Kennington | |
---|---|
Present (right) and former (left) St Swithun's parish churches | |
Location within Oxfordshire | |
Population | 4,076 (2011 census) [1] |
OS grid reference | SP5202 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Oxford |
Postcode district | OX1 |
Dialling code | 01865 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Oxfordshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament | |
Website | Kennington Online |
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway. It was in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Kennington was partly in South Hinksey parish and partly in Radley parish until 1936, when a new Kennington civil parish was constituted. Apart from the village, most of Kennington civil parish is wooded, including all of Bagley Wood and West Wood to the west of the village.
The manor house is Jacobean, built in 1629 during the Great Rebuilding of England. [2] It is half-timbered, i.e. its upper storey is timber-framed but its lower storey is not. In this case the lower storey is of local limestone. [2]
The Church of England parish of St Swithun has two churches. The first is a very early example of the Norman revival, designed by the architect Daniel Robertson and built in 1828. [3] The second was built alongside it in 1956-58, designed by a local architect, T. Lawrence Dale, and the vicar, Rev. S.S. Davies. [3] The 1828 building is now deconsecrated.
The local primary school is St Swithun's Church of England School. The village is in the catchment area for Matthew Arnold secondary school. Matthew Arnold School is not located in the village but a bus service is provided.[ citation needed ] Chandlings School, an independent co-educational preparatory school, is nearby.
Kennington has a public house, The Tandem. The village has a health centre, two shops, a post office and a pharmacist, there is also a fish and chip shop, a take away, and a laundrette.[ citation needed ] There are two sports fields: Playfield Road and Forestside.
There has been a great increase in residential building development in the village recently. The developments are all large houses with large gardens which have been turned into flats. The two exceptions are the new houses at the site of the former public house The Scholar Gypsy (named after the local poet, Matthew Arnold) and flats on the site of the former Kennington Service Station. Recent developments include Strode Court, and Chestnut Place on Kennington Road, to the north of the village. A new development has been completed at the site of Cranbrook House in the south of the village on The Avenue.[ citation needed ]
Sandford Hydro, a hydro-electric plant was constructed on the Kennington bank of the Thames between 2011 and 2018. It uses the head of water provided by the Sandford Lashes weir, and can generate up to 450 kilowatts (600 hp) of electricity with its three archimedes screw turbines. [4] [5] [6] [7]
A brass band was set up in the village in 1973, originally named the Kennington (Oxford) Youth Band. [8] The Musical Director was Ron Sudworth. The band grew and developed and was soon entering and winning contests all across England.[ citation needed ] The word Youth was dropped from its name as the age of the members rose. It won the National 4th Section title at Pontins Holiday Camp in 1977 and progressed to the upper reaches of the National 2nd section by 1981.[ citation needed ] Although it has long since ceased participating in contests, the band is still very active. It practises each Sunday morning at the Youth Club and performs regularly throughout Oxfordshire and beyond.
Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about 2 miles (3 km) west of Didcot, 6 miles (10 km) east of Wantage and 13 miles (21 km) south of Oxford. The parish measures about 3.5 miles (6 km) north – south, and almost 2 miles (3 km) east – west at its widest point. In 1923 its area was 2,521 acres (1,020 ha). Historically in Berkshire, it has been administered as part of Oxfordshire, England, since the 1974 boundary changes. The parish includes part of the Milton Park business park in the north and part of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in the southwest. In the east it includes part of the new Great Western Park housing estate that is contiguous with the built-up area of Didcot. The 2011 census recorded the parish's population as 2,349.
Radley is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is home to Radley College, a famous boarding independent school for boys from the age of thirteen to eighteen that consists of 690 pupils.
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is a twin-village and civil parish in the Upper Thames Valley in South Oxfordshire. It lies between Didcot to the west and the historic market town of Wallingford to the east. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire.
Pangbourne is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in Berkshire, England. Pangbourne has its own shops, schools, a railway station on the Great Western main line and a village hall. Outside its grouped developed area is an independent school, Pangbourne College.
Grove is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Historically, part of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire since 1974. The village is on Letcombe Brook, about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) north of Wantage and 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 7,178. It is also home to Formula One constructor Williams Racing.
Botley is a village in the civil parish of North Hinksey in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, just west of the Oxford city boundary. Historically part of Berkshire, it stands on the Seacourt Stream, a stream running off the River Thames. The intersection of the A34 and A420 is to the village's north.
Littlemore is a district and civil parish in Oxford, England. The civil parish includes part of Rose Hill. It is about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) southeast of the city centre of Oxford, between Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, Cowley, and Sandford-on-Thames. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 5,646, with the electoral ward having a total population of 6,441.
Appleford-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the south bank of the River Thames about 2 miles (3 km) north of Didcot, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 350.
Berinsfield is an English village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 2,806.
Cumnor is a village and civil parish 3½ miles (5.6 km) west of the centre of Oxford, England. The village is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of Botley and its centre is west of the A420 road to Swindon. The parish includes Cumnor Hill,, Chawley, the Dean Court area on the edge of Botley and the outlying settlements of Chilswell, Farmoor, Filchampstead and Swinford. It was within Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 5,755.
Sandford-on-Thames, also referred to as simply Sandford, is a village and Parish Council beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire just south of Oxford. The village is just west of the A4074 road between Oxford and Henley.
Checkendon is a village and civil parish about 6 miles (10 km) west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about 9 miles (14 km) north west of Reading in Berkshire on a mid-height swathe of the Chilterns.
South Hinksey is a village and civil parish just over 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the centre of Oxford. The parish includes the residential area of Hinksey Hill about 0.5 miles (800 m) south of the village. The parish was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Daniel Robertson was a British architect.
Wootton is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Abingdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The parish of Wootton includes the hamlets of Whitecross and Lamborough Hill and the western part of Boars Hill. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,709.
Hinton Waldrist is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, England. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is between Oxford and Faringdon, 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Oxford. The parish includes the hamlet of Duxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 328.
Daniel Harris was an English builder, prison governor, civil engineer, and architect prominent in Oxford.
Sandford St Martin is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire about 7 miles (11 km) east of Chipping Norton and about 12 miles (19 km) south of Banbury. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 209.
Thomas Lawrence Dale, FRIBA, FSA was an English architect. Until the First World War he concentrated on designing houses for private clients. From the 1930s Dale was the Oxford Diocesan Surveyor and was most noted for designing, restoring, and furnishing Church of England parish churches.
St Helen's Church is a Church of England parish church in Abingdon on the bank of the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. The church is thought to occupy the site of the Anglo-Saxon Helenstowe Nunnery.