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Witney

Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford. The place-name "Witney" is derived from the Old English for "Witta's island".[3] The earliest known record of it is as Wyttannige in a Saxon charter of 969. The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Witenie.

Witney
St Mary the Virgin parish church
Witney
Location within Oxfordshire
Population31,217 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSP3509
Civil parish
  • Witney
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWitney
Postcode districtOX28
Dialling code01993
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteWitney Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire
51°47′N 1°29′W / 51.78°N 1.49°W / 51.78; -1.49Coordinates: 51°47′N 1°29′W / 51.78°N 1.49°W / 51.78; -1.49
Arms of Witney Town Council
CrestOn a Wreath of the Colours upon a Mount Vert between a Crescent and a Star Or a Paschal Lamb proper.
BlazonVert on a Fess wavy Argent between in chief a sinister Glove of the last between two Leopards' Faces each holding in the mouth a Shuttle Or and in base a representation of the Butter Cross at Witney Gold a Barrulet wavy Azure.
MottoIngenio Floremus
Granted to the urban district council on 9 September 1955.[2]

Notable buildings

 
Holy Trinity parish church, Woodgreen
 
The Butter Cross

The Church of England parish church 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.[4] The tower has a peal of eight bells.[5] The tower of the church is 69 feet (21 metres) high, topped by a tall and slender spire, which brings the total height of the church to 154 feet (47 metres). [6]

Holy Trinity Church, Wood Green, was built in 1849 in a Gothic Revival rendition of Early English Gothic. St Mary the Virgin and Holy Trinity are now members of a single team parish.[7]

The Friends Meeting House in Wood Green was built in the 18th century. Since 1997 Quakers in Witney have met at the corn exchange.[8] The Methodist church in the High Street was built in 1850.[9] It is now one of five Methodist churches and chapels in Witney.[10] The Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady and Saint Hugh was founded in 1913.[11] It originally used a chapel in West End built in 1881[12] but now has its own modern building.[13] The old chapel in West End is now Elim Christian Fellowship.[14] Witney High Street still has several older buildings, which are protected by the Witney and Cogges conservation area.[15]

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.[12] Witney Town Hall, which is arcaded on the ground floor and has an assembly room on the first floor, was completed in 1786.[16] Witney has long been an important crossing over the River Windrush. The architect Thomas Wyatt rebuilt the bridge in Bridge Street in 1822.[17]

Witney Workhouse was on Razor Hill (now Tower Hill). It was designed by the architect George Wilkinson and built in 1835–36. 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.[18][19] In the First World War the workhouse held prisoners of war. In 1940 the workhouse was converted into Crawford Collets[20] engineering factory under the direction of Leonard Frank Eve. The chapel was made the factory canteen. In 1979 Crawford Collets had the main buildings demolished and replaced 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 and the former chapel converted into offices.[21]

Industry

Witney has been famous for its woollen blankets since the Middle Ages.[22] 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. Mops were also traditionally made by the blanket manufacturers; at one time every ship in the Royal Navy had Witney mops aboard. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets.[12] At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker Early's, in 2002, 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. Early's blanket factory, including shots of working machinery, may be seen in the 1960 Norman Wisdom film There Was a Crooked Man.[citation needed]

One of the oldest mill sites in the town, New Mill, where there has been a mill since the Domesday Book, now houses the head office of Audley Travel. 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.

Railways

The Witney Railway opened Witney's first station in 1861, linking the town to Yarnton where the line joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. In 1873 the East Gloucestershire Railway opened from a new station, linking Witney with Lechlade and Fairford. The Great Western Railway operated services on both lines and eventually took them over. In 1962 British Railways closed the EGR completely and withdrew passenger services from the Witney Railway. In 1970 British Railways closed the Witney Railway completely and it was dismantled.

Reopening proposal

In 2015 Witney Oxford Transport Group (WOT) proposed the reopening of the railway, with a station at Witney, as an alternative to improvements to the A40 road proposed by Oxfordshire County Council.[23] In 2016 WOT and West Oxfordshire Green Party cited chronic traffic congestion on roads linking Witney with Oxford as a reason to reopen the railway.[24] In 2021 WOT Group submitted a bid to the Department for Transport's 'Restoring Your Railway' Ideas Fund for a grant to develop the case for a new railway in the A40 corridor 'Building a better-connected West Oxfordshire, transforming the wider Oxford economic region' as part of an Oxford Metro advocated by Railfuture.

Museums

Witney has four museums. Cogges Manor Farm Museum, in the 13th-century manor house[18] and farm of Cogges, represents farming and countryside history. Witney and District Museum has many artefacts and documents representing the history of the town. Witney Blanket Hall, built in the 18th century, showcases both the history of the Hall and of Witney's blanket industry and has Witney blankets for sale. The Wychwood Brewery has a museum open at weekends.

