George Collins and family came to Bampton in 1943 from Somerset when he bought Weald Farm. George lived to be 102 years old and was active almost to the last. The Archive filmed a conversation with George who talked about his farming life and yo...
The debate about whether cows give badgers TB, badgers give it to cows or if the disease is simply in the soil continues as does the debate on whether mass shooting of badgers is the answer. In Oxfordshire, it has been decided that vaccinating th...
Before combine harvesters were the norm, threshing was done any time from November onwards when other harvesting had been done and probably once the cattle had been brought in under cover for the winter. In this picture you can see a steam driven...
Before farmers had large barns to store their hay, they built hayricks and a rick thatcher would come and thatch them to keep the water out. It was a useful way of having a store of food near where it was wanted. This was a skilled job and Bampt...
This charming little cottage used to be called Pedlar's Patch and today is called Sweet Briar. The gate is next to Emmies on Bridge Street and the house is set back from the road, behind other cottages. It was the home of agricultural worke...
1965. This pylon was the framework that once held a windmill on White Owl farm. The farm belonged to Bert and Ted Wilkins. As they were not intending to mend the windmill, Ray Evans from the Royal Corps of Signals based in Weald asked if his am...
Lew House and the attached estate was put on the market in 2019. It could all be sold as one item or lots of land could be purchased separately. This Knight Frank sales brochure gives all the details.
This newspaper cutting talks about the financial problems of the Morgan Brothers. They own and rent much land in Sharney which is close to the Thames SE of Weald, so there is local concern about the farming of their fields.
When work was done at Castle View, which at one time was Castle View farmhouse, a well was found. When the work to modernise was completed, the well was covered over and is now under part of the kitchen.
Witney Gazette March 11th 2015 notes that John Jaques from Bampton has been made chairman of the Under 30s Farmers' Club.John is no relative of Sue Jaques who used to own and run the shop that is now a private dwelling called No4 Town House o...
Leaflet produced January 1st 1947 regarding wild birds. It states which are protected all the time, some at certain times of the year and which birds' eggs may not be taken. By virtue of the Wild Birds Protection Acts 1880-1939 and an order ...
An invoice from R Oakey & Sons Ltd Haulage Contractors and Cattle Conveyors. A load of tied straw from Mr R Smith's farm in Highworth to Ashtree farm in Weald Street. February 10th 1960 Cost £3.Alec had a 7-acre field in Welcome Way on ...
Newspaper clipping from the Witney Gazette April 4th 1958 advertising the weekly cattle market held in Witney. In 1958 there were still trains from Bampton and Brize Norton railway station which made it easy to take cattle, sheep and pigs to the ...
The map shows the area from the allotments north of Bampton down through the centre of Bampton to Primrose Cottages and East as far as the first cottages on the western side of Aston.It is interesting that there are references to Council Houses al...
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 roa...
One of these maps shows the names of the fields and the waterways, important for growing and stocking fish are very clear, the second one is a photograph from a page in the Inclosure document held at St Lukes in Oxford and this shows the propertie...
This is the sale brochure for The Lew Estate for sale on Wednesday September 23rd 1914. Listed as a compact Freehold Residential and Sporting Property of 614 acres 0 rods and 8 poles.Knight, Frank & Rutley were the auctioneers to be held at t...
By the direction of Mrs Upton, the particulars of the outlying portions of the Lew Estate including capital grazing and corn growing land extending about 365.5 acres with a rent roll per year of £397 4s 3d.Messrs Knight, Frank and Rutley auctionee...
The sales brochure is forMeadow Farm situated close to the river Thames at Tadpole Bridge about 1 1/2 miles south of Bampton lying on either side of Buckland Road - about 380 acres;Ampney Lodge which is the last house on the east end of High Stree...
This is the sales brochure for Calais Farm, sold January 15th 1959 to Bryan Stevens who lived at Lime Tree House in High Street. The farm comprised a modernised farmhouse, farm buildings with modern cowshed, very useful arable and pasture land ex...
A sales brochure for Lower Haddon farm Friday March 11th 1949. It includes the main farmhouse, three cottages and about 380 acres with approximately 48 acres sold subject Air Ministry Requisitioning. This farm is on the south side of what was th...
Sales brochure for The Grange, High Street by Messrs E.J. Brooks & Son on Wednesday April 16th 1930 by order of the executors. Looking at the pencil notes written in the brochure, the sale was withdrawn probably because it failed to reach the ...
The sales brochure for the sale of Weald Farm, Thursday May 13th 1943. It was being sold because farmer Mr W.J. Butt had died and it was bought by George Collins for£9,500.George had come up from Somerset to see a friend who farmed near-by and we...
