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
. In 1873 the East Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
Railway opened linking Witney with Lechlade
Lechlade
Lechlade, or Lechlade-on-Thames, is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near here....
and Fairford
Fairford
Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. The town lies in the Cotswolds on the River Coln, about east of Cirencester, west of Lechlade and north of Swindon. Nearby are RAF Fairford and the Cotswold Water Park.-Schools:...
. 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...
operated services on both lines and eventually took them over. In 1962 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 closed the EGR completely and withdrew passenger trains from the Witney Railway. In 1970 BR closed the Witney Railway completely and it was dismantled.
Museums
Witney has two museums. Cogges Manor Farm MuseumCogges Manor Farm Museum
The original Manor House was a Cotswold stone building dating from the middle of the 13th century. It originally comprised four ranges built around a courtyard. Of these the 13th century kitchen and part of the hall survive from one range and the dairy incorporates remains of one of the other...
, in the 13th-century manor house and farm of Cogges
Cogges
Cogges is a district beside the River Windrush in Witney, Oxfordshire, east of the town centre. It had been a separate village and until 1932 it was a separate civil parish.-History:...
, represents farming and countryside history. The Witney and District Museum
Witney and District Museum
The Witney and District Museum is in the town of Witney, Oxfordshire, England. The museum opened in 1996. It is situated in the centre of Witney, towards the north end of the High Street...
has many artefacts and documents representing the history of the town.
Education
Witney has three county secondary schools: Henry Box SchoolHenry Box School
The Henry Box School is a comprehensive secondary school located in Witney in the English county of Oxfordshire.-Admissions:It has a catchment area of the town of Witney and many surrounding villages such as Ducklington, Aston and Bampton. It has approximately 1400 students, aged 11-18...
, Wood Green School
Wood Green School
Wood Green School is a secondary school located in Oxfordshire , England which serves the town of Witney and surrounding villages such as Ramsden, North Leigh, Hailey and Finstock.-Academics:...
and Springfield School. In 1660 Henry Box founded Witney Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. In 1968 it became the comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
Henry Box School. In 1970 new school buildings were added to the original 17th century premises beside Church Green. Wood Green School
Wood Green School
Wood Green School is a secondary school located in Oxfordshire , England which serves the town of Witney and surrounding villages such as Ramsden, North Leigh, Hailey and Finstock.-Academics:...
was founded in 1954 and is at the top of Woodstock Road. Springfield School was founded in 1967 and is a special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
school for pupils with severe learning difficulties, Springfield School senior section is a self contained unit, with some shared facilities, within the grounds of Wood Green School. Wood Green was substantially expanded from 2000 to 2004, an additional block with 15 teaching rooms was added together with purpose-built sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
centre, school restaurant and new AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch. 2009 saw part of the old Lower School being remodelled to provide new changing and shower facilities for the AstroTurf pitch and its many users from local community sports clubs.
The King's School
The King's School, Witney
The King's School is a co-educational independent Christian school in Witney, Oxfordshire, England. It that is part of Oxfordshire Community Churches .. The school had 163 pupils at the time of its last Bridge Schools Inspection.-History:...
is independent of Oxfordshire Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
. It was founded by Oxfordshire Community Churches, an evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian organisation, in 1984.
St. Mary's School beside Church Green was established in 1813. It was a Church of England
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...
primary school but in 1953 it became a Church of England controlled School for Infant children, and the Junior children transferred to the Batt School premises. Witney now has two Church of England primary schools: The Batt School in Corn Street and The Blake School in Cogges Hill Road.
Our Lady Of Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school founded in 1958.
Witney has five community primary schools: Madley Park Community Primary School, Queen's Dyke Primary School, Tower Hill Community Primary School, West Witney Primary School and Witney Community Primary School.
The former Witney Technical College is now part of Abingdon and Witney College
Abingdon and Witney College
Abingdon and Witney College is a further education college based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It was formed in 2001 after the mergers of Abingdon College and West Oxfordshire College and offers teaching and training to young people, adults and businesses. It has campuses in Abingdon, Witney...
. A complete rebuilding of its premises began in September 2008.
Sports
Witney United Football Club first XI plays in the Hellenic LeagueHellenic 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...
Premier Division. Witney and District League
Witney and District League
The Witney and District League is a football competition based in Oxfordshire, England. It has a total of four divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at level 13 of the English football league system.-Champions:-Member clubs 2011–12:...
is a local association football league with about 32 clubs in five divisions. Witney Rugby Football Club first XV plays in the RFU
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
South West 1 East. Witney Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
Club men's first XI plays in the England Hockey
England Hockey
England Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of hockey in England. There are separate governing bodies for the sport in the other parts of the United Kingdom. It was formed on 1 January 2003 to replace the English Hockey Association which had had to suspend operations 2002 because...
Men's Conference East division and its ladies' first XI plays in South Clubs' Women's Hockey League Division 3A. Witney Swifts Cricket Club first XI plays in Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Three. Witney Houstons Basketball Club plays in the Oxford and Chiltern League Also known as the home of choice for the self proclaimed 'bad boy' of golf, William Fox BscHons
Politics
Witney is known as a Conservative safe seatSafe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
, and as such has been the constituency for both Douglas Hurd
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
and the current leader of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and prime minister, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
. This clear party preference led to controversy when Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
was appointed to succeed the retiring Hurd as Conservative candidate. Woodward was elected in the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, but switched allegiance to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1999. In the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
Woodward stood as the Labour candidate for St. Helens, Lancashire
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
and David Cameron retook Witney for the Conservatives. Witney MP David Cameron became Prime Minister following a pact with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, May 2010.
