In October 2012 the Bampton Environmental Watch Group had a wonderful talk given by John Leighfield on the history of maps and in particular maps of Oxfordshire and Bampton. It was very interesting to note that the first maps of Bampton showed the rivers and streams but no roads, showing the importance of waterways. It really is worth looking at the maps of Bampton carefully, you'll see just how old some buildings are, where the mill was in Bampton and Kerwoods Yard which was one area for the very poor with dwellings that had no land with them, they afforded the occupier a roof as opposed to 'the park bench' but no land on which to produce any food. It's referred to in early census forms and people come to Bampton asking where it is - it's on page 15 of this pdf
This map was produce for the sale of the Lew Estate in 1914. There used to be a Post Office and a school in Lew, both shown on this map between University Farm and Holy Trinity Church on the main road.
Lower Haddon Farm in the very north of the Bampton area was sold in March 1949. One of these maps was produced by Jackson-Stops of Cirencester the auctioneers and the other was a hand drawn one. They show the names of the fields and what was being grown in them at the time.
These are two parts of one map created in 1914. I've picked them out to show where the school used to be in Lew, next to University Farm and the Post Office a little to the east just before you get to Trinity Church.
This map shows the Bampton Estates at 1789. This is before the fields were enclosed and the names of the people who farmed the strips or the name of the field area are on the map. The Quies fields are each side of the Bampton to Brize Norton road, just north of what is now Hobbs Buildings. The Clanfield to Bampton road is showing top to bottom on the map whereas it really runs east west, so you need to get your head around that, literally. What we now call Welcome Way is called Wiltham Way - it runs south from Cowleaze Corner into Weald. Weald Common Meadow was south of what we now think of as the area containing the two Bampton Business Parks. The Bampton to Buckland road is showing going left to right on the map when it actually runs NW to SE; it had a turnpike.
This Ordinance Survey map was produced in 1974 and covers the area from Hobbs buildings/Deanery Farm in the north, due east to Coal Pit Farm, south to Bampton centre, on south to Weald, east to Aston and south to the Radcot Cut and Great Brook and the Thames.
These four maps were all produce in 1971 and cover
Ordinance Survey Plan SP3002-3102 Weald, Hayway Lane, Weald St, Clanfield Road Ordinance Survey Plan SP3003-3103. Bridge St east to end of houses, north to new school, Colvile Close Ordinance Survey Plan SP3203-3303. 1971 Mt Owen Rd east inc. Gogg Lane, Aston Rod to Aston Ordinance Survey Plan SP3002-3102 1971. Cowleaze Corner, Weald to Aston, north to Horse Shoe PH
Fields, property and farms are all clearly marked.
This map was produce by Morre, Allan and Innocent to accompany the sale for 5 residential and agricultural properties May 14th 1962. They are all east and south east of Bampton's main residential area. Lot 1 is Meadow Farm Lot 2 is to the north of the Aston road and include Ampney Lodge Lot 3 is a strip with Calais farm Lot 4 is a field approximately where Bampton Garden Centre is today Love 5 is a group of fields to the south of the Great Brook
This map of 1921 covers the area from Plantation south to Cowleaze Corner and east as far as the Elephant and Castle.
What was a watercourse off the Highmoor Brook to land with The Deanery can be clearly seen and was used for fish farming.
Cobb House is the only vicarage by now, the other two houses of the three-portion being in private hands, one Churchgate house the other now called Kilmore House.
Glebelands houses were not yet built, they didn't come until the 1960s.
The lake with Weald Manor House to its left used to freeze over and the owners of the Manor House used to invite locals to skate on it. Mr & Mrs Colvile lent the field to the west of the lake to the local football club but as it wasn't large enough for the side to play in a certain league, they had to find a new home and for a while used a field at the east end of New Road.
The map was produced in 1921. The first map is has been reused to show where council houses were to be built on the south side of New Road and where the sewerage pipes were to be laid to the sewerage works along the Buckland Road.
Mains sewerage came to Bampton in 1958 after a long struggle and at a cost of £105,000. Miss Marjorie Pollard was the driving force but in the end, it was the death of Horace Morse who emptied the 'night soil' buckets twice a week which made it imperative. Jack Bellinger was the first manager of the sewerage works.