University Farm was sold freehold by Nuffield College, Oxford on Thursday June 25th 1959 and was bought by Reginald John Rouse of Backhouse Farm for £19,450. The brochure gives all the details of the farm and there is a map showing the fields and...
On right of the two men with the steam roller, Eddie Foreshew's Father (Mr Bishop) who worked on the roads as a road mender. He lived in a hut on wheels in Oxford during the week. He died of TB aged 49.Road workers and steam roller includin...
The dwelling called 'Thatched Cottage' in Church Street was re-thatched in 1963 and again in 1985, the second time by master thatcher Mark Constable.This dwelling is one of the oldest in Bampton and you can read all about it on this webs...
This group of boys are from the local school visiting Weald Farm in Weald Street. Reg Rouse was the farm manager for Mr George Collins. Reg's son Don Rouse says:-"Dad taught the senior boys Farming once a week. So this would be about ...
John Wharton explained:-This is an 1898 Fowler steam roller. But there is a story that goes with it. In 1898 the employees of Fowlers of Leeds went on strike because they objected to their wages being reduced. The Oxfordshire Steam Ploughing Co...
FFF&B (Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins & Burford) Ploughing match in 1983 held at Weald Farm. As well as all types of ploughs and tractors there is always a horse ploughing competition.
A competitor at a hedge laying competition, part of the FFF&B Plough Match in 1979 held at Manor Farm, Broughton Poggs.A well layed hedge is stock-proof, provides a wind break for livestock and will last far longer than any post and rail fence...
The blacksmiths Townsend and Wheeler at Cromwell House in Cheapside. The house in this picture is called Cromwell House and the one immediately to the right of it, just out of the picture is called The Old Forge and it is partly on the main road ...
Percy Sheppard, born 1894, lived and ran a small farm along Buckland Road. He was the father of Edie who became Mrs Edie Quick who was in turn the mother of Fenella.
Jack, Shadrack Buckingham in 1950 sitting on a binder. Jack lived in Spring Cottages along Primrose Lane and worked for Jack Oliver at Backhouse Farm. He has grandchildren Helen Cadd, June Brewer and Richard Buckingham.Don Rouse said"My ear...
Frances and John Henly with their children Roy and Margaret, c1950. John farmed Deanery farm and Hobbs buildings and they lived in Deanery farmhouse in Broad Street.
Don Rouse recalls - "Central Garage was owned by a Mr Fayre at the time Dickie Alan’s was front of shop manager selling bikes oil, petrol etc. Bill Hudson, Frank’s dad was quite high up in the Tractor division. There were so many different ...
The Daniels family had a saddlery shop in Queen Street just after 1900. The little boy on the right is probably the grandfather of Janet Westman nee Bradley, who had drawn many local maps full of information.
Frank Hudson was brought up by his grand parents Albert and Elizabeth Mary Townsend at Castle View Farm in Bridge street after his mother died when Frank was only 7 weeks old. Frank says he had a very happy childhood surrounded by a loving family...
Harry Pocock was the person who owned a thrashing machine and nearly all the local farmers used his services to thrash their corn through the late autumn and winter. He was a very active parish councilor and can be seen in one picture standing wi...
These letters were recovered from a box full of solicitor’s papers. They show the correspondence in 1834 between Rev. B Price of Aston, Bampton, and Mr George Harcourt, who was the Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1831 to 1862. Mr Pryce...
Sam Bennett sharpening a scythe. Sam played fiddle for Francis Shergold's Morris men at Whitsun. He lived in Warwickshire and walked to Bampton. He used to stay with Mr & Mrs Townsend at Castle View Farm and stayed for a while to work on...
Evalyn and Fred Hornby had lived in Bampton for many decades. Fred worked for John Henly and then his son Roy on Deanery farm and Hobbs Buildings and Evalyn worked at University farm for Mary Rouse. Evalyn died in the May and Fred in the August ...
This wonderful lady with the strong, capable looking hands was known as Granny Wiggins. She lived in Weald and collected rushes which she made into flag baskets for the men to carry their tools and lunch to work. They were circles of woven reeds...
The pictures were created from celluloid negatives measuring five inches x four inches created in 1904 that were sent to the Archive by Lucinda Leech. The chairman of the Witney photographic club, Brian Lee, very kindly made positive images out o...
In 1985 Colin Rouse experimented with farming the old fashioned way, using a Ransom thrasher. This meant storing corn still on the stems from harvest time in sheaves, until the old thrashing machine could be used. While it was perhaps great fun,...
Albert Townsend, born c1884 married Mary Elizabeth Portlock born c1881. Early in the 1900s they bought the Elephant and Castle where Albert raised pigs and kept chickens. Towards the end of the 1930s they moved across the road when they bought C...
At the end of 1965 the Bampton branch of the Women's Institute produced this album called "Bampton Today 1965" for an inter-branch competition it is probably the best source anywhere of Bampton in any single year. It covers many su...
