This picture, taken c1912 is looking along Bridge Street from the Market Square.The Talbot Inn can be seen on the left, next to it is a narrow red brick home and next to that is Thompson's high class grocery store which today is The Romany In...
This is the only department store that has ever been in Bampton and it sold anything and everything from lino to material, bolts of cloth, men's and women's clothing, footwear and much more and it also housed the Post Office.Today, the p...
This picture was taken about 1912. On the left is the shop of J Beard where he ran a printing business and he was an insurance agent.In the very centre of the picture you can see the George and Dragon Inn on the other side of the road.Coming towa...
Wenman's Bakery and shop was at the East end of the Market Square. It was pulled down c1920 along with the little cottage to the est of it to create a space for the War Memorial. The horse from the bakery would be borrowed along with the on...
A Caversham firm want to make a 49 acre marina at Tadpole Bridge on the Thames. WODC lowlands area planning committee are objecting tot he plan because gravel extraction will have to take place first a marina could be built. The decision has been...
Richard Briers used to live in Carswell on the edge of Bampton and came to Adrian Simmonds' shop in the Market Square to buy his pet food. He is in the shop in this photograph.
In November 2015 eight products, including Patrick Strainge's Bampton Royal sausages were nominated for the Q Guild Smithfield Awards. Only 200 butchers in England can hold a Q guild aware at any one time so it really is a feather in the cap...
We were all sorry when Adrian Simmonds had to close his shop. It was like an Aladdin's cave inside and he aimed to have 6 new things each week. There is a letter to the Bampton Beam here from Toby Hopkins and one from Adrian himself.
The lovely black and white photograph shows Mrs Clark in her shop doorway. The shop was in the High Street on the north side almost opposite Bovington's wet fish shop.
This video club shop was well used and its demise was brought about when the local little supermarket began renting films and it was just too easy to get a film from the supermarket while buying other items.It was a special outing to rent a film f...
In the middle of this picture you can see Angela John Antiques on the left and Health Matters on the right. Both were in the Market Square. To the left you can just see the entrance to Market Square Garage. On the right behind the blue car you ...
Brian and Siobhan O'Rourke owned the Cotton Club and started it in these premises in Rosemary Lane. It acquired a wonderful reputation and I know one seamstress in South Wales who came once every two months to buy her cotton fabric here. Af...
John Temple ran this hardware shop for many years and it was brilliant. He always had a smile on his face and worked very hard to stock items that were really wanted.
This is the original Duttons shop in Bridge Street somewhere about 1880. Note at this time there were just two windows, not four that are there today.In the second picture you can see George Dutton on the left and the 15 year old boy is William M...
In the 1970s Fleur de Lys was a hair salon owned by Margaret Roberts. It is in Bushey Row. There were several owners after Margaret and it was later a video rental shop, a shop selling twee things for gardeners and a Physiotherapy Centre. Now i...
When Lloyd Hughes Owens created a series of albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s there were people alive who could remember seeing Fred Able in Bampton with his little cart, two donkeys and his dog.
These are just five of the adverts in the July 2012 issue of The Bampton Beam and are forLittle Westbrook self catering in Bridge StreetA personal trainerPrestige BuildingsBampton GarageS J Cooper, builder
Originally called the Bampton Charity Shop, it had a name change and a legal status changed to enable it to donate monies to other charities in Bampton. Apparently a charity cannot give money to another charity and Trevor Milne-Day gave his time ...
Many people in Bampton has a lovely meal in Bix Gooddy's bistro at Wheelgate House in the Market Square and were sorry when she felt she had to close it and revert to simply offering bed and breakfast.
These photographs were taken by Adrian Simmonds and show the wonderful hanging baskets that he always had outside his shop, Bampton Stores. Tim Tomlins prepared the baskets for Adrian which always made the West end of Market Square a delight to see.
These newspaper cuttings are all from 1985 and cover the topic ofthe wedding of Karen Dowley to Alan Day; Sheena Johnstone to Michael Ellis; Shirley Ann Biles to Charles Reginal Hewer all at Saint Mary's in Bampton350th anniversary of the fou...
These newspaper cuttings are all from 1982 and the topics covered includeconcern over housing scheme which would mean some tenants losing half their gardensDarby & Joan club, WI Club,Buckland Road to be closed for up to three months while the ...
A bird was found to have made its nest inside the letterbox at Bampton and Brize Norton Railway station by Mrs Emmie Papworth who along with Mr F G Cannons was a post lady in Bampton about 1960. It was thought to be a member of the tit family and...
