Duxford, Oxfordshire

Duxford
The ford at Duxford
Duxford Location within Oxfordshire
OS grid reference	SU364996
Civil parish	Hinton Waldrist
District	Vale of White Horse
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Faringdon
Postcode district	SN7
Dialling code	01865
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Wantage

Duxford is a hamlet in the civil parish of Hinton Waldrist 5.5 miles (9 km) northeast of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. It is on the south bank of the Thames, across which is its eponymous ford leading to a lock island which has a footbridge to Chimney on the north bank. This is the only ford today along the river, excluding along its intermittent brook at the source village, Kemble, Gloucestershire however the ford only crosses part of the river.

History

Duxford's toponym has evolved from Dudochesforde in the Domesday Book of 1086 via Dukesford in the 13th century, and Duddelesford and Dodekelesford in the 14th century before reaching its present form. The manor of Duxford had three taxable hides. A Saxon called Alwi held it during the reign of Edward the Confessor, but by the time of the Domesday Book it had been granted to William of Normandy's half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. The Domesday Book recorded a fishery and a watermill at Duxford. The watermill was still in existence in 1219. Until the 20th century there was a ferry across the Thames here. In 1898 the Shifford Lock Cut was opened, controlling the flow of the river past Duxford.

See also

• Crossings of the River Thames

Sources

• Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1924). A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 4. Victoria County History. pp. 463–466.

External links

Media related to Duxford, Oxfordshire at Wikimedia Commons