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Woodcote

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For other places with the same name, see Woodcote (disambiguation).
Woodcote
Area7.11 km2 (2.75 sq mi)
Population2,715 (2001 census)[1]
• Density382/km2 (990/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSU6481
Civil parish
  • Woodcote
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townReading
Postcode districtRG8
Dialling code01491
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteWelcome to Woodcote
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire

Woodcote is a village in the civil parish of South Oxfordshire, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Wallingford and about 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is 600 feet (180 m) above sea level.

Woodcote lies between the Goring Road and the A4074. It is centred on the village green and Church Farm, with the village hall centred on the crossroads.

History

Prehistoric artefacts have been found in the area, including a polished hand-axe from about 3000 BC found in the nearby hamlet of Exlade Street and on show in Reading Museum [2]and a 28cm carved stone head Romano-Celtic, probably 1st - 2nd century, with typical protruding eyes, exaggerated lips and flattened nose.The folds of skin on the neck and musculature at the back of the head have been carefully detailed. It is of white oolite limestone, and was found at Wayside Green, Woodcote. and is now in Reading Museum (Ref 401-78).[3]

The toponym Woodcote means "cottage in the wood".[4] Woodcote was first documented in 1109, when it was a dependent settlement of South Stoke, which in turn was a possession of Eynsham Abbey.[5][6] At the time of the Hundred Rolls in 1279, Woodcote had 14 freeholders and 20 tenants.[5] Woodcote's population grew thereafter but then declined, perhaps as a result of the Black Death.[4] In 1366 as a result of depopulation 15 virgates of land at Woodcote were vacant.[4]

Woodcote Manor may date from the 12th century.[4] In 1550 it was called Rawlins Manor.[4]

There is a Jacobean barn in the grounds of Woodcote House. Woodcote House itself is a Georgian country house built in 1733. It was remodelled by the architect Detmar Blow in 1910. Since 1942 it has been the premises of The Oratory School, a Roman Catholic day and boarding independent school.[7]

Woodcote used to hold an annual sheep fair on the first Monday after St Leonard's Day (6 November).[4] The earliest known record of it is from early in the 18th century, but the link with the feast day of the parish's patron saint suggests the fair may have begun in the Middle Ages.[4] The fair was still being held in 1852.[4]

Woodcote farmed largely on an open field system with five open fields until 1853, when an Act of Parliament enabled an enclosure award for South Stoke and Woodcote.[4] Woodcote provided the common pasture for the whole of South Stoke parish, while South Stoke beside the River Thames provided most of the parish's hay meadow.[4]

In the 20th century Woodcote outgrew South Stoke.[4] By 1920 most residents worked outside the parish, many commuting to either Reading or a RAF station at Goring Heath.[4]

Woodcote won the Oxfordshire Village of the Year title for 2008.[8]

Churches

By 1406 the parish of St. Andrew, South Stoke had at Woodcote a dependent chapel that served both Woodcote and Exlade Street.[4] The chapel was dedicated to St. Leonard and there is a record from 1467 of John Chedworth, Bishop of Lincoln, issuing a licence for services at it.[4] Architectural evidence suggests that the chapel, which had an apsidal chancel, was much older and probably dated from the 12th century.[4]

The people of Woodcote and Exlade Street could not afford to pay a priest to serve at the chapel, and in 1597 it was recorded that the vicar of South Stoke held services at St. Leonard's only on Christmas Day, Easter Day and a few other days each year.[4] Some worshippers travelled 3 miles (4.8 km) each way to South Stoke to go to church, but most preferred to travel less than 1 mile (1.6 km) to SS Peter and Paul in the adjacent parish of Checkendon.[4] The law obliged everyone to worship in their own parishes, so since 1595 the Rector of Checkendon had prosecuted people from Exlade Street and Checkendon in the local archdeacon's court for coming to his church.[4] In response the faithful of Exlade Street and Woodcote petitioned John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury for permission to worship at Checkendon.[4] Whitgift granted the request, so long as they continued to attend their parish church in South Stoke four times a year.[4] In 1653 the faithful of Woodcote and Exlade Street petitioned for St. Leonard's to be made a separate parish, but their request was not granted.[4]

In 1845-46 St. Leonard's was rebuilt to the designs of the Gothic Revival architect H.J. Underwood.[4][7] Of the original building little survives except the outer flintwork of the chancel walls.[4][7]

St. Leonard's parish is now a member of The Langtree Team Ministry: a Church of England benefice that includes also the parishes of Checkendon, Ipsden, North Stoke, Stoke Row and Whitchurch-on-Thames.[9]

Woodcote has also Roman Catholic[10] and Methodist churches.

Schools

Langtree School,[11] The Oratory School and Woodcote Primary School[12] are all in the village. Langtree School is a comprehensive school and recently became a DfES Specialist Performing Arts College.

Woodcote Breakfast Club[13] is based in the Community Centre and Woodcote After School Club[14] is based in the primary school.

There are two pre-schools. The Cabin, one of the pre-schools was founded by Mrs Rose Hunt in 1961. It had two previous homes until in 1986, when Mrs Bella Saunders, the Chairperson at the time, along with the Management Committee began raising funds for a new building. £10,000 was raised in just twelve months. The current building was installed in 1987 during the Christmas holidays within the grounds of Langtree School. In September 1996, the name was changed from The Cabin Playschool to The Cabin Pre-School.[15]

Amenities

Woodcote has a Post Office, two shops; Londis and Co-Op and two pubs; The Red Lion and The Black Lion.

There is a children's playground built in October 2006[citation needed] beside the main village green, which is next to the village hall.[16] A basketball net is also available.

Woodcote has a Women's Institute.[17] and a Goring and Woodcote Lions Club.[18]

Woodcote is surrounded in many parts by woodland. There are many country footpaths in the area.

Sport

Woodcote / Stoke Row Football Club[19] currently has three teams. The First team plays in the Reading Football League Senior Division; the Reserve team plays in the Reading Football League Division Two, and the Youth team plays in the South Chiltern Minor League Division One.

Woodcote Cricket Club[20] currently plays in the Berkshire Cricket League Premier Division.

Woodcote Rally

Each year Woodcote hosts a steam, vintage and veteran transport[21] and real ale festival,[22] the proceeds of which are donated to local charities and organisations, and over the years has raised more than £300,000. The rally includes a funfair.

References

  1. ^ "Area: Woodcote CP (Parish): Parish Headcounts". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  2. ^ Reading Museum Archaeological Notes - 65;60
  3. ^ The Newsletter of the Council for British Archaeology, South Midlands Group (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire)NUMBER 21, 1991 Page 117
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Lobel, 1962, pages 93-112
  5. ^ a b Emery, 1974, page 96
  6. ^ Jordan, 1996, page 11
  7. ^ a b c Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 852
  8. ^ BBC Oxford: Rural Oxfordshire: Woodcote - Oxfordshire Village of the Year 2008
  9. ^ The Langtree Team Ministry
  10. ^ The Catholic Parish of Our Lady & St John & Christ the King
  11. ^ Langtree School
  12. ^ Woodcote Primary School
  13. ^ Woodcote Breakfast Club
  14. ^ Woodcote After School Club
  15. ^ The Cabin Pre-School
  16. ^ http://www.woodcote-online.co.uk/villagehall
  17. ^ Woodcote Women's Institute
  18. ^ Goring and Woodcote Lions Club
  19. ^ Woodcote / Stoke Row FC
  20. ^ Woodcote Cricket Club
  21. ^ Woodcote Rally
  22. ^ Woodcote Festival Ales

Sources

Media related to Woodcote, Oxfordshire at Wikimedia Commons

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