Education

Witney has three county secondary schools: Henry Box School, Wood Green School and Springfield School. In 1660 Henry Box founded Witney Grammar School. In 1968 it became the comprehensive Henry Box School.[25] In 1970 new school buildings were added to the original 17th-century premises beside Church Green.[17] Wood Green School[26] was founded in 1954 and is at the top of Woodstock Road. Springfield School[27] 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 a 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,[28] an evangelical Christian organisation, in 1984.[29] Cokethorpe School is an independent secondary school, founded in 1957. 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.[30] Witney now has two Church of England primary schools: The Batt School[31] in Corn Street and The Blake School[32] in Cogges Hill Road. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School[33] is a Roman Catholic school founded in 1958.

Witney has five community primary schools: Madley Park Community Primary School,[34] Queen's Dyke Primary School,[35] Tower Hill Community Primary School,[36] West Witney Primary School[37] and Witney Community Primary School.[38] It also has one SEN primary school, Springfield School, which is part of the same school as Springfield secondary School. Springfield school (Primary) shares a building with Madley Brook Primary, but aside from sharing a building, some resources and integration, the schools run independently of one another. The former Witney Technical College is now part of Abingdon and Witney College.[39] A complete rebuilding of its premises began in September 2008.

Sports

Witney United Football Club, formerly known as Witney Town and nicknamed the Blanketmen, played in the Hellenic League Premier Division, until they dissolved in the 2012–2013 season.[40] Witney and District League[41] is a local association football league with about 32 clubs in five divisions. Witney Rugby Football Club[42] first XV plays in the RFU South West 1 East.[43] Wychwood Ladies Hockey Club's first team play in the Trysport Hockey League Division 1; Witney Hockey Club[44] men's first XI plays in the England Hockey Men's Conference East division[45] and its ladies' first XI plays in South Clubs' Women's Hockey League Division 3A.[46] Witney Swifts Cricket Club[47] first XI plays in Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Three.[48] Witney Houstons Basketball Club plays in the Oxford and Chiltern League.[49]

The Toleman Group Motorsport racing team was once based in Witney until it was rebranded Benetton Formula in 1986. The team itself stayed in Witney until 1992 when they moved to Enstone eventually being rebranded in 2002 as Renault F1 when the team was purchased by the French Renault car company. The team competed as Renault F1 until 2011, when it was again rebranded this time under the "Lotus Renault GP" name after forging a partnership with the British Lotus Cars company. The subsequent year the team became Lotus F1 after they dropped the Renault name. The team was later re-purchased by Renault in late 2015 to become the Renault Sport F1 Team for 2016.

Politics

Witney was, until recently, a safe seat for the Conservative Party. Former Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and former leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister David Cameron were both MPs for Witney. In the 1997 General Election, Shaun Woodward stood and won the seat as a Conservative, after Hurd retired. Woodward switched to the Labour Party in 1999. In the 2001 General Election Woodward stood as the Labour candidate in the St Helens South constituency, and David Cameron retook Witney for the Conservatives. He became Prime Minister in coalition with the Liberal Democrats in May 2010 and continued after the 2015 election, in which the Conservative Party gained a majority, but retired to the backbenches after the referendum that rejected his government's recommendation to remain in the European Union. He stood down as an MP soon afterwards, triggering a by-election held on 20 October 2016, in which Robert Courts was elected for the Conservatives. Courts was re-elected in 2017.

For elections to Oxfordshire County Council Witney is covered by the electoral wards of 'Witney North and East' and 'Witney South and Central'. The west of the town is included in the ward of 'Witney West and Bampton' which includes villages of Bampton and Ducklington.[50] The wards were created in 2013, with the new Witney South and Central won by the Labour Party and the other two wards won by the Conservatives.[51] At the 2021 Oxfordshire County Council election Labour held Witney South and Central and gained Witney North and East from the Conservatives.[52]

For elections to West Oxfordshire District Council Witney is divided into the wards of Witney Central, Witney East, Witney North, Witney South and Witney West electing a total of 12 district councillors.[53] As of 2022 the majority of the town of Witney's councillors on the council represented the Labour Party[53] and the mayor was Labour's Liz Duncan.[54]

Twinning

 
Road sign for Witney

Witney is twinned with:

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 Windrush, 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 boy who drowned in a culvert.[55]

 
View along Bridge Street, Witney, toward West End when it was flooded, 22 July 2007

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 Norton, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Witney. The absolute maximum recorded was 35.4c(95.7f)[56] in August 1990, although in a typical year the warmest day should only reach 29.5c(85.1f)[57] with an average of 14.6 days[58] reporting a maximum temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or above. The absolute minimum is −20.7c(−5.3f),[59] recorded in January 1982. In a more typical year the annual minimum temperature should be −8.1c(17.4f),[60] although a total of 47.1 nights[61] should report an air frost. Rainfall averages slightly under 644mm[62] per year with more than 1mm of rain falling on just under 115 days[63] of the year.

