Project: Gloucestershire - Tewkesbury, with Worcestershire - Upton-upon-Severn.

No. 2 - 5: Travelling home to Essex!

 

Kiddington is located in Oxfordshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Coordinates: 51°54′18″N 1°23′56″W / 51.905°N 1.399°W / 51.905; -1.399

 

Population..................................... 113

 

OS grid reference.......................... SP4123

 

Parish .............................................Kiddington with Asterleigh

District ............................................West Oxfordshire

Shire county.................................... Oxfordshire

Region............................................ South East

Country............................................ England

Sovereign state............................... United Kingdom

 

Post town......................................... Woodstock

Postcode district............................... OX20

Dialling code..................................... 01608

 

Police................................................ Thames Valley

Fire.................................................... Oxfordshire

Ambulance........................................ South Central

 

EU Parliament................................... South East England

UK Parliament................................... Witney

 

List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire

 

Kiddington

- is a village on the River Glymein the civil parish of Kiddington with Asterleigh about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The village is just north of the A44 road between Woodstock and Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

 

 

History

 

The toponym is Old English, recorded in the Domesday Book in AD 1086 as Chidintone, meaning "estate of a man named Cydda". Historically "Cuddington" used to be an alternative form. It has also been known as "Nether Kiddington" to distinguish it from the hamlet of Over Kiddington 0.5 miles (800 m) south of the village.

 

Offa of Mercia gave Kiddington, with Heythrop, to Worcester Priory in about 780. After the Norman conquest of England the manor was held successively by the De Salcey, Willescote or Williamscote, Babington, Browne and Browne-Mostyn families. After the English Reformation the Browne family were recusants with their own Roman Catholic chapel and priest, and they ensured the survival of Catholicism in this part of Oxfordshire

 

The Church of England parish church of Saint Nicholas was Norman, and the original chancel arch survives from this time. The rest of the church was rebuilt about 1400 in the Decorated Gothic style. The chancel was extended westwards so that, unusually amongst parish churches, it has one chancel arch in front of another. The rest of the 14th century rebuilding comprises the nave, a south chapel, south porch and west tower. Later in the middle ages a Perpendicular Gothic east window was inserted in the chancel. In 1848 this was removed and re-used to form sedilia. In 1879 a vestry and organ chamber were added. The tower has three bells. St. Nicholas' is now combined in one benefice with the parishes of Wootton and Glympton.

 

Kiddington Hall was built in 1673, and in the 18th century "Capability" Brown laid out the gardens. In 1850 the architect Charles Barry rebuilt the house so completely that no external trace of the original building is visible, built a new stable block and remodelled the gardens. In 1950 Sir Lawrence Robson, founder of accountancy company Robson Rhodes, bought Kiddington Hall, and on his death in 1982 his son Maurice Robson inherited the house. Maurice is now offering Kiddlington Hall for sale for £42 million, citing his divorce as the reason for the sale.

 

In 1771 the poet and literary historian Rev. Thomas Warton was appointed rector of St. Nicholas' church. In 1781 he wrote The History and Antiquities of Kiddington, and in 1785 he was made Poet Laureate. Warton remained both rector and Poet Laureate until his death in 1790.

 

 

Taken on:-

August 29, 2007 at 17:17 BST

Done