West Oxford history articles Local History links
For old photographs of Oxfordshire including
Osney. Binsey, Botley etc -
Go to the Oxford
County Council Heritage page and search on a name
(try Osney)
OUR BACKGROUND PROJECT .... West Oxford News archive
Read the very first issue - October 1975
Click on a page to read the full-size version
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Later issues (A4 size) start here :
Number 26 May 1978 (thumbnails in due course)
Number 27 June 1978 (thumbnails in due course)
SOME RECENT LOCAL HISTORY GROUP EVENTS
Wednesday 26 September 2007
7.30 pm
St
Thomas’s Church, Becket Street, Oxford
John Whitehead (Oriel College, and former Churchwarden of St Thomas the Martyr), will speak on:
The Community of St Thomas the Martyr: An Oxford Parish SisterhoodAll welcome.
Wednesday 19th
September 2007
WOCA
A talk on the history of Binsey ...
... drawing on baptism and burial records from 1813 till the present day.
Includes the ceremonial handover of the 19th century registers (marriages and burials) to the Country Records Office.
All welcome
Thursday 6th September
2007
7.00 pm
WOCA
English Heritage in Oxfordshire
Susan Westlake, an archaeologist with English Heritage, will talk about sites in and around Oxford - from Conduit House in West Oxford, to Silbury Hill.
All welcome
Tuesday 17 July 2007
6.00 pm and 7.45 pm
West Oxford Local History Group (WOLHG)
River trips with local history author and waterways' authority Mark Davies
A rural upstream option past Port Meadow to beyond Godstow, or a busier downstream trip past Christ Church Meadows to Iffley.
Commencing at the Waterman's Arms, Osney OX2 0BE
Or come on both!
and enjoy a complementary glass of wine between trips.
Advance booking essential, before July 7th.
Places limited to 12 per trip.
Price £10 per return trip.
Phone 08452 269396 to book
Details of similar trips at www.oxfordrivercruises.com .
Price £10 per return trip.
Mark Davies has written extensively on Oxford's waterways.
Click here for more details.
Thursday 24 May 2007
7.00 pm
St
Frideswide's Church, Botley Road
West Oxford Local History Group
Susan Adams talking about her book on St Frideswide - "Who was Frideswide?", in St Frideswide's church, Botley Road, and tell us about her research into Oxford's own saint.
Sunday 29 April 2007
8.30 pm
Democrats
Club, Osney
(1 North Street, on the corner of East Street and North
Street)
West Oxford Local History Group
A Tony Joyce, president of the Oxford Civic Society:
Oxford's West Side Story: the work of the Oxford Civic Society, with particular reference to West Oxford and Osney Island.Tony Joyce's talk included the Civic Society's work in connection with proposed developments in Oxford's west side, including responses to proposals to redevelop the Westgate, the Newsquest development, and the redevelopment of the River Hotel proposed previously.
A joint event with Osney Island Residents Association (OIRA).
Thursday 19 April 2007
7.00 pm
WOCA
West Oxford Local History Group
Martin Henig
"Life in Roman Oxfordshire
Tuesday 20 February 2007
7.00 pm
River Hotel,
Botley Road
West Oxford Local History Group
50 years working for Kingerlee - builders of West Oxford
Martin Harris will talk about his father's experience working for Oxford building firm Kingerlee.
The River Hotel, this which was originally built as the home of the firm's founder has kindly agreed to host this talk
From the Kingerlee Website
The Kingerlee business was founded in 1868 by Thomas Henry Kingerlee, then a plumber living in Banbury
Thomas Kingerlee moved to Oxford and soon established a thriving business, not only undertaking building works for a variety of customers but also developing new homes for the expanding city. Many houses were built in west Oxford where Helen Road and Henry Road were named after members of his family and where he built a house for himself, which is now the River Hotel. More houses were built in south Oxford and then later back in west Oxford in the area that became New Botley. Many other important projects were completed in this period and those still standing in Oxford include The Old Fire Station and Apollo Theatre in George Street, The Jam Factory in Park End Street and River Mead Hospital on the Abingdon Road.
