Coordinates: 51°52′33″N 1°07′10″W / 51.8759°N 1.1194°W
| Ambrosden | |
  Ambrosden shown within Oxfordshire |
|
| Population | 1300 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Ambrosden |
| District | Cherwell |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BICESTER |
| Postcode district | OX25 |
| Dialling code | 01869 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Banbury |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Ambrosden is a village and civil parish on the north side of the valley of the River Ray in Oxfordshire, England, 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Bicester.
Contents |
History
Place name scholars suggest that Ambrosden is named after Ambrosius Aurelianus, a leader of the Romano-British people, who won battles against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century.[citation needed]
The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of St. Mary the Virgin is the 12th century Norman north doorway. The west tower was built slightly later in the Early English style. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in the 14th century in the Decorated style.[1] The tower has a peal of eight bells.[2] The Church of England Parish of Ambrosden is now part of the Benefice of the Ray Valley.[3]
The nearby vicarage dates from 1638. The village school was built in 1876 in a Gothic Revival style.
Ambrosden House was formerly the residence of a family of gentry, the Page-Turners see Page-Turner Baronets. Sir Gregory Page-Turner demolished the house in 1768.[4]
British Army presence
The British Army, which has personnel employed at St. George's Baracks in nearby Arncott, has had a presence in the village since the Second World War. The Bicester Military Railway between Bicester and Piddington was built through Ambrosden in 1941 and remains in use to this day. A large Ministry of Defence housing development was built in the 1950s, doubling the size of the village. However over the last decade[when?] the army has been downsizing and the MoD has sold properties to civilians.[citation needed]
British Army personnel in Ambrosden include a large number of Fijians. Fijian servicemen join the British Army because Fiji does not have armed forces.[citation needed]
Politics
The village is in the Cherwell District Council ward of Ambrosden and Chesterton, represented by Cllr. Andrew Fulljames (Conservative).[5] Ambrosden is in the Oxfordshire County Council ward of Ploughley, represented by Cllr. Catherine Fulljames (Conservative).[6]
Business and social infrastructure
Business comes from British Army personnel, local shops and amenities and Ambrosden Court Ltd which specialises in building. There is also a village post office, pub, car dealer and garage, and a craft shop that sells to the trade. Ambrosden has a hair salon, and a public house, the Turner Arms.[7] The Army also provides a community centre for personnel and their families incorporating a library, a gymnasium, a careers centre and an indoor swimming pool. Opposite the post office is the Ambrosden village hall, formerly the village school.
Sports
Sporting facilities include a swimming pool and open fields used for various sports, chiefly football and rugby union. Other popular recreations include running and dog walking. There are no sporting teams based in Ambrosden, but there are many sportsmen and women who play for various teams in Oxfordshire.
Future developments
Planned developments include a pelican crossing and several new apartment buildings as well as new housing estates: some to the east of Ambrosden.[citation needed]
Bibliography
- Cotton, Nick (1994). Cycle Tours: 24 One-day Routes in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Philips' OS Publications. ISBN 978-0-600-58156-7.
- Green, David Robert (2000). In the Wake of Ambrosius: an Illustrated Rural History Focusing on the Upper Ray Valley, Oxfordshire. ISBN 0-9538455-0-8.
- Henig, Martin; Booth, Paul M. (2000). Roman Oxfordshire. Sutton Publishing Ltd.. ISBN 978-0-7509-1959-3.
- Lobel, Mary D. (Ed.) (1957). A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 5: Bullingdon hundred. pp. 15-30.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus; Sherwood, Jennifer (1974). The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 422. ISBN 0 14 071045 0.
References
- ^ Pevsner & Sherwood, 1974, page 422
- ^ Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, Bicester Branch
- ^ A Church Near You: Benefice of the Ray Valley
- ^ Pevsner & Sherwood, 1974, page 422
- ^ Cherwell District Council: Councillor Andrew Fulljames
- ^ Oxfordshire County Council: Mrs Catherine Ann Fulljames
- ^ North Oxfordshire CAMRA: Turner Arms
External links
- "Ambrosden village website". http://www.ambrosden.org/.
- "Ambrosden article in Mispedia". http://www.mispedia.org/Ambrosden.html.
- "Article no. 5769". http://www.acny.org.uk/5769/.
- "Ambrosden genealogy resources". UK-Genealogy (organisation). http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Oxfordshire/places/Ambrosden.html.
- "Ambrosden". Information Britain. http://www.information-britain.co.uk/findings.cfm?town=Ambrosden.
- "Ambrosden Court Ltd". http://www.ambrosdencourt.co.uk/.
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