Climate data for Brize Norton, elevation 88m, 1991–2020, extremes 1901–
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.7
(58.5)
18.4
(65.1)
25.0
(77.0)
25.9
(78.6)
32.2
(90.0)
33.5
(92.3)
34.8
(94.6)
35.4
(95.7)
33.4
(92.1)
27.2
(81.0)
18.3
(64.9)
16.1
(61.0)
35.4
(95.7)
Average high °C (°F) 7.7
(45.9)
8.3
(46.9)
10.9
(51.6)
13.9
(57.0)
17.1
(62.8)
20.1
(68.2)
22.5
(72.5)
21.9
(71.4)
19.0
(66.2)
14.8
(58.6)
10.6
(51.1)
8.0
(46.4)
14.6
(58.2)
Average low °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)
1.6
(34.9)
3.0
(37.4)
4.8
(40.6)
7.6
(45.7)
10.5
(50.9)
12.6
(54.7)
12.5
(54.5)
10.3
(50.5)
7.5
(45.5)
4.2
(39.6)
2.0
(35.6)
6.5
(43.8)
Record low °C (°F) −20.7
(−5.3)
−16.1
(3.0)
−11.1
(12.0)
−5.2
(22.6)
−1.7
(28.9)
−0.3
(31.5)
4.4
(39.9)
2.8
(37.0)
−0.5
(31.1)
−4
(25)
−9.6
(14.7)
−20.5
(−4.9)
−20.7
(−5.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 66.2
(2.61)
48.1
(1.89)
46.4
(1.83)
49.2
(1.94)
60.1
(2.37)
49.8
(1.96)
55.1
(2.17)
58.6
(2.31)
54.2
(2.13)
70.9
(2.79)
73.2
(2.88)
74.2
(2.92)
706
(27.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 62.6 81.3 123.2 171.9 206.1 209.4 214.7 193.4 151.5 111.6 70.8 55.5 1,652
Source: Met Office[64]

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. On 30 November 2012 Witney Radio was launched. Providing hyper-local news, music and current affairs to the people of Witney and West Oxfordshire. A licence to broadcast on FM radio was granted in April 2016 by the licensing authority OFCOM. On 14 July 2017 Witney Radio began to broadcast on 99.9fm to Witney and West Oxfordshire. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with over 30 presenters from the local area. The station also broadcasts online for listeners online via TuneIn.