The company continued to thrive and consolidate through the twentieth century although with the arrival of the internal combustion engine, two World Wars and the Great Depression, things were certainly never dull. During the latter part of that century the company concentrated on general contracting, playing its part in rebuilding after the second war and responding to the boom years in the sixties and seventies. Much work was done at Cowley’s Pressed Steel Plant, now BMW’s new Mini factory, where the Apprentice Building and Paint Shop remain. In 1970 the Company re-started its development business, building amongst others, a number of prominent apartment blocks in North Oxford creating more than 200 new homes in all, and the new studios and offices for Radio Oxford in the Banbury Road.
Thomas Kingerlee died in the 1920’s but by then his two sons and a grandson had joined the business and continued to manage a variety of activities, which included a Joinery and a Builders’ Merchant. Subsequent generations followed them into the business and today three of the founder’s great great grandsons are involved, Jonathan Kingerlee, David Kingerlee and Richard Wilsdon.
Thursday December
7 2006
7:00 pm
West Oxford Local History Group
Christmas social, review and preview meeting.
Come along to reminisce about this years talks and hear about the programme
for 2007: to include
Sunday October 22 2006
2:30 pm
Church House, North Hinksey Lane
Annual Hinksey Fields walk
This walk started as a celebration of the success of local people in opposing a planning application to develop on the fields.
Drinks at the Fishes afterwards
Thursday
September 28 2006
7.00 pm
St
Frideswide's Church, Botley Road
West Oxford Local History Group
Malcolm Graham on the history of St Frideswides church and parish.
Click here to see 1876 map of St Frideswides church and local area
Wednesday 19 July 2006
Waterman's Arms, Osney Town
West Oxford's Waterways -- a guided walk with Mark Davies
A 90-minute walk with local historian Mark Davies, starting and finishing at the Waterman's Arms in East Street, Osney Island.
For this walk only there will be a small charge for this walk of £3.00 per person / £2.00 concessions.
Tuesday 13th June 2006
WOCA
John Chipperfield - Assistant Editor, Oxford Mail
"My Life as a Journalist"John has a great knowledge of local history and has compiled the Oxford Mail's Memory Lane pages for many years.
Wednesday 5th April 2006
WOCA
Chris
Day
"No Little Scandal to God and man: the extraordinary
story of town-gown relations in Oxford"
Chris Day is University Lecturer in Local History and a Fellow of Kellogg College. He has worked extensively on the history of Oxford.
His published work has appeared primarily within the Victoria County History, for which he researched and wrote the history of the city of Oxford and of Oxfordshire rural parishes.
Recently he has written a chapter for Volume 6 of the History of the University of Oxford and co-authored another. He is General Editor of the Oxfordshire Record Society.
Tuesday 28 Febuary 2006
St Thomas the Martyr Church, Becket Street
Old Osney Church and Parish
Talk by Fr Robert Sweeney
The talk will be in St Thomas's church itself, and will be an opportunity to hear about the fascinating history of this lovely 13th century church.
St Thomas church is at the west end of St Thomas street, off Oxpens Road. You can also reach it from Becket Street (by the British Rail car park)
Wednesday 5 October 2005
Liz Woolley -- "St Thomas the Martyr Parochial School in Osney Lane"
Talk on St Thomas' School, Osney Lane, Oxford
The building is now the home of the LIttle Scholars Nursery School -- but in writing its history, Liz discovered lots of local ex-pupils and a fund of fascinating information Find out the fascinating story of this building in one of the most ancient and historic areas of the city
Liz Woolley's book will be available:
Introduction and summary
Founding of the school
Design of the school
The builder
How the money was raised
Opening of the school
Life at the school
More recent history of the school
The building today
St Thomas' parish
The church of St Thomas the Martyr
Other buildings of interest nearby
Other Oxford schools of comparable age to St Thomas'
References
Wednesday 7 September 2005
"The Story of Oxford's Waterways"
Mark Davies gives an illustrated talk on
The Thames and Waterways of West OxfordMark Davis links and publications:
Jericho embraces the canal -- article in the Jericho Echo Online
InOur Canal in Oxford - 54 page book by Mark Davies and Catherine Robinson
Memories of the southern end of the Oxford Canal as it was before trade ceased in the 1950s. Practical boating information and local history all clearly laid out in a beautifully produced work.
