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Ardley
Ardley maps
Historic maps of Ardley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ardley maps
Ardley photos
We have no photos of Ardley, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Souldern| Lower Heyford| Bicester| Aynho| Steeple Aston| Deddington| Tackley| Adderbury
Ardley area books
Displaying 1 of 7 books about Ardley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Ardley
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Oxfordshire memories
Happy
My late husband & I moved into Stoke Lyne early 1981, and bought our beautiful bungalow next door to the "Peyton Arms", what a beautiful village, we were extremely happy there for some nineteen years wonderful neighbours, and beautiful surroundings. Lots of water has passed under the bridge since the year 2000 when we moved, now living in Australia. I shall always have fond memories of Stoke Lyne & Oxfordshire.
Ron & Pat Shelton 1977 to 1981
In 1977, my late husband, Ron. and I moved from Melbourne, Australia into 28 Stoke Lyne at the end of the village. It was very dilapidated, consisting originally 2 workman's cottages. They had been converted to one house, without water, or a well that didn't work. Ron dug a water line to Sheepwash across the neighbouring farm lands, so that we could have running water. We paid the owner for the rights to do that. A HUGE job! We were Australian Ballroom Dance champions and were teaching in Bicester, while looking for a pub to buy. During the renovations, Ron had a sudden fatal heart attack in 1978 and passed away at aged 46. I was devastated, but continued with the renovations. They turned 28 Stoke Lyne into a lovely stone cottage, very much bigger than originally. I met and 3 years later married Cliff Astley, a widower in the village with 3 sons, whose mother, Clarice, had died 7 years earlier. They lived at the Forge, which I bought from... Read more
Childhood in Upper Heyford
I lived in Upper Heyford from 1946 until 1965 when I was married in a double ceremony with my twin sister at St Mary's Church. I moved to Bicester. My sister who married an American from the base moved to the U.S.A. a year later.
My family, Walton, lived at 18 High Street, the thatched cottages. Later we moved to 1 Rising Hill. The cottages were nicknamed Bunny Row as everyone kept popping in and out, or so we were told. I remember the old Three Horseshoes with Dennis Chard as landlord. We used to sit in the passageway on a settle with a lemonade and packet of crisps while dad had a drink. When we were older the new Three Horseshoes was where we had our first proper drink. The other pub in the village was The Barley Mow. The Post Office was run by Mrs Reeves and was at the top of High Street on corner with Somerton Road. The Co-op was opposite the pub and later on... Read more
Upper Heyford School
My father was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford 1949 to 1953. My brothers, Peter, Michael and myself, Mary, went to the village school. My older brother Richard went to school in Steeple Aston. I remember the two rooms, the infants with Mrs Jones in the small building and the Juniors in the other. We had a teacher, a Mrs Kearney, the same surname as myself, who lived in the teachers house opposite the school. I remember some names, a Victor Gregory, Veronica Rackstraw (I think) - I'm not sure whether she was the girl who was knocked down by a car up by the Co-Op and broke her leg. There was a girl called Jennifer, I think her grandmother ran the post office. I remember a girl who I think was related to the family who ran the coach firm. She and her family went to Australia. Zena Creed, I used to call for her sometimes on the way to school.
I remember May Day and the May... Read more
Memories of Upper Heyford School
I was born in Upper Heyford. My parents lived at Somerton Road, my dad came from Upper Heyford and lived at Bunny Row as it was called and still is.
I went to the local village school. The infant teacher was Mrs Jones and in the juniors the teacher was Mrs Cooper Scott, I think.
One thing that happened involved two certain boys who set fire to a hayrick in Bill Varney's yard which was close to the school(I wonder who one of those boys could be, lol) which was about 1954/55.
I can also remember most of my school friends who I still see from time to time.
RAF Upper Heyford
I was in the Parachute section at Heyford until 1950 when I left the RAF, as an ageing wrinkly my memories are not that good, But I remember we used to get a battered old coach at a weekend ( Smiths Coaches)( I believe now Heyfordian) to bring us on weekend pass to London I then lived in Essex, he would then pick us up at about midnight from Marble Arch on Sunday for the return trip, I well remember on one occasion getting carried away with a girl I was with and missing my return trip, I had to get an early morning train to Oxford then walk all the way from Oxford station back to camp to be back on parade for Mon morning, I was shattered.
Part of my Job with two others was to unload the now empty chute bags from the Dakotas when they came back from the dropping zone, the Daks did not have their side doors on and on some occasions we... Read more
My Childhood
My mother Vilet Golder was born in Upper Heