Coordinates: 51°41′13″N 0°57′00″W / 51.687°N 0.950°W
| Aston Rowant | |
 Parish church of St Peter and St Paul |
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  Aston Rowant
Aston Rowant shown within Oxfordshire |
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| Population | 815 (2001 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Aston Rowant |
| District | South Oxfordshire |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Watlington |
| Postcode district | OX49 |
| Dialling code | 01844 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Henley |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Aston Rowant is a village and civil parish about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Thame in South Oxfordshire, England. The parish includes the villages of Aston Rowant and Kingston Blount, and adjoins Buckinghamshire to the southeast.
Aston Rowant is close to the ancient Lower Icknield Way.
Contents |
History
In 1055 the manor of Aston Rowant belonged to the Diocese of Winchester.[1] Bishop Stigand of Winchester had promised to grant Aston Rowant to the Benedictine Abingdon Abbey but failed to do so.[1] Just before the Norman conquest of England a man called Wulfstan held the manor.[1] The Domesday Book records that in 1086 Aston Rowant belonged to Miles Crispin, son-in-law of Robert D'Oyly.[1] Crispin died in 1107 and his widow Maud was married to Brien FitzCount.[1] FitzCount and Maud supported the Empress Matilda during the Anarchy, and when King Stephen defeated Matilda both FitzCount and Maud entered religious houses.[1] Stephen gave their estates to Henry, Duke of Normandy, thus making Aston Rowant part of the
The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul are the north and south walls of the nave, which are Norman and from around 1100.[1] The chancel was rebuilt late in the 13th century[1] in the Decorated style.[2] The bell tower and north and south aisles were added in the 14th century, also in the Decorated style. In the 15th century natural light in the church was increased by the addition of a window in the north wall and a clerestorey above the nave,[1] both in the Perpendicular style.[2]
The church tower had a spire until 1811, when some of the stonework of the tower parapet fell off and the spire was removed during the tower repairs.[1] In 1831 the Perpendicular stylre roof of the nave was replaced with a new flat one.[1] The chancel was renovated in 1850 and its present east window was inserted in 1856. In 1874 the north aisle was extended westwards by one bay to provide a chamber in which an organ was installed. The architect E.G. Bruton restored the building in 1884.[2] The bell tower has a peal of six bells,[3] the oldest of which was cast in about 1450.[1]
The village school was founded in or before 1833 as a National School for girls, and in 1844 its present premises were built and it became a mixed school.[1] In 1931 it was reorganised as a junior school and in 1951 it became a Church of England school.[1][4]
The Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway was built in 1872 and opened Aston Rowant railway station about 0.5 miles (800 m) from the village. The Great Western Railway operated the line until nationalisation in 1948. British Railways withdrew passenger services in 1957 and closed Aston Rowant goods yard in 1961. The track has since been dismantled.
The railway station has featured in four films:
- The Captive Heart (1946)
- My Brother Jonathan (1947)
- My Brother's Keeper (1948)
- Portrait of Clare (1950)
Excerpts of these films can be found at The Watlington Branch Line blog.
Amenities
Aston Rowant Cricket Club[5] plays in the Cherwell Cricket League.[6]
Sources
- Lobel, Mary D. (ed.) (1969). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 8: Lewknor and Pyrton Hundreds. p. 16-43.
- Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 426-427. ISBN 0 14 071045 0.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Lobel, 1969, pages 16-43
- ^ a b c Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 427
- ^ Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, South Oxfordshire Branch: Aston Rowant
- ^ Aston Rowant Primary School
- ^ [http://astonrowant.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp Aston Rowant Cricket Club]
- ^ The Oxford Times Cherwell Cricket League
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