Ducklington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ducklington | |
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| Geography | |
| Status: | Village |
| Region: | South East England |
| Admin. County: | Oxfordshire |
| Admin. HQ: | Oxford |
| Grid reference: | SP 35 07 |
| ONS code: | 38UF |
| Politics | |
West Oxfordshire District Council http://www.westoxon.gov.uk/ |
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| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative |
| MPs: | David Cameron |
Ducklington is a village and civil parish within the West Oxfordshire local government district of Oxfordshire, England. It is located one mile to the south of the town of Witney, and is situated on the banks of the River Windrush. It is one of the first Saxon parishes to be recorded in Oxfordshire.
[edit] History
Ducklington was first featured in the 958 Charter of King Edgar the Peaceable, in the granting of land to his Minister, Eanulf. The etymology of the name "Ducklington" has been translated as "Ducel's Farm" or as "the farm of the sons of Docca", although it is locally thought to have originated from the central duck pond, where many ducks and ducklings have dwelled for centuries. Following the Norman Conquest, Ducklington became the possession of Baron Robert D'Oyly, a friend of William I and builder of both Oxford Castle and Osney Abbey. The Dyve family then held the Lordship of Ducklington throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, residing there until the early part of the reign of Edward III.
Today, Ducklington is mainly famous for the rare Fritillary flower (of mainly the Snake's Head variety), a large number of which grow in a specially designated meadow just outside the village. Before the Second World War, many Fritillaries had grown on fields all over the Windrush Valley. However, the national drive for food production during the war meant that most meadows were intensively ploughed, the rivers dredged, and consequently the Fritillaries were lost. Only the current Fritillary field was left coincidentally unploughed. The flowers have only managed to survive to this day due to the great assistance from both locals and farmers. Once a year, the local community celebrates Fritillary Sunday, where the field, church and hall are opened so that the public may walk amongst and enjoy the flowers. The celebration has been featured in Country Life magazine.
[edit] Other Information
Ducklington is also well known in the local area for its Morris dancing group [1] and Mummers performances. Recently, Ducklington has also hosted several flower and garden shows. The village boasts a large collection of traditional thatched buildings, a couple of which are several centuries old. There are also two pubs, "The Strickland Arms" and "The Bell". Places of worship include the 12th century St Bartholomew’s Church [2]and the Baptist Chapel. The incumbent Priest in charge of St Bartholomew’s is the Reverend Bob Edy. The village is also home to the Ducklington C. of E. Primary School. All three organizations are highly active within the community.
The old church tithe barn is residence to the Village Hall, which underwent significant renovation in recent years. It is used frequently by village groups, including the Parish Council, and also doubles as the parish polling station during local and national elections.
[edit] External links
