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Coordinates: 51°43′28″N 1°30′28″W / 51.7245°N 1.5077°W / 51.7245; -1.5077

Aston
Aston  Aston shown within Oxfordshire
OS grid reference	SP3403
Parish	Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney
District	West Oxfordshire
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bampton
Postcode district	OX18
Dialling code	01993
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Witney
Website	Aston, Cote, Chimney and Shifford
List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire

Aston's war memorial

Aston is a village in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire in England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,264. The southern boundary of the parish is the River Thames. The village is part of the civil parish of Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney.

History

Until the 19th century Aston was a township in the ancient parish of Bampton.^[1] In 1866 the civil parish of Aston and Cote was separated from Bampton. In 1931 Aston and Cote was united with Chimney were united to form the civil parish of Aston Bampton, which was merged with Shifford in 1954 to form the parish of Aston Bampton and Shifford.^[2] The parish was later renamed Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney.

Parish church

St. James Church, Aston

The Church of England parish church of Saint James was built in 1839^[3] with only a low squat tower and one bell. Later a spire and second bell were added. The Gothic Revival architect Joseph Clarke restored the building in 1862,^[3] even though it was only 23 years old at the time. The architect H.G.W. Drinkwater made further alterations in 1885-89.^[3]

The present six bells were supplied by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough in 1883, the two original bells being taken in part exchange. Two brass plates in the church commemorate the names of local clergy & churchwardens at the time of the bells' dedication and benefactors who contributed to the cost, the balance of which was raised by public subscription. In 1992 the bells were restored and re-hung by White's of Appleton following two years of local fund-raising.

In 1857 Aston, Cote and Shifford became part of the ecclesiastical parish of Bampton Aston. It now forms part of the united benefice of Bampton with Clanfield.^[4]

Pottery

Aston Pottery^[5] was founded in 1990 and now employs 40 people producing over 120 different patterns on 45 different shapes.

It has recently undergone a huge expansion and now has a Country Cafe, which serves locally-sourced fare that is all made on the premises. The new building was opened in December 2008. Food critic, Helen Peacocke, gave the following review about the cakes on offer there: "Each of these cakes is baked from a tried and tested country recipe, to which Celia [head chef and manager of the Cafe] adds a modern twist. Having been lucky enough to taste of several different slices during my visit, I can confidently say you would be hard pushed to find a more delicious homemade cake, unless you make it yourself."^[6]

Aston's location is one of great historical significance. To the west lies Chimney and its ancient church. The church dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and was the central point for trade and worship as well as a meeting place for the small hamlet that arose around it over 3,000 years ago. Outlines of the town roads and housing banks can still be made out in the earth just in front of the church, as the land makes its way down to the river where many village life activities would have taken place.

From the ancient Bronze Age preaching cross that still stands in front of the church doors it becomes clear why this location was chosen for settlement. Protected by the river in front, defenders could have seen a threat coming from a long distance as it is possible to see the rise in the land which runs from Newbridge, just south of Standlake in the east, right along the Ridgeway past Buckland and away towards Tadpole Bridge in the west.

Sources

• Crossley, Alan & C.R.J. Currie (eds.); A.P. Baggs, Eleanor Chance, Christina Colvin, C.J. Day, Nesta Selwyn, S.C. Townley (1996). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 13: Bampton Hundred (Part One). pp. 62-80. 
• Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 426. ISBN 0 14 071045 0. 

References

External links

• Map sources for Aston, Oxfordshire

The District of West Oxfordshire Oxfordshire • County Council elections • District Council elections • Witney County Constituency Towns Burford • Carterton • Charlbury • Chipping Norton (Southcombe) • Witney (Cogges, Madley Park) • Woodstock (Hensington, Old Woodstock) Large Villages Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney (Aston, Cote, Shifford, Chimney) • Bampton (Lower Haddon, Weald) • Brize Norton • Chadlington • 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) • Shipton-under-Wychwood • Standlake (Brighthampton) • Steeple Barton • Stonesfield Other Civil Parishes (Component Villages and Hamlets) Alvescot • Ascott-under-Wychwood (Ascott d'Oyley, Ascott Earl) • Asthall (Worsham) • Black Bourton • Bladon • Blenheim • Broadwell • Bruern • Cassington (Worton) • Chastleton • Chilson (Shorthampton) • Churchill • Clanfield • Combe Longa • 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 (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 • 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 • Banbury 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