Notable people

Notable people associated with Witney include:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Witney". City population. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. ^ "WITNEY TOWN COUNCIL (OXFORDSHIRE)". Robert Young. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  3. ^ Ekwall, Eilert (1960) [1936]. Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 528. ISBN 0-19-869103-3.
  4. ^ Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, pages 843–845
  5. ^ Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell ringers, Witney & Woodstock Branch
  6. ^ Flannery, Julian (2016). Fifty English Steeples: The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England. New York City, New York, United States: Thames and Hudson. pp. 84–89. ISBN 978-0-500-34314-2.
  7. ^ "Church of England Parish of Witney". Witney Team Parish. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  8. ^ Burford Quakers 7 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "High Street Methodist Church". Witneymeth.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  10. ^ Curtis, Brian. "Witney". Oxfordshire Churches & Chapels. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  11. ^ 1&1 Website Builder. "The Parish of Our Lady & St. Hugh Catholic Church". Our Lady and St Hugh. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  12. ^ a b c Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 846
  13. ^ Curtis, Brian. "Witney, Our Lady & St Hugh (RC)". Oxfordshire Churches & Chapels. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  14. ^ "Find a Church". Find a Church. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  15. ^ Whitney and Cogges Conservation Area Report
  16. ^ Baggs, A. P.; Chance, Eleanor; Colvin, Christina; Cooper, Nicholas; Crossley, Alan; Day, Christopher; Selwyn, Nesta; Williamson, Elizabeth; Yates, Margaret (2004). "'Witney borough: Introduction, Architecture and Buildings', in A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 14, Bampton Hundred (Part Two), ed. Simon Townley". London: British History Online. pp. 33–68. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  17. ^ a b Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 847
  18. ^ a b Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 851
  19. ^ The Workhouse: Witney 21 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Crawford Collets". Crawford Collets. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  21. ^ Curtis, Brian. "Witney, Workhouse chapel". Oxfordshire Churches & Chapels. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  22. ^ Clare Sumner. "history Witney Blanket Story – A brief history of the wool trade in the Witney area". Witneyblanketstory.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  23. ^ Elvery, Martin (5 February 2015). "Campaigners want new railway station at Yarnton to ease A40 congestion in West Oxfordshire". Witney Gazette. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  24. ^ "Bid to reopen Witney train track ahead of key rail summit". Oxfordshire Guardian. Taylor Newspapers. 4 February 2016.
  25. ^ Henry Box School 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ "Wood Green School". Woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  27. ^ "Springfield School". Springfield.oxon.sch.uk. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  28. ^ "Oxfordshire Community Churches". Occ.org.uk. 25 September 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  29. ^ "Education | Oxfordshire Community Churches". Occ.org.uk. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  30. ^ "St. Mary's Infant School". St-marys-witney.oxon.sch.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  31. ^ "The Batt C of E Primary School". Thebattschool.org.uk. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  32. ^ The Blake School 28 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Primary School". Our-lady-of-lourdes.oxon.sch.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  34. ^ "Madley Park Community Primary School". Madleybrook.org. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  35. ^ Queen's Dyke Primary School 27 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ "Tower Hill Community Primary School". Tower-hill.oxon.sch.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  37. ^ West Witney Primary School 1 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ "Witney Community Primary School". Witney.oxon.sch.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  39. ^ "Abingdon & Witney College". Abingdon-witney.ac.uk. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  40. ^ Hellenic League Premier Division 15 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  41. ^ . Witneyfootball.com. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  42. ^ "Witney Rugby Football Club". Witneyrfc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  43. ^ RFU Southern Counties North division
  44. ^ "Witney Hockey Club". Witneyhockey.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  45. ^ "England Hockey League Men's Conference East Division". Englandhockey.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  46. ^ South Clubs' Women's Hockey League 21 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ "Witney Swifts Cricket Club". Witneyswifts.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  48. ^ "Oxfordshire Cricket Association". Oxfordshire Cricket Association. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  49. ^ Witney Houstons Basketball
  50. ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  51. ^ "Tories lose control of Oxfordshire County Council". BBC News. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  52. ^ "Labour takes Witney and Chipping Norton seats from Conservatives". Witney Gazette. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  53. ^ a b "West Oxfordshire District Council – Councillor information". Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  54. ^ "Your Councillors". Witney Town Council. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  55. ^ "Family tribute to storm death teenager". Oxford Mail. Newsquest. 4 June 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  56. ^ "August 1990 Maximum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  57. ^ "Annual average maximum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  58. ^ ">25c Max Days". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  59. ^ "January 1982 Minimum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  60. ^ "Annual average minimum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  61. ^ "1971-00 Frost average". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  62. ^ "Annual average rainfall". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  63. ^ "Annual average raindays". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  64. ^ "Climate Normals 1991–2020". UKMO. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  65. ^ Peatfield, Susan (2022). Angels in Ealing. London: St Peter's Church Ealing.

Sources and further reading

External links

  • British History Online Witney entry
  • Official Witney Town Council website
  • Witney website – Witney website
  • This is Witney website
  • "Witney" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 761–762.
  • Witney TV
  • Witney Radio
  • Witney United Football Club
  • Witney Rugby Football Club
  • The Book Of Witney – by Charles and Joan Gott
  • Witney & District Historical and Archaeological Society – Talks, articles and photo galleries relating to Witney and local area.
  • Archival material relating to Witney listed at the UK National Archives

