These little cottages have been extended over the years but seen here, Nos 1 and 2 Mill Green are in their original petite state. A snowy time after Christmas 1981

Marion and Ted Lay lived in Bampton all their married life and as Jamie Wheeler says

"They were the loveliest people you could ever meet. I claim a slight family association as their daughter Marjorie married Jim Brooks. It was a second marriage for them both and Jim had previously been married to my Auntie Joyce. I always regarded him as my uncle. Ted was a Morris dancer years ago and we always did one dance outside his house on Whit Monday and for Mrs. Lay after Ted died. Mrs. Lay was sister of Harry Pocock whose name crops up on this site quite often. He died the day I was born (or so Mrs. Pocock used to tell me)"

The Garage Sale and Hidden Gardens help every two year to raise funds for Library and Bampton Community Archive

Mrs Rogers lived in Brook House on Bridge Street where she sold sweets and newspapers. Bampton is 18 miles from Oxford and 18 from Swindon and somehow, Mrs Brooks managed to get a sugar allowance during WWII from both Swindon and Oxford which enabled her to make and sell lots of sweets.

Brook House is the one on the left of the picture, across the road.

She is on the left in this picture with Mr and Mrs Albert Townsend from across the road at Castle View Farm. They are standing just inside the wall of the farm.

Horse Fair - ponies tied up on Church Green were considered by the vendors to be suitable for pit ponies and the Welsh miners knew to come to this part of Bampton to buy their pit ponies. Here, the ladies and children are inside the church wall away from the horses but able to watch the proceedings. It was an event much enjoyed by all and the ladies and children have got their best hats on.

Horses outside Church Gate House, for sale as pit ponies

Witney Gazette article about the filming of the 2nd Downton Abbey Film on location at Cogges Farm Museum

RAF Signals station at Weald.
The air officer supporting Air Command carrying out the annual inspection in April 1993.
The RAF took over use of the site in September 1969 from the Royal Corps of Signals which had been stationed there since it opened in 1943.

This picture was taken in 1971 and shows the canteen at RAF Bampton Castle in Weald just before the kitchen closed for the first time. Helping himself to lunch is Cyril Cawser, father of Myra and Caroline. He was a civilian working there in the Met Office department.