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.
Huge thanks to Janet Westman for allowing us to put her maps on this website for all to see for free when they are still available for sale, either as black and white or hand coloured by Janet. You can order them theougThe Witney map you can see ...
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.
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 ena...
A letter in The Beam Vol 1 Spring 2003.From Adrian Simmonds thanking everyone who sent him cards and to June and Iris for keeping his shop running while he was in hospital (Adrian died 11 years later in February 2014)Adrian is seen sitting outside...
Patrick Strainge, butcher, has his shop in Bridge Street opposite the Horse Shoe Inn and next to Cheyne Lane. At the annual Smithfield Show he got a Gold Medal after he got top makes for five products.Bampton Royal SausagesCaramelised Onion Sausa...
Paul and Les Bovington owned the wet fish shop in the High Street and they also sold some fruit and veg and a few groceries. When the USAF ran what is now RAF Brize Norton, they were asked to get some photographs of their personnel in some local ...
Paul Bovington with his beautiful dog Crackers. Nephew Richard Bovington said"The poor old dog never recovered from having his paw run over by a Land Rover."Paul was a lovely man, always doing things for others. His wife was Pauline , ...
I. E. Busby ran the shop which he bought from R. C. Smith and sold to Les and Stella King in 1960. It's interesting to note Mr Busby suggested his shop was in the Market Square in his advert when it was half way along the High Street.When Mr...
A flatbed delivery lorry can be seen parked outside the carriage entrance to The Talbot. There are crates of pop on which in the 1950s would have been Tizer, Dandelion and Burdock and Lemonade.Two of the 4 petrol pumps that used to be outside the...
Adrian Simmonds had the general store on the west side of Market Square and was wonderfully placed to record the demolition of the Market Square Garage and the building of Thornberry Flats for the over 55s. These photographs record that history. ...
This view along Church View looking north towards St Mary's shows two interesting features.1. The pram belonged to Suzy Lamb who used it to carry the bits and pieces she sold around Bampton.2. There is no pavement on the right-hand side which...
Waterloo House in Broad Street was the first place in Bampton to have anything to do with mail; it was a receiving office only and that was in the C19th.Later in the C19th Martin's Printing Works on the west side of the Market Square became a...
Dr Alan Gaydon was churchwarden at St Mary The Virgin for several years and during his tenure the gales of January 25th 1990 blew the stature of John The Baptist off the base of the spire. It impacted into the roof above the organ pipes which res...
As part of the exhibition on A History of Trade in Bampton, Mavis Newing kindly supplied this historical account of Sherbourne houses, 1 and 2 in Bridge Street
Wedding Day for Natasha Papworth, seen here with her parents Tom and Sylvia Papworth. They are standing in the doorway of their home, Emmies, the papershop which sadly closed for the last time in 2012. Tom tried hard to find a buyer to keep the ...
These adverts are all taken from the November 2010 issue of The Beam.1. Trevor Gardner, General Carpentry, fitted kitchens & bedrooms, door fitting, new locks, painting & decorating.2. Bampton Fax Bureau. Call in and send a fax message, ...
W Payne & Son, Great Western Railway Co Agents, Bampton and Lechlade. Cab & Omnibus Proprietors, horses, brakes, carriages etc for hire. Cartage contractors and furniture removers. Chief office The Hill, Witney Oxon. Railway depots Bampton...
The garage in the Market Square was in existence at the start of the C20th when Oliver Onesipherous Collett owned and ran it. Around the middle of the twentieth century it was bought by Len Hughes and it's interesting to note that he left th...
Some questions were put by Janet Rouse to Janet Newman about Constables the Bakery on the west side of the Market Square. Tony Allam's name should have been spelt with an A not a U.
An invoice from Cook and Boggis of Witney August 24th 1923 for achest of drawers,2 bedroom chairs,1 wash stand,1 bowl and 1 bucketfor the total sum of £4 7s 5d four pounds thirty seven pence and a half penny.This was lent to the Archive to copy by...
This is an invoice to Mr Alex Townsend of Ash Tree farm in Weald Street from the undertakers M Long and Sons after dealing with the body of his wife Elizabeth Ann Townsend.May 24th 1963.Cemetery fee £3,Vicar's fee £1,use of church and caretak...