witney, other, uses, parliament, constituency, name, market, town, river, windrush, west, oxfordshire, county, oxfordshire, england, miles, west, oxford, place, name, derived, from, english, witta, island, earliest, known, record, wyttannige, saxon, charter, d. For other uses see Witney UK Parliament constituency and Witney name Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire England It is 12 miles 19 km west of Oxford The place name Witney is derived from the Old English for Witta s island 3 The earliest known record of it is as Wyttannige in a Saxon charter of 969 The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Witenie WitneySt Mary the Virgin parish churchWitneyLocation within OxfordshirePopulation31 217 2021 Census 1 OS grid referenceSP3509Civil parishWitneyDistrictWest OxfordshireShire countyOxfordshireRegionSouth EastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townWitneyPostcode districtOX28Dialling code01993PoliceThames ValleyFireOxfordshireAmbulanceSouth CentralUK ParliamentWitneyWebsiteWitney Town CouncilList of places UK England Oxfordshire 51 47 N 1 29 W 51 78 N 1 49 W 51 78 1 49 Coordinates 51 47 N 1 29 W 51 78 N 1 49 W 51 78 1 49Arms of Witney Town CouncilCrestOn a Wreath of the Colours upon a Mount Vert between a Crescent and a Star Or a Paschal Lamb proper BlazonVert on a Fess wavy Argent between in chief a sinister Glove of the last between two Leopards Faces each holding in the mouth a Shuttle Or and in base a representation of the Butter Cross at Witney Gold a Barrulet wavy Azure MottoIngenio FloremusGranted to the urban district council on 9 September 1955 2 Contents 1 Notable buildings 2 Industry 3 Railways 3 1 Reopening proposal 4 Museums 5 Education 6 Sports 7 Politics 8 Twinning 9 Floods 10 Climate 11 Media 12 Notable people 13 See also 14 References 15 Sources and further reading 16 External linksNotable buildings Edit Holy Trinity parish church Woodgreen The Butter Cross Witney Town Hall The Church of England parish church 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 4 The tower has a peal of eight bells 5 The tower of the church is 69 feet 21 metres high topped by a tall and slender spire which brings the total height of the church to 154 feet 47 metres 6 Holy Trinity Church Wood Green was built in 1849 in a Gothic Revival rendition of Early English Gothic St Mary the Virgin and Holy Trinity are now members of a single team parish 7 The Friends Meeting House in Wood Green was built in the 18th century Since 1997 Quakers in Witney have met at the corn exchange 8 The Methodist church in the High Street was built in 1850 9 It is now one of five Methodist churches and chapels in Witney 10 The Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady and Saint Hugh was founded in 1913 11 It originally used a chapel in West End built in 1881 12 but now has its own modern building 13 The old chapel in West End is now Elim Christian Fellowship 14 Witney High Street still has several older buildings which are protected by the Witney and Cogges conservation area 15 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 12 Witney Town Hall which is arcaded on the ground floor and has an assembly room on the first floor was completed in 1786 16 Witney has long been an important crossing over the River Windrush The architect Thomas Wyatt rebuilt the bridge in Bridge Street in 1822 17 Witney Workhouse was on Razor Hill now Tower Hill It was designed by the architect George Wilkinson and built in 1835 36 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 18 19 In the First World War the workhouse held prisoners of war In 1940 the workhouse was converted into Crawford Collets 20 engineering factory under the direction of Leonard Frank Eve The chapel was made the factory canteen In 1979 Crawford Collets had the main buildings demolished and replaced 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 and the former chapel converted into offices 21 Industry EditWitney has been famous for its woollen blankets since the Middle Ages 22 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 Mops were also traditionally made by the blanket manufacturers at one time every ship in the Royal Navy had Witney mops aboard The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets 12 At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker Early s in 2002 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 Early s blanket factory including shots of working machinery may be seen in the 1960 Norman Wisdom film There Was a Crooked Man citation needed One of the oldest mill sites in the town New Mill where there has been a mill since the Domesday Book now houses the head office of Audley Travel 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 Railways EditThe Witney Railway opened Witney s first station in 1861 linking the town to Yarnton where the line joined the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway In 1873 the East Gloucestershire Railway opened from a new station linking Witney with Lechlade and Fairford The Great Western Railway operated services on both lines and eventually took them over In 1962 British Railways closed the EGR completely and withdrew passenger services from the Witney Railway In 1970 British Railways closed the Witney Railway completely and it was dismantled Reopening proposal Edit In 2015 Witney Oxford Transport Group WOT proposed the reopening of the railway with a station at Witney as an alternative to improvements to the A40 road proposed by Oxfordshire County Council 23 In 2016 WOT and West Oxfordshire Green Party cited chronic traffic congestion on roads linking Witney with Oxford as a reason to reopen the railway 24 In 2021 WOT Group submitted a bid to the Department for Transport s Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund for a grant to develop the case for a new railway in the A40 corridor Building a better connected West Oxfordshire