Lascelles Gazetteer of Oxon, Bampton. Alphabetical list of trades and professions. Classification of trades and professions. Millers, dairymen and farmers, fellmongers, fishmonger, glove manufacturers, grocers and tea dealers, hair dressers, ha...
The pub in the High Street named The Morris Clown (as at 2018) began life as The George. Steve the present landlord found the ancient wooden name board in the cellar but it fell to dust when he tried to lift it. A long time ago it became the New...
A general view of agriculture in Oxfordshire carried out in 1807 and published in 1813. Secretary of the board. Arthur Young. Rates, thrashing mills and tillage. Drilling, wheat, beans and tares. Cattle and Labour.Bampton and its hamlets of Ha...
1. Seen with a horse and their families, the blacksmiths Townsend and Wheeler are outside their home, Cromwell House in Cheapside. The door to the right of the bay window has since been removed and the wall filled in.2. The blacksmith Mr Cripps...
Frank Hudson was raised by his grandparents, Albert and Mary Elizabeth Townsend who lived at Castle View Farm opposite the Elephant and Castle in Bridge Street. Frank's mother died when he was just 7 weeks old. The pictures show his grandpa...
Harry Pocock with his thrashing machine and tractor in 1958 driving out of Church Street into Broad Street. Edwin, Ruth and Joe Buckingham are on the tractor with him. Before farmers had combine harvesters, Harry went from farm to farm thrashing...
These letters were recovered from a box full of solicitor’s papers. They show the correspondence in 1834 between Rev. B Price, of Aston, Bampton, and Mr George Harcourt, who was the Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1831 to 1862.Mr Pryce,...
Colin Rouse told me:-"The chap helping me carry the sack is Pete Webb, Brian Webb’s brother. They owned a thrashing machine between them but they never got round to finishing the rick. This was such a shame because it was a bumper crop of t...
Bampton was very much enriched by the life of Rose Gerring because she took such an active part in so many areas and you can read about them in the eulogy. The two photographs - one was taken just post WWII at her home Sandford House and the othe...
Lloyd Hughes Owens, headmaster of the National School in Church View up to its closure when the new school opened in 1960 was keen to capture the knowledge and thoughts of the 'Old Folks' of Bampton and this pdf is the result. It covers...
With the dreadful spread of dutch elm disease in the late 1960s and on into the 1970s most trees died and had to be cut down before they blew down. The change in our landscape was very noticeable losing these magnificent trees. These two picture...
The children achieved a wonderful result with their research and the topics covered include:- a typical village; a changing settlement; an iron age settlement; archaeological evidence; the legend of St Frideswide; Domesday book; the manor house; B...
Referred to by all who regularly go to this ploughing match 'three Fs and a B' ie Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins & Burford, the match offers ploughing competitions of very many classes from horses to the most modern reversible ploughs...
Brenda Sapsford came to live in Bampton when she retired from being secretary to David Johnson, the NFU secretary in Witney. She was an active member of the WI in Bampton until its sad demise and she was also a very efficient Parish Clerk in Bamp...
Richard Willmer arrived at Friars Court as a tenant farmer in 1917. He was a successful hay and straw merchant who, at one time, was one of the main hay suppliers to both Great Western Railways and the collieries in Wales. Richard married Mary Hon...
Plantation Cottages were two semi-detached dwellings. If you go from the middle of Bampton towards Clanfield, there is a public footpath just after the last buildings on the right by the 30mph sign. Following that footpath takes you along the si...
Hayrick fires were sadly, a far too common occurrence 100 years ago. Many of the men smoked and steam engines used to drive some machinery spat out sparks which is not a good combination with lovely dry hay and straw. These pictures were taken ...
The Darby and Joan Club was for those who were 60 and over. In 1962 they made a scrapbook of members' memories. Topics covered include:- Morris dancing; Whitsuntide Garlands; the Mummers; Bampton Fair; Bampton Fire Brigade; Church, Chapel a...
Volunteers planted 80 trees allocated to Bampton through the County Council for “Tree Planting year” in the grass by the layby near Cowleaze Corner. The grassy area had been created when the steep bend in the road was removed c1971. Mr Doug Read...
This is the Ledger kept by Mr J A Joyce and the earliest entry is for July 16th 1907. He meticulously heads each page with the name of the person for whom he did work, the date and all the work done. It is a wonderful description of the work don...
These 4 pages list the YouTube web address of the filmed interviews done by the Bampton Community Archive. They are with Dave Rose with Terry Rouse bellringing; Vera Elward talking about Busby's department store; A History of St Mary's ...
These pictures are nearly all of the outside of the farmhouse. You can see quite clearly where the once open carriage entrance has been filled in and the kitchen, dining room, sitting room and hallway have been created. There is a clear slot tha...