This is the first of two articles in successive weeks in Country Life magazine July 1946. This article talks about the architecture of Bampton with pictures of the Market Place, the early Victorian Town Hall, Morris Dancing, Lime Tree house, Thom...
THE BEAM APRIL 1990. VOLUME 5 NO1. THE TOPICS COVERED :-Morris dancing on Spring Bank Holiday MondayPrefabs built after WWII originally called Portel HousesParish council history and coming elections. The first meeting of Bampton’s Parish ...
This picture was taken in 2003. Down the side of Rosemary Lane, farthest away is Bo Jangles the hairdresser then coming towards the camera is the office for Bampton Castle Cars and the green sign board of Mark's Kitchen can just be seen.
This is George Dafter who was one of our local postmen for nearly 30 years. He was loved by all who came into contact with him and he had a great sense of humour.Jamie Wheeler said "My Dad always told a funny story about George. Some people...
This is the sales brochure put out by Messrs Habgood & Mammatt of Witney for the sale of Garage Premises with commodious house, lock-ups, full equipment and garage proprietor's business in Cheapside, Bampton. It was being sold by Mr Appl...
This is the Show guide produced by the Bampton Horticultural Society for their Flower and Produce Show August 9th 1980 and their Autumn Show October 4th 1980. Apart from seeing all the classes that can be entered, it is also interesting to see wh...
This picture is of Emmies, the newsagents in Bridge Street, seen in 1963.How sad that bicycles could not be left outside like this today. They all appear to be ladies' bicycles.
Emmie and brother George Bishop delivering vegetables by horse and cart before WWII. Emmie, really Emily Bishop married and became Mrs Emmie Papworth. With the lack of goods available during the WWII, their delivery round ceased.Emmie Papworth a...
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...
Mr Clack from Clanfield was a horse collar maker and is seen here with one of his horse collars leaning against his legs.He lived just past the Methodist church on the High Street in Clanfield.
This is the High Street looking west from the south end of Bushey Row. The cars would suggest this was taken later in the 1920s. The war memorial can be see so it is post September 1920.Townsend's Cycle shop can be seen with cycles outside ...
This picture, taken by Hilda Kent shows Strawberry Cottage in the High Street being re-thatched. The date is not known but was re-thatched early in the 1960s and again about 2007 so perhaps this was done about 1984.Andy Bowman did the work.I wond...
This is one of the bread ovens that was in Constables Bakery which was on the SW corner of the Market Square. The front of the shop is now (at 2019) Mark's Kitchen, the back part is Bahar Designs, Bojangles Hairdresser and the Bampton Commun...
Mr & Mrs Hill ran an antique shop in Bridge Street which was later taken over by their son Arthur. It became a bric-a-brac shop. Many items were put outside on display each week and Arthur was always ready and willing to talk with people. L...
"Grannys" was in the High Street in Witney. The sale was over two days, March 21st and 22nd 1952. It was attended by Mr & Mrs Hill and possibly their son Arthur as well. They wrote the selling price against some items, presumably ...
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 ...
The original Duttons shop had two windows with the door between them. This picture was probably taken between 1880 and 1900. People are standing outside The Talbot Inn. The arches of the Town Hall have yet to be bricked up but one has double do...
Emmie Papworth was one of the post ladies in Bampton for many years while her brother George owned and ran the papershop opposite the Wheat Sheaf Inn in Bridge Street. In this picture she is outside a house in Bridge Street.Other posties in Bampt...
The picture shows George Duttons outside his shop with the young 15 year old assistant Billy Mathews. The Midland Bank had a counter within the shop and George manage it very well, he was good with figures. When some years late the Midland Bank ...
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 ...
These two photographs were taken almost 100 years apart. The original Duttons shop had two windows and a door between them. The name board curved inwards. By the 1960s there were 4 bay windows to the shop with the doorway in between the two cen...
The photograph of Mrs Money was probably taken about c2000.The ones of her husband in his workshop in Bridge Street were taken in the 1960s. Their grandson Andrew Money still lives in Bampton and is a painter and decorator.Percy's daughter i...
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.
Eric Stroud was a builder. His daughter Stella was married to Les King and they had a shop right opposite this store. Les, Stella and Eric helped Dolly start up the hardware shop initially selling items that would have been used in the building ...
Tony Allam was the baker for Mrs Constable for many years. The shop was by the roundabout opposite The Talbot and is now the Chinese takeaway called Mark's Kitchen. These photographs show the beautiful ovens and all the surrounding area.Tre...