transforming the wider Oxford economic region as part of an Oxford Metro advocated by Railfuture Witney railway station in 1962Museums EditWitney has four museums Cogges Manor Farm Museum in the 13th century manor house 18 and farm of Cogges represents farming and countryside history Witney and District Museum has many artefacts and documents representing the history of the town Witney Blanket Hall built in the 18th century showcases both the history of the Hall and of Witney s blanket industry and has Witney blankets for sale The Wychwood Brewery has a museum open at weekends Education EditWitney has three county secondary schools Henry Box School Wood Green School and Springfield School In 1660 Henry Box founded Witney Grammar School In 1968 it became the comprehensive Henry Box School 25 In 1970 new school buildings were added to the original 17th century premises beside Church Green 17 Wood Green School 26 was founded in 1954 and is at the top of Woodstock Road Springfield School 27 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 a 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 28 an evangelical Christian organisation in 1984 29 Cokethorpe School is an independent secondary school founded in 1957 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 30 Witney now has two Church of England primary schools The Batt School 31 in Corn Street and The Blake School 32 in Cogges Hill Road Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School 33 is a Roman Catholic school founded in 1958 Witney has five community primary schools Madley Park Community Primary School 34 Queen s Dyke Primary School 35 Tower Hill Community Primary School 36 West Witney Primary School 37 and Witney Community Primary School 38 It also has one SEN primary school Springfield School which is part of the same school as Springfield secondary School Springfield school Primary shares a building with Madley Brook Primary but aside from sharing a building some resources and integration the schools run independently of one another The former Witney Technical College is now part of Abingdon and Witney College 39 A complete rebuilding of its premises began in September 2008 Sports EditWitney United Football Club formerly known as Witney Town and nicknamed the Blanketmen played in the Hellenic League Premier Division until they dissolved in the 2012 2013 season 40 Witney and District League 41 is a local association football league with about 32 clubs in five divisions Witney Rugby Football Club 42 first XV plays in the RFU South West 1 East 43 Wychwood Ladies Hockey Club s first team play in the Trysport Hockey League Division 1 Witney Hockey Club 44 men s first XI plays in the England Hockey Men s Conference East division 45 and its ladies first XI plays in South Clubs Women s Hockey League Division 3A 46 Witney Swifts Cricket Club 47 first XI plays in Oxfordshire Cricket Association Division Three 48 Witney Houstons Basketball Club plays in the Oxford and Chiltern League 49 The Toleman Group Motorsport racing team was once based in Witney until it was rebranded Benetton Formula in 1986 The team itself stayed in Witney until 1992 when they moved to Enstone eventually being rebranded in 2002 as Renault F1 when the team was purchased by the French Renault car company The team competed as Renault F1 until 2011 when it was again rebranded this time under the Lotus Renault GP name after forging a partnership with the British Lotus Cars company The subsequent year the team became Lotus F1 after they dropped the Renault name The team was later re purchased by Renault in late 2015 to become the Renault Sport F1 Team for 2016 Politics EditWitney was until recently a safe seat for the Conservative Party Former Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and former leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister David Cameron were both MPs for Witney In the 1997 General Election Shaun Woodward stood and won the seat as a Conservative after Hurd retired Woodward switched to the Labour Party in 1999 In the 2001 General Election Woodward stood as the Labour candidate in the St Helens South constituency and David Cameron retook Witney for the Conservatives He became Prime Minister in coalition with the Liberal Democrats in May 2010 and continued after the 2015 election in which the Conservative Party gained a majority but retired to the backbenches after the referendum that rejected his government s recommendation to remain in the European Union He stood down as an MP soon afterwards triggering a by election held on 20 October 2016 in which Robert Courts was elected for the Conservatives Courts was re elected in 2017 For elections to Oxfordshire County Council Witney is covered by the electoral wards of Witney North and East and Witney South and Central The west of the town is included in the ward of Witney West and Bampton which includes villages of Bampton and Ducklington 50 The wards were created in 2013 with the new Witney South and Central won by the Labour Party and the other two wards won by the Conservatives 51 At the 2021 Oxfordshire County Council election Labour held Witney South and Central and gained Witney North and East from the Conservatives 52 For elections to West Oxfordshire District Council Witney is divided into the wards of Witney Central Witney East Witney North Witney South and Witney West electing a total of 12 district councillors 53 As of 2022 the majority of the town of Witney s councillors on the council represented the Labour Party 53 and the mayor was Labour s Liz Duncan 54 Twinning Edit Road sign for Witney Witney is twinned with Unterhaching Germany Le Touquet FranceFloods EditMain article 2007 United Kingdom 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 Windrush 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 boy who drowned in a culvert 55 View along Bridge Street Witney toward West End when