| Wroxton | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' parish church | |
 Flag | |
  Wroxton Location withinOxfordshire | |
| Area | 10.28 km2 (3.97 sq mi) |
| Population | 542 (parish, includingBalscote) (2021 census) |
| • Density | 53/km2 (140/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP4141 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Banbury |
| Postcode district | OX15 |
| Dialling code | 01295 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Wroxton Village |
| |
Wroxton is a village andcivil parish in the north ofOxfordshire, England, about 3 miles (5 km) west ofBanbury. The2011 census recorded the parish's population as 546.[1]
Wroxton Abbey is aJacobeancountry house on the site of a formerAugustinianpriory.[2][3] Since 1965 Wroxton Abbey has been home toFairleigh Dickinson University. The Wroxton Abbey grounds are open to the public although during 2020 and much of 2021 they were closed due to risk of falling timber. On 3 September 2021 the grounds re-opened.[4]
Wroxton is recorded as having a church in 1217,[5] but the presentChurch of England parish church ofAll Saints is early 14th century. APerpendicular Gothicclerestory and porch were added early in the 15th century. The west tower was designed bySanderson Miller and built in 1748, paid for byLord North, who ownedWroxton Abbey.[6] All Saints' is aGrade II* listed building.[7] The tower has aring of five bells, all cast by Henry I Bagley ofChacombe in 1676.[8] All Saints' is now one of eight neighbouring parishes in theBenefice of Ironstone.[9] It is the final resting place ofLord North, who wasPrime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782 and led Britain through most of theAmerican War of Independence.
TheRoman Catholic church ofSaint Thomas of Canterbury[10] was built in 1894. It is unusual in having athatched roof.
GoodmanMethodist Church was built in 1935 and was a member of BanburyMethodist Circuit. It is now a private house.[11]
Anironstonequarry northwest of the village was opened in 1917 and worked heavily in theSecond World War. It had its own railway, theOxfordshire Ironstone Railway, that linked it to theGreat Western Railway near Banbury. The quarry and its railway closed in 1967. A newer quarry close by is now served by road transport only.
Wroxton has a hotel and twopublic houses, both public houses are closed and one is currently for sale.[12] The North Arms in Mills Lane, named after Lord North, is 17th-century with a 19th-century extension.[13] It was controlled byGreene King Brewery.Wroxton Abbey who were fundraising to restore the pub abandoned their plans in February 2021 citing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15] The White Horse in Stratford Road is mid-18th-century.[16] Its proprietors state it was built in 1730 and has been licensed as a pub since 1756.[17] The Wroxton House Hotel is also in Stratford Road. It is formed from four cottages, dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.[18] It is operated byBest Western.[19] WroxtonChurch of EnglandPrimary School is in Lampitts Green.[20]