A Towpath Walk in Oxford - 102 page book by Mark Davies and Catherine Robinson
This book expands upon its predecessor ‘Our Canal in Oxford’ by taking the read on a near circular walk – approximately 7 miles, plus optional detours, along the Oxford Canal and back up the River Thames. Published 2001.
Friday 9 September 2005
FREE tours of West Oxford's Historic Southwell Building
Visit West Oxford's former Power Station (1890 -1968) off Mill Street
The Southwell Building is in Russell St, off Mill St
The Southwell Building now houses the Osney Laboratory, part of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science.
For more on the recent history and work of the Osney Laboratory, click here.
WEST OXFORD HISTORY ARTICLES
Read the front page of the first issue
October 1 1975Changing faces of West Oxford
An illustrated history of West Oxford by Malcolm Graham, Head of Oxfordshire Studies with Oxfordshire County CouncilTUM 150 - Recreation at Tumbling Bay 1853-2003
The heyday, decline and rebirth of West Oxford's Tumbling Bay recreation area
by Malcolm GrahamBotley Road improvements - 60 years ago
(taken from West Oxford News number 52 September 1985)by Malcolm Graham
BOTLEY ROAD ONLY became a major traffic route in the late 1760s when the Botley and Newland Turnpike Trust improved the 16th century causeway and provided a carriage road over Wytham Hill to the Earl of Abingdon's newly-built Swinford Bridge. Five arched stone bridges were built along the Botley Road, namely Osney Bridge, St. Frideswide's Bridge, Bullstake Bridge, Seven Arches Bridge and Seacourt Bridge) of these, only St.Frideswide's Bridge (widened in 1906) survives today. Osney Bridge was rebuilt in 1888 after a partial collapse and the other 18th century bridges with their steep approaches and a width of only 22 feet lasted only a little longer.
In the early 1920s the City Council decided to improve the western access to Oxford, taking into account the increasing motor traffic which had led to the imposition of a 10 mph speed limit in 1910. The major objective was, however, to relieve local unemployment and the scheme, funded by the City, the Ministry of Transport and in part by Berkshire County Council, employed at least 50 men for over 3 years.
Pacey's Bridge in Park End Street was rebuilt and between 1923 and 1924 Botley Road west of Binsey Lane was widened to 60 feet. In the process Seven Arches Bridge was demolished and not replaced, the risk of flooding being diminished by the removal of Botley Mill and the creation of larger floodways in the rebuilt Bullstake and Seacourt Bridges.
These bridges of reinforced concrete with stone piers were built by Messrs, Stewart and McDonnell and the photo (in West Oxford News 52 September 1985 page 2) shows the contractors' men and machinery at Bullstake Bridge with the Co-op dairy, then still a bakery, in the distance.
By the end of 1924, the scheme was virtually complete. Lime trees had already been planted to the north of the road and more were promised for the southern verge. At a formal ceremony on December 8th, the Mayor, Cllr. Amos George, declared the road open; few of the assembled worthies could have imagined how busy it would become.
LOCAL HISTORY LINKS
Victoria County History - online and searchable
A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 4
The City of OxfordTry the Search box in the top right - eg "osney" or "oseney"
LOCAL - West Oxford and environs
LOCAL - Oxford area in general
Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society
BBC local history - links for Oxford local history
From Stephanie Jenkin's comprehensive Headington website:
Oxfordshire history
Links to other useful sites for Oxfordshire history
GENERAL
Other local history websites (to see how they do it):