These farm buildings are not immediately adjacent to the big barn. Items are seen set out ready for auction in 5 days' time inside the big barn. A view of the big barn seen from part way up the drive from the road.
These pictures are taken behind the big barn, inside and outside all the farm buildings close to it. Read the caption with each picture to get more information. Everything was being set up for a sale of Ham Court with all but 22 acres in 5 days&...
These photographs start by looking at the area on the east side where the Victorian addition on the left joins the original building. There are pictures taken inside what used to be the bake house which was at the end of the long barn next to the...
This series of pictures taken inside Ham Court farmhouse are of the hall and the office which is to the north off the hallway up about 3 steps. There is also one more picture taken in the dining room.
These pictures show the kitchen and west facing sitting room. Please remember that Michael was packing up. Read the caption to each photograph for more details.
This series of photographs inside Ham Court farmhouse show the Victorian addition of the 1870s and the dining room which is on the east side of farmhouse. Note the hugely thick walls that take the weight of arched area that was originally open. ...
This series of photographs starts in the passageway between a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor looking into the solarium. The interwoven ceiling heights can be seen, the solarium and view from the window and walking on into the first floor...
In September 2010 Michael Barlow Vaughan invited me to document the inside of Ham Court Farmhouse before it went to auction 6 days later. Although the plaster was falling off the laths in places there was no sign of damp getting in. The spiral, ...
These photographs are of Castle View farmhouse taken from various angle about 1971. One of the farm buildings was once a railway carriage. The entrance to the yard is closer to the house than it is today. The water courses around Mill Green had...
Hilda Kent joined the Women's Land Army in Witney. After she retired she used to make a display in the foyer of the Bush Club every Wednesday and it was something everyone looked forward to seeing. One week she did one about her Land Army w...
Well into the second half of the C20th straw was baled up in sizes that a man could pick up. Now, very large rectangular bales are made which require machinery to lift them. St Mary The Virgin can be seen in the background.
A PDF document of 9 pages detailing the sale of Calais Farm in 1984 by Moore, Allen and Innocent for Mr Bryan Stevens. About 185 acres freehold with vacant possession for sale by private treaty as a whole or in six lots
Patrick Hook of PD Hook, one of the UK's largest meat chicken hatchery businesses, expresses his fears for getting skilled workers after Brexit. Much information in the article, very well worth reading, explaining the possibilities of appren...
TOE2 is Oxfordshire's independent environmental funder, supporting projects that make real and lasting improvements to the environment and to the lives of local people. TOE2, a charity and a not-for-profit company has worked in partnership ...
These photographs were part of the collection belonging to Kit Jackson; they are of her family, Morris Men, work colleagues, buildings, billeted soldiers in Bampton, pigeon fancier, friends, school classes and the mystery tours she used to arrange...
These photographs are all from the first half of the twentieth century. Frank William Hudson's father was William Cooper Hudson, his grandmother was Mary Elizabeth Townsend nee Portlock and his grandfather was Alec. Frank's Aunty Dora ...
AGGROW ie Anti Gravel Group of Residents in Oxfordshire West. Alvescot, Bampton, Black Bourton, Brize Norton, Broadwell, Carterton, Clanfield, Grafton/Radcot, Kelmscott, Kencot and Langford. Once again attempts are being made (March 2017) to ex...
About 1974 Lloyd Hughes Owens made these notes on people he referred to as Senior People. Simply, they are people who had influence and sway on life in Bampton and Weald. In the pdf document you'll see his handwritten notes followed by our ...
In 1983 Terry Crowley began taking photographs of people in Bampton who worked here, or were born here, or worked for charities here or any combination. It was before the days of digital photography so it was unusual for someone to think to recor...
The Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins and Burford Ploughing Match Society held their annual ploughing match at Kelmscott on September 26th 2015. These photographs show some of what was to be seen at the show.
David and Sarah Jane New own Glebe Farm in Black Bourton; David is organist and choirmaster at St Mary's and once a year he generously invites the choir plus relatives and any friends who may be staying with them to go to the farm for either ...
This photograph of Harry Pocock with his tractor was taken in the early 1930s. Harry had a thrashing machine and went from farm to farm to thrash the corn before farmers had their own combine or could hire a combine and driver.
These 6 photographs were obtained from 6 x 4 inch negatives. The elderly man sitting at his table by the range is Daniel Gibbard who a blacksmith in Bampton. His smithy was on the site of present day Folly View, the red brick houses on the south...
Harry Pocock went about the farms with his tractor and thrashing machine in the days before farmers had combine harvesters and before they hired combine harvesters. The photograph is taken from Harry's home, No2 Broad Street. On the tractor...
