| Stadhampton | |
|---|---|
 Parish church of St John the Baptist, seen from the southeast | |
  Stadhampton Location withinOxfordshire | |
| Area | 9.80 km2 (3.78 sq mi) |
| Population | 832 (parish, includingChiselhampton,Brookhampton and Ascott) (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 85/km2 (220/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU6097 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode district | OX44 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Stadhampton Grapevine |
| |
Stadhampton is a village andcivil parish about 7 miles (11 km) southeast ofOxford inSouth Oxfordshire,England. Stadhampton is close to theRiver Thame, atributary of theRiver Thames. The village was first mentioned by name in 1146, and was in the ownership of the bishops of Lincoln, thecrown, and variousOxford colleges for most of subsequent history.[1] The village includes several buildings of historical and architectural interest, including a parish church with features dating back to the 12th-century.
Thetoponym "Stadhampton" was recorded asStodeham in 1146 andStodham in 1316. The name is derived fromOld English, probablyStod-hāmm meaning "rivermeadow where horses were kept".[2]Stadham has also been used, including colloquially to the present day, and the "ton" suffix seems to have been added relatively late in the village's history.[3]
TheDomesday Book of 1086 does not mention Stadhampton by name, but the settlement evidently formed part of the demesne lands of the Bishop of Lincoln'sDorchester manor.[2] Dorchester on Thames was the firstAnglo-Saxon bishopric of England, and was thede facto capital ofWessex until being displaced byWinchester in 660. Dorchester manor and the village of Stadhampton remained in the ownership of thebishops of Lincoln for almost a thousand years until they passed into the ownership ofEdward VI in 1547, continuing in the ownership of the crown untilElizabeth I granted the manor to Henry, Lord Norreys of Rycote. The village then passed through the ownership of several prominent families until being acquired by theOxford colleges ofOriel andChrist Church in 1740, and subsequently byMagdalen College in 1927.[2]
The parish is about 10 miles (16 km) south-east ofOxford and includes the villages of Stadhampton andChiselhampton andhamlets ofAscott andBrookhampton. The2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 832.[4] TheA329 between Thame andShillingford passes through the village. The River Thame separates Stadhampton and Chiselhampton. Stadhampton and Brookhampton are separated byChalgrove Brook, which flows fromWatlington throughChalgrove and joins the Thame just above Chiselhampton Bridge. Northwest of Chiselhampton is Richmond Hill, whose summit is more than 279 feet (85 m) above sea level.
The oldest part of theChurch of England parish church of StJohn the Baptist is the 12th-centuryNormanbaptismal font. Some 15th-centuryPerpendicular Gothic features survive, including the northaisle, three-bay northarcade and thechancel arch.[5][6] The church has a westtower that was built in 1737. In 1875 the church was rebuilt and enlarged to designs by theGothic Revival architectEG Bruton, who added a south aisle and three-bay south arcade.[5][6]
The tower has aring of four bells. Henry I Knight ofReading, Berkshire cast the treble and second bells in 1621.[7] Mears and Stainbank of theWhitechapel Bell Foundry cast the third bell in 1883 and the tenor bell in 1884.[7] For technical reasons the bells are currently unringable.[7] Since theReformation St John's has always had the same parish clergy asSt Mary's, Chiselhampton. The Welsh clergyman and writerJohn Roberts was priest of both parishes in 1798–1803.
The village includes several buildings of historical and architectural interest, including a number that areGrade II listed. The former Black Horsepublic house on Thame Road was built in 1751.[8] Ash Cottage in School Lane is formed from three former cottages dating from the 17th century, now a single house.[citation needed] On the main street is a 17th-century bakehouse,thatched and built of coursed stone and bearing the date 1658, that was used as a bakery until about 1914.[3] In the 18th century Stadhampton had two clockmakers: James Jordan (born about 1751) and Thomas Jordan, who worked together.[9] Thomas repaired theturret clock atSt Peter's parish church, Great Haseley on several occasions between 1770 and 1790.[9][10]
Most of the amenities of the parish are in the village, including Stadhampton Primary School.[12] Stadhampton village school used to be at the bottom of School Lane but is now in Cratlands Close. The parish has three pub-restaurants: The Coach & Horses Inn[13] in Chiselhampton and The Crown[14] and the Crazy Bear Hotel[15] in Stadhampton. Stadhampton has a petrol station that includes a village store. Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary is in Stadhampton.[16]Thames Travel bus route T1 serves Stadhampton six days a week, linking the village withOxfordviaGarsington andCowley and withWatlingtonviaChalgrove. Buses run hourly from Mondays to Fridays and every 125 minutes on Saturdays. There is no Sunday service.[17]
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