it was flooded 22 July 2007Climate EditWitney 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 Norton about 4 miles 6 4 km southwest of Witney The absolute maximum recorded was 35 4c 95 7f 56 in August 1990 although in a typical year the warmest day should only reach 29 5c 85 1f 57 with an average of 14 6 days 58 reporting a maximum temperature of 25 1c 77 2f or above The absolute minimum is 20 7c 5 3f 59 recorded in January 1982 In a more typical year the annual minimum temperature should be 8 1c 17 4f 60 although a total of 47 1 nights 61 should report an air frost Rainfall averages slightly under 644mm 62 per year with more than 1mm of rain falling on just under 115 days 63 of the year Climate data for Brize Norton elevation 88m 1991 2020 extremes 1901 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 14 7 58 5 18 4 65 1 25 0 77 0 25 9 78 6 32 2 90 0 33 5 92 3 34 8 94 6 35 4 95 7 33 4 92 1 27 2 81 0 18 3 64 9 16 1 61 0 35 4 95 7 Average high C F 7 7 45 9 8 3 46 9 10 9 51 6 13 9 57 0 17 1 62 8 20 1 68 2 22 5 72 5 21 9 71 4 19 0 66 2 14 8 58 6 10 6 51 1 8 0 46 4 14 6 58 2 Average low C F 1 7 35 1 1 6 34 9 3 0 37 4 4 8 40 6 7 6 45 7 10 5 50 9 12 6 54 7 12 5 54 5 10 3 50 5 7 5 45 5 4 2 39 6 2 0 35 6 6 5 43 8 Record low C F 20 7 5 3 16 1 3 0 11 1 12 0 5 2 22 6 1 7 28 9 0 3 31 5 4 4 39 9 2 8 37 0 0 5 31 1 4 25 9 6 14 7 20 5 4 9 20 7 5 3 Average precipitation mm inches 66 2 2 61 48 1 1 89 46 4 1 83 49 2 1 94 60 1 2 37 49 8 1 96 55 1 2 17 58 6 2 31 54 2 2 13 70 9 2 79 73 2 2 88 74 2 2 92 706 27 8 Mean monthly sunshine hours 62 6 81 3 123 2 171 9 206 1 209 4 214 7 193 4 151 5 111 6 70 8 55 5 1 652Source Met Office 64 Media EditIn 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 On 30 November 2012 Witney Radio was launched Providing hyper local news music and current affairs to the people of Witney and West Oxfordshire A licence to broadcast on FM radio was granted in April 2016 by the licensing authority OFCOM On 14 July 2017 Witney Radio began to broadcast on 99 9fm to Witney and West Oxfordshire The station broadcasts 24 hours a day 7 days a week with over 30 presenters from the local area The station also broadcasts online for listeners online via TuneIn Notable people EditNotable people associated with Witney include David Cameron former MP for Witney in Parliament and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Conservative Leader Jamie Cook footballer Alan Dapre children s TV show writer Lawson D Ath footballer Yeovil Town F C lived in Witney and attended Henry Box School Jorge Grant footballer Lincoln City attended Wood Green School Darrell Griffin England rugby league footballer Douglas Hurd former Conservative MP for Witney Charlie Hutchison British communist only black British volunteer to join the International Brigades and liberator of Belsen concentration camp born in Witney Martin Jones concert pianist Simon King Former Gillingham and Oxford United footballer grew up in Witney and attended Henry Box School Daniel Leach Select Group 2 Assistant Referee Graham Leonard 130th Bishop of London subsequently Prelate of Honour Rhys Lewis singer songwriter signed with Decca Records 2017 present Robert Llewellyn Red Dwarf actor and author attended Henry Box School and was expelled Andrew Logan artist born in Witney Gugu Mbatha Raw TV and film actress grew up in the town and attended Henry Box School Maddie Moate television presenter and YouTuber attended Henry Box School and grew up in nearly Curbridge David Moss footballer Luton Town previously Swindon Town and Witney Town Robbie Mustoe footballer notably with Middlesbrough Lorraine Pascal model and TV chef lived in Witney as a child Miss Read Dora Saint author lived in Witney The town was the inspiration for the fictional Lulling of the Thrush Green novels Larry Sanders Green party councillor and brother of US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders William Smith cricketer James Allen Shuffrey notable watercolour artist was born in Wood Green Witney in 1858 Leonard Shuffrey leading architect and architectural designer was born in Wood Green Witney in 1852 65 Patrick Steptoe pioneer of fertility treatment attended Henry Box School Shaun Woodward Conservative and then Labour MP for Witney then Labour MP for St Helens South from 2001 to 2015 See also EditWest Oxfordshire DistrictReferences Edit Witney City population Retrieved 25 October 2022 WITNEY TOWN COUNCIL OXFORDSHIRE Robert Young Retrieved 31 October 2019 Ekwall Eilert 1960 1936 Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names 4th ed Oxford Oxford University Press p 528 ISBN 0 19 869103 3 Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 pages 843 845 Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell ringers Witney amp Woodstock Branch Flannery Julian 2016 Fifty English Steeples The Finest Medieval Parish Church Towers and Spires in England New York City New York United States Thames and Hudson pp 84 89 ISBN 978 0 500 34314 2 Church of England Parish of Witney Witney Team Parish Retrieved 13 November 2011 Burford Quakers Archived 7 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine High Street Methodist Church Witneymeth org uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Curtis Brian Witney Oxfordshire Churches amp Chapels Retrieved 13 November 2011 1 amp 1 Website Builder The Parish of Our Lady amp St Hugh Catholic Church Our Lady and St Hugh Retrieved 13 November 2011 a b c Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 p 846 Curtis Brian Witney Our Lady amp St Hugh RC Oxfordshire Churches amp Chapels Retrieved 13 November 2011 Find a Church Find a Church Retrieved 13 November 2011 Whitney and Cogges Conservation Area Report Baggs A P Chance Eleanor Colvin Christina Cooper Nicholas Crossley Alan Day Christopher Selwyn Nesta Williamson Elizabeth Yates Margaret 2004 Witney borough Introduction Architecture and Buildings in A History of the County of