Fifield, Oxfordshire

Fifield
Fifield
	St John the Baptist parish church
	Fifield Location within Oxfordshire
Population	240 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SP2318
Civil parish	Fifield;
District	West Oxfordshire;
Shire county	Oxfordshire;
Region	South East;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Chipping Norton
Postcode district	OX7
Dialling code	01993
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Witney;
	List of places UK England Oxfordshire 51°52′12″N 1°39′18″W / 51.870°N 1.655°W

Fifield is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Burford in Oxfordshire. The western boundary of the parish forms part of the county boundary with Gloucestershire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 240.^[1]

Archaeology

In the parish nearly 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) west of the village is a Neolithic long barrow dating from between 3400 and 2400 BC. It is 157 feet (48 m) long, up to 92 feet (28 m) wide and up to 6 feet (1.8 m) high. It had a stone-lined passage about 66 feet (20 m) long, starting at its northeast end and ending in a small burial chamber. The barrow was partly excavated in 1934. It is a scheduled monument.^[2]^[3]

History

The toponym is probably derived from its Old English name of Fifhides.^[4] The Domesday book of 1086 records Fifield:

"Henry de Ferrers holds Fifield^[5] There are five hides. Land for seven ploughs. Now in demesne 2 ploughs and 4 slaves and 9 villans with 4 bordars have 5 ploughs. There are 24 acres of meadow. Pasture one league in length and one breadth. It was and is worth 100 shillings."^[6]

Parish church

The Church of England parish church of St John the Baptist is early 13th-century with a 14th-century tower and porch. The nave was partly rebuilt in 1840. It was restored in 1897 to designs by TE Colcutt, who added the north vestry. The church is a Grade II* listed building.^[7] The tower has a ring of three bells. The second bell was cast in about 1399 by a bell-foundry that then existed in Wokingham, Berkshire. Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the tenor bell in 1725. James Bagley of Chacombe, Northamptonshire cast the treble bell in 1746. For technical reasons the bells are currently unringable. St John's also has a Sanctus bell that was cast by an unknown founder around 1499.^[8] St John's parish is part of the Benefice of Shipton-under-Wychwood with Milton-under-Wychwood, Fifield and Idbury.^[9]

RAF Little Rissington

In 1938 RAF Little Rissington was opened west of Fifield. Its periphery straddles the county boundary and includes Fifield long barrow.

References

^ "Area: Fifield (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ Harden 1954, pp. 142, 143.
^ Historic England. "Fifield long barrow (1015159)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ Williams & Martin 2003, p. 1345.
^ Henry de Ferrers held a considerable number of manors given to him by the King including several in Oxfordshire. As well as Fifield these included Dean, Chastleton, Badgemore and Sibford.
^ Williams & Martin 2003, p. 433.
^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II*) (1283580)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ Davies, Peter (23 December 2011). "Fifield S John Bapt". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ Archbishops' Council (2015). "Benefice of Shipton-under-Wychwood with Milton-under Wychwood, Fifield and Idbury". A Church Near You. Church of England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

Sources and further reading

Harden, D.B. (1954). "Scheduled Monuments in Oxfordshire" (PDF). Oxoniensia. XIX. Oxford Architectural and Historical Society: 137–145.
Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). Oxfordshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 603. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
Williams, Ann; Martin, G.H., eds. (2003). Domesday Book: A Complete Translation. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-143994-7.

External links

The Wychwood Magazine Online

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[1] "Area: Fifield (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

[FOOTNOTEHarden1954142,_143-2] Harden 1954, pp. 142, 143.

[3] Historic England. "Fifield long barrow (1015159)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

[FOOTNOTEWilliamsMartin20031345-4] Williams & Martin 2003, p. 1345.

[5] Henry de Ferrers held a considerable number of manors given to him by the King including several in Oxfordshire. As well as Fifield these included Dean, Chastleton, Badgemore and Sibford.

[FOOTNOTEWilliamsMartin2003433-6] Williams & Martin 2003, p. 433.

[7] Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II*) (1283580)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

[8] Davies, Peter (23 December 2011). "Fifield S John Bapt". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

[9] Archbishops' Council (2015). "Benefice of Shipton-under-Wychwood with Milton-under Wychwood, Fifield and Idbury". A Church Near You. Church of England. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

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v t e The District of West Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Council elections District Council elections Banbury County Constituency Bicester and Woodstock County Constituency Witney County Constituency
Towns	Burford Signet Upton Carterton Charlbury Chipping Norton Southcombe Witney Cogges Madley Park Woodstock
Large villages	Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney Aston Cote Shifford Chimney Bampton Lower Haddon Weald Brize Norton Ducklington Enstone Church Enstone Neat Enstone Chalford Cleveley Fulwell Gagingwell Lidstone Radford Eynsham Barnard Gate Freeland Hailey New Yatt Hanborough Church Hanborough Long Hanborough Milton-under-Wychwood Minster Lovell North Leigh East End Wilcote Shipton-under-Wychwood Standlake Brighthampton Steeple Barton Middle Barton Stonesfield
Other civil parishes (component villages and hamlets)	Alvescot Ascott-under-Wychwood Ascott d'Oyley Ascott Earl Asthall Asthall Leigh Worsham Black Bourton Bladon Blenheim Broadwell Bruern Cassington Worton Chadlington Chastleton Chilson Shorthampton Churchill Clanfield Combe Cornbury and Wychwood Cornbury Wychwood Cornwell Crawley Curbridge Fawler Fifield Filkins and Broughton Poggs Filkins Broughton Poggs Finstock Fulbrook Glympton Grafton and Radcot Grafton Radcot Great Tew Hardwick-with-Yelford Hardwick Yelford Heythrop Dunthrop Holwell Idbury Bould Foscot Kelmscott Kencot Kiddington with Asterleigh Asterleigh Kiddington Over Kiddington Kingham Langford Leafield Lew Little Faringdon Little Tew Lyneham Northmoor Over Norton Ramsden Mount Skippett Rollright Great Rollright Little Rollright Rousham Salford Sandford St. Martin Ledwell Sarsden Shilton South Leigh Spelsbury Dean Taston Stanton Harcourt Swerford Swinbrook and Widford Swinbrook Widford Tackley Taynton Westcott Barton Westwell Wootton Dornford Hordley Worton Nether Worton Over Worton
Former districts and boroughs	Chipping Norton Rural District Municipal Borough of Chipping Norton Witney Urban District Witney Rural District Municipal Borough of Woodstock Woodstock Rural District
Former constituencies	Oxfordshire County Constituency Woodstock Borough Constituency Mid Oxfordshire or Woodstock County Constituency Henley County Constituency Mid Oxfordshire County Constituency
List of parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire List of places in Oxfordshire List of civil parishes in Oxfordshire