Great Bourton

Great Bourton is a village about 3 miles (5 km) north of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Bourton. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 614.^[1]

Great Bourton
All Saints' parish church bell tower
Great Bourton Location within Oxfordshire
Population	614 (parish, with Little Bourton) (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SP456455
Civil parish	Bourton
District	Cherwell
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Banbury
Postcode district	OX17
Dialling code	01295
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Banbury
Website	The Bourtons
List of places UK England Oxfordshire 52.106°N 1.335°W / 52.106; -1.335

Church and chapel

Church of England

The Church of England parish church of All Saints was originally 13th century. The west wall of the nave has a recess containing a small bell cast by Henry I Bagley of Chacombe in 1673.^[2] In 1863 the church was almost entirely rebuilt to plans by the architect William White,^[3] who added a bell tower, separate from the church, built over the lychgate.^[4][5] It is one of only three such bell towers in Britain to be so sited. All Saints' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shires' Edge along with those of Claydon, Cropredy, Mollington and Wardington.^[6]

Methodist

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.

Amenities

The Bell Inn in 1995

Great Bourton has a pub, The Bell, that is controlled by Hook Norton Brewery.^[7]

Great Bourton's only public transport is bus route 502 between Banbury and Temple Herdewyke in Warwickshire. The current operator is Stagecoach in Warwickshire. There is one bus a day on Saturdays.^[8]

References

1. "Area: Bourton (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
2. Crossley et al. 1972, pp. 175–184.
3. Historic England. "Church of All Saints (Grade II) (1215872)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
4. Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 617.
5. Historic England. "Lychgate at Church of All Saints (Grade II) (1287914)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
6. Archbishops' Council. "Benefice of Shires' Edge". A Church Near You. Church of England. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
7. "The Bell Inn Great Bourton". Hook Norton Brewery. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
8. "502 Leamington / Harbury - Temple Herdewyke / Banbury". Traveline Southeast. Retrieved 6 December 2019.

Sources

• Crossley, Alan (ed.); Colvin, Christina; Cooper, Janet; Cooper, NH; Harvey, PDA; Hollings, Marjory; Hook, Judith; Jessup, Mary; Lobel, Mary D; Mason, JFA; Trinder, BS; Turner, Hilary (1972). A History of the County of Oxford. Victoria County History. Vol. 10: Banbury Hundred. London: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research. pp. 175–184. ISBN 978-0-19722-728-2. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
• Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 617. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.

External links

• The Bourtons