Oxford Volume 14 Bampton Hundred Part Two ed Simon Townley London British History Online pp 33 68 Retrieved 25 April 2021 a b Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 p 847 a b Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 p 851 The Workhouse Witney Archived 21 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine Crawford Collets Crawford Collets Retrieved 13 November 2011 Curtis Brian Witney Workhouse chapel Oxfordshire Churches amp Chapels Retrieved 21 October 2017 Clare Sumner history Witney Blanket Story A brief history of the wool trade in the Witney area Witneyblanketstory org uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Elvery Martin 5 February 2015 Campaigners want new railway station at Yarnton to ease A40 congestion in West Oxfordshire Witney Gazette Retrieved 12 February 2015 Bid to reopen Witney train track ahead of key rail summit Oxfordshire Guardian Taylor Newspapers 4 February 2016 Henry Box School Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Wood Green School Woodgreen oxon sch uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Springfield School Springfield oxon sch uk 9 November 2011 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Oxfordshire Community Churches Occ org uk 25 September 2011 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Education Oxfordshire Community Churches Occ org uk 12 December 2008 Retrieved 13 November 2011 St Mary s Infant School St marys witney oxon sch uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 The Batt C of E Primary School Thebattschool org uk 20 October 2011 Retrieved 13 November 2011 The Blake School Archived 28 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Our lady of lourdes oxon sch uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Madley Park Community Primary School Madleybrook org Retrieved 13 November 2011 Queen s Dyke Primary School Archived 27 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine Tower Hill Community Primary School Tower hill oxon sch uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 West Witney Primary School Archived 1 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Witney Community Primary School Witney oxon sch uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Abingdon amp Witney College Abingdon witney ac uk 14 October 2011 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Hellenic League Premier Division Archived 15 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Witney and District Football Witneyfootball com 29 October 2011 Archived from the original on 2 May 2009 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Witney Rugby Football Club Witneyrfc co uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 RFU Southern Counties North division Witney Hockey Club Witneyhockey org uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 England Hockey League Men s Conference East Division Englandhockey co uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 South Clubs Women s Hockey League Archived 21 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Witney Swifts Cricket Club Witneyswifts co uk Retrieved 13 November 2011 Oxfordshire Cricket Association Oxfordshire Cricket Association Retrieved 13 November 2011 Witney Houstons Basketball Election maps Ordnance Survey Retrieved 5 August 2022 Tories lose control of Oxfordshire County Council BBC News 3 May 2013 Retrieved 5 August 2022 Labour takes Witney and Chipping Norton seats from Conservatives Witney Gazette 9 May 2021 Retrieved 5 August 2022 a b West Oxfordshire District Council Councillor information Retrieved 5 August 2022 Your Councillors Witney Town Council Retrieved 23 May 2021 Family tribute to storm death teenager Oxford Mail Newsquest 4 June 2008 Retrieved 13 November 2011 August 1990 Maximum Retrieved 28 February 2011 Annual average maximum Retrieved 28 February 2011 gt 25c Max Days Retrieved 28 February 2011 January 1982 Minimum Retrieved 28 February 2011 Annual average minimum Retrieved 28 February 2011 1971 00 Frost average Retrieved 28 February 2011 Annual average rainfall Retrieved 28 February 2011 Annual average raindays Retrieved 28 February 2011 Climate Normals 1991 2020 UKMO Retrieved 5 January 2022 Peatfield Susan 2022 Angels in Ealing London St Peter s Church Ealing Sources and further reading EditJenkins Stanley 2013 The Witney amp Fairford Branch Through Time Amberley Publishing ISBN 978 1 4456 1649 0 Jenkins Stanley 2010 Witney A History Phillimore amp Co ISBN 978 1 86077 620 5 Monk William J 1894 History of Witney Witney Witney Gazette Sherwood Jennifer Pevsner Nikolaus 1974 Oxfordshire The Buildings of England Harmondsworth Penguin Books pp 843 851 ISBN 0 14 071045 0 Townley Simon C ed Baggs AP Chance Eleanor Colvin Christina Cooper Janet Day CJ Selwyn Nesta Williamson Elizabeth Yates Margaret 2004 A History of the County of Oxford Victoria County History Vol 14 Witney and its Townships Bampton Hundred Part Two Woodbridge Boydell amp Brewer for the Institute of Historical Research pp 1 170 ISBN 978 1 904356 25 7 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a first1 has generic name help External links Edit Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Witney British History Online Witney entry Official Witney Town Council website Witney website Witney website This is Witney website Witney Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 28 11th ed 1911 pp 761 762 Witney Blanket Story Witney TV Witney Radio Witney amp District Football Witney United Football Club Witney Rugby Football Club The Book Of Witney by Charles and Joan Gott Witney amp District Historical and Archaeological Society Talks articles and photo galleries relating to Witney and local area Archival material relating to Witney listed at the UK National Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Witney amp oldid 1153128531, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.