Great Bourton
| Great Bourton | |
| Oxfordshire | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' parish church bell tower | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP456455 |
| Location: | 52°6’22"N, 1°20’6"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 614 (2011, with Little Bourton) |
| Post town: | Banbury |
| Postcode: | OX17 |
| Dialling code: | 01295 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cherwell |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Banbury |
| Website: | The Bourtons |
Great Bourton is a village about three miles north of Banbury in the north of Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population, with Great Bourton and Little Bourton, as 614.
Great Bourton has one pub, The Bell.
Church and chapel
The Church of England parish church, All Saints, is 13th century in origin. The west wall of the nave has a recess containing a small bell cast by Henry I Bagley of Chacombe in 1673.[1] In 1863 the church was almost entirely rebuilt to plans by the architect William White,[2] who added a bell tower, separate from the church, built over the lychgate.[3][4] It is one of only three such bell towers in Britain to be so sited.
All Saints' parish is now part of the ‘Shires' Edge’ Benefice, along with those of Claydon, Cropredy, Mollington and Wardington.
Great Bourton village hall used to be the Methodist Chapel.
History
In the Battle of Cropredy Bridge in June 1644, the Parliamentarian General Waller saw that the Royalist army was strung out from its position on higher ground near Great Bourton and decided to order an attack. The Royalists pushed Waller's force back to Great Bourton when it met the Royalist Earl of Northampton's brigade of horse.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Great Bourton) |
References
- ↑ Crossley et al. 1972, pp. 175–184.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1215872: Church of All Saints (Grade II listing)
- ↑ Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 617.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1287914: Lychgate at Church of All Saints (Grade II listing)
- A History of the County of Oxford - Volume 10 pp 175-184: Parishes: Great and Little Bourton (Victoria County History)