Throughout the 1970s and well into the 1980s there was a jumble sale in the WI Hall - now called the Village Hall - most Saturdays and they were always well attended by regulars. There was nearly always a cake stall and bric-a-brac stall as well ...
Tony Scott told the ArchiveI believe International Stores took over (from Eeles) in 1969 and altered and extended the premises, covered the cellars & converted the accommodation into a self contained flat.It was then became Gateway until it cl...
The Friends of St Mary's have been organising one talk a month for three months from February since 2016. This is the poster for a really interesting talk given by Richard Martin from Filkins Woollen Weavers on April 15th 2018. This is a po...
The Cake Element Bakery opened in part of Duttons in the winter of 2017-2018. This newspaper article from the July 4th 2018 Witney Gazette gives a history of how Michelle and Ivan came to have their shop and cafe.
Tony Scott said - "I believe International Stores took over in 1969 and altered and extended the premises, covered the cellars & converted the accommodation into a self-contained flat. It then became Gateway until it closed in April 1987...
Although not a Bampton firm, Witney Blankets employed many people who lived in Bampton. This article is particularly about the 'tuckers' who were also known as 'fullers' or 'walkers' and their task was to remove the ...
These newspaper cuttings are from 1958 to 1973 and are of very mixed topics. They cover:- ghosts of Bampton and the story of the great shirt race; Mr & Mrs Blaine licensee of the Talbot; Paul Bovington with his dog Crackers; Mrs Lucy Martin l...
These pages are a few taken from the ledger of a Bampton tradesman in 1952 - 1953. Clearly written by two people, the writing is beautiful and so easy to read (where it was scanned properly!). He did work not only in Bampton but also in Witney, ...
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...
This full sized poster was created for Eeles grocery shop in the Market Square for 1908. The shop later became International with Mr Harry Cooper as the manager, then Spar, Londis, Budgens and now - at 2018 - it is a Co-op shop. Through the year...
1k. Cheapside can be seen from outside the west side of the Town Hall. The date is pre-1907 because Eton Villas had yet to be built in place of the thatched building in the centre of the picture. The George and Dragon inn is there as is Goodman...
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...
Adrian Simmonds lived and worked in his shop on the western side of the Market Square for many years. June Taylor and Iris Wheeler nee Martin (married to Andy) were working there when Adrian bought the shop and were with him right up to his reti...
Adrian Simmonds put on an Exhibition in the Vesey room which documented the demolition of the Market Square Garage and the building of Thornberry Flats. The text below is Adrian's and was part of his exhibition.The demolition of Market Squar...
In 2015 most households filled in a questionnaire and this is a well-collated report of the findings. CONTENTS include:-Survey Coverage: Household QuestionnaireThe RespondentsTheir HomesTheir FamiliesIndividual QuestionnaireLiving in BamptonHousi...
These are photographs and documents and family trees all to do with the Eeles family.EDWARD ~2 - Edward Rolls in his cousin's (the Hon Charles Rolls) model plane. Edward Rolls was related to Grace Eeles of Eeles grocery store (now Budgens 20...
Adrian Simmonds lived on the west side of the Market Square and took these photographs to document the demolition of the Market Square Garage and the building of Thornberry flats which are for sale to those who are 55 years plus. During the build...
POST, M.O. & T.O., S. B., Express Delivery & Annuity & Insurance Office. Thomas Wells Pembrey, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Faringdon at 5.30 am & 3.30 pm; dispatched at 9.10 am & 8.30 pm (box closes at7.50 pm); dispa...
These are pages from the ledger of a Bampton tradesman in 1951 and 1952. Sadly, whoever did these scans failed to note whose ledger it was the work done by a jobbing builder make interesting reading. They record work done for:-Henry Long & S...
LESLIE THOMAS KING (10th March 1927 – 5th October 2012)Les was born in Coventry in 1927 to Gertrude and William King; a brother to Bill, Mary, Terry and Roselyn. He attended King Henry VIII Grammar School, passing his School Certificate in six su...
T. W. Pembrey had a department store in the High Street and it is the only department store that has ever been in Bampton. It took up what today (2018) are three separate dwellings and a shop. Across Bushey Row opposite the Morris Clown is a lit...
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...
The New Inn in the High Street which was later renamed The Morris Clown in 1973; it started life as The George. Stevens the grocery shop became a shoe snob's shop and then a wet fish, fruit and vegetable shop before becoming a private dwellin...
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...