Twinning
Witney is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Unterhaching
Unterhaching
Unterhaching is the second largest municipality in the district of Munich in Bavaria, Germany.-History:Based upon the discovery of graves, the settlement of the Haching Valley can be traced back as far as 1100 B.C...
, Germany Le Touquet, France
Floods
In July 2007 Witney saw its worst flooding in more than 50 years. Homes and businesses were evacuated and Bridge Street, a major road into the town and the only road across the WindrushRiver Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
, was closed. About 200 properties in central Witney were flooded, with areas around Bridge Street, Mill Street and West End the worst affected. The new and incomplete housing development Aquarius also suffered substantial flooding.
In 2008 further flooding contributed to the death of a 17-year-old youth who drowned in a culvert.
Climate
Witney has a maritime climate type typical to the British Isles, with evenly spread rainfall, a narrow temperature range, and comparatively low sunshine totals. The nearest official weather station is Brize NortonBrize Norton
Brize Norton is a village and civil parish east of Carterton in West Oxfordshire. The original part of RAF Brize Norton is in the parish.-Toponym:...
, just under 4 miles to the South West.
The absolute maximum recorded was 35.4c(95.7f) during August 1990, although in a typical year the warmest day should only reach 29.5c(85.1f) with an average of 14.6 days reporting a maximum temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or above.
The absolute minimum is −20.7c(−5.3f), recorded in January 1982. In a more typical year the annual minimum temperature should be −8.1c(17.4f), although a total of 47.1 nights should report an air frost.
Rainfall averages slightly under 644mm per year
with over 1mm of rain falling on just under 115 days of the year.
Media
In May 2010, WitneyTV was launched as a non-profit online broadcaster with a weekly show that features local news and upcoming events within West Oxfordshire for the benefit of the community. An archive of videos featuring local attractions, clubs, organisations and previous shows is also available.Famous people
Famous people associated with Witney include:- David CameronDavid CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Leader, and MP for Witney in ParliamentBritish House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members... - Alan DapreAlan DapreAlan Dapré is a British writer who has successfully written for television, radio and publishers for over 20 years. He worked as a creative and originator for Ragdoll Productions for eight years, and his episodes of Brum, Boohbah and Blips are broadcast worldwide...
, children's TV show writer - Darrell GriffinDarrell GriffinDarrell Griffin is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of Super League. An England international representative prop forward, his former clubs include Oxford Cavaliers, London Broncos, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Huddersfield Giants.He is notable as being a top...
, England international rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player - Douglas HurdDouglas HurdDouglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
, formerly Conservative MP for Witney - Martin Jones, concert pianist
- Simon KingSimon King (footballer)Simon Daniel Roy King is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Gillingham as a defender.-Career:King started his career with Oxford United making his debut on, 1 May 2001 against Port Vale in the last competitive match to be played at The Manor Ground...
, GillinghamGillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
footballer, born in Witney and attended Henry Box SchoolHenry Box SchoolThe Henry Box School is a comprehensive secondary school located in Witney in the English county of Oxfordshire.-Admissions:It has a catchment area of the town of Witney and many surrounding villages such as Ducklington, Aston and Bampton. It has approximately 1400 students, aged 11-18... - Graham LeonardGraham LeonardGraham Douglas Leonard KCVO was a British priest. His principal ministry was as a bishop of the Church of England but, after his retirement as the Bishop of London, he became a Roman Catholic, becoming the most senior Anglican cleric to do so since the English Reformation...
, 130th Bishop of LondonBishop of LondonThe Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, subsequently Prelate of HonourMonsignorMonsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"... - Robert LlewellynRobert LlewellynRobert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known as the mechanoid Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf, and for his role as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge.-Early career:...
, Red DwarfRed DwarfRed Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
actor, author, attended Henry Box School and was expelled - Andrew LoganAndrew LoganAndrew Logan is an English sculptor, performance artist, jewellery-maker, portraitist and painter.He was born at Witney, Oxfordshire, in England. He was educated as an architect at the Oxford School of Architecture, graduating in 1970...
, artist, born in Witney - Gugu Mbatha-RawGugu Mbatha-RawGugu Mbatha-Raw is an English actress.- Life and career :Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha in 1983, in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. Her name, "Gugulethu", means pride in Zulu. Her mother, Anne, is an English nurse, and her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a South African...
, TV actor, attended Henry Box School - David Moss, footballer, Luton Town FCLuton Town F.C.Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, previously Swindon Town FC and Witney Town FC - Miss ReadMiss ReadDora Jessie Saint MBE née Shafe , best known by the pen name Miss Read, is an English novelist, by profession a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym is derived from her mother's maiden name. She began writing for several journals after World War II and worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.Saint wrote a...
(Dora Saint), author, lived in Witney. The town was the inspiration for the fictional 'Lulling' of the Thrush Green novels. - Shaun WoodwardShaun WoodwardShaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
MP, Conservative and then Labour MP for Witney, now Labour MP for St Helens SouthSt Helens South (UK Parliament constituency)St Helens South was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... - Robbie MustoeRobbie MustoeRobin "Robbie" Mustoe is a retired English footballer who now works as a commentator for ESPN. He made nearly 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing as a midfielder for Oxford United, Middlesbrough, where he spent the majority of his career, Charlton Athletic and...
footballer Middlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
External links
- Witneypedia – Human edited Witney website similar in operation to Wikipedia
- Witney – 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
- Witney Blanket Story
- Witney TV
- Witney & District Football
- Witney United Football Club
- Witney Rugby Football Club