Coordinates: 51°36′43″N 1°25′16″W / 51.612°N 1.421°W
| Grove | |
  Grove
 Grove shown within Oxfordshire |
|
| Population | 10,000 [citation needed] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Vale of White Horse |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wantage |
| Postcode district | OX12 |
| Dialling code | 01235 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Wantage |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Grove is a village and civil parish in the English county of Oxfordshire, which is best-known as the home of the Williams F1 Formula One constructor. It is now the largest village in the Vale of White Horse. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire.
History
In 1142 Grove, then little more than a hamlet, was recorded when King Stephen granted a manor here to the Abbot of Bermondsey.
In 1770 the turnpike road was built as a more direct route between Wantage and Oxford. Between 1796 and 1810 the Wilts & Berks Canal was built. Its main route passed through the village and a branch of the canal was built between Grove and Wantage.
In 1840 the Great Western Railway opened Wantage Road railway station on the northern boundary of Grove. In 1875 the Wantage Tramway was built. This was a single track laid alongside the turnpike road linking Wantage Road Station and Wantage. It was operated by steam tram locomotives which pulled both a passenger tramcar and a goods wagons.
Competition from the railway and tramway reduced canal traffic, and the Wilts and Berks fell into disuse in 1901. Increasing competition from road transport reduced traffic on the tram, and passenger tram services were ended in 1925.
In 1942 RAF Grove was opened as a Bomber Command training base. In 1943 it was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces and the 45th Air Depot Group established one of the largest and busiest supply airfields in Europe. In 1946 the USAAF returned the airbase to the RAF, who relegated it for non-flying operations. In 1955 the base was transferred to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, which used it until the 1960s. The site was then sold off and private housing was built on part of the former airfield.
In 1945 the Wantage Tramway closed to freight traffic. One of its steam tram engines is preserved at Didcot Railway Centre. In 1965 British Railways closed Wantage Road station. Oxfordshire County Council has a policy to seek a new station to be built to serve Wantage and Grove.
Parts of the Wilts and Berks Canal around Grove are still visible, providing some pleasant local walks. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is working to reopen the entire canal, and several small sections around Grove have already been restored.
Grove has lately been a site of extensive housing development, greatly increasing its size and almost merging with the nearby town of Wantage.
Amenities
Grove has two primary schools: Millbrook Primary School[1] and Grove Church of England Primary School.[2]
Grove has three public houses:
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- The Baytree, Denchworth Road
- The Bell,[3] Main Street
- The Volunteer Inn,[4] Station Road (Hook Norton Brewery)[5]
The village has been twinned with Mably, France since 1990.
Grove rugby union and association football clubs play at the Cane Lane ground on the outskirts of the village. Grove Rugby Football Club[6] was founded in 1971 and plays in the Southern League North division,[7] making it one of the four highest-rated sides in Oxfordshire. Grove RFC has consistently had among the best colts sides in the area and has long had a policy of bringing through players from the colts to the senior sides. One of its highest achieving alumni is John Dunbar, who captained Grove in the early 2000s before moving to Newcastle Falcons and then Leeds Carnegie on a professional contract. He later represented Scotland in the 2005 Six Nations Championship, playing in two games as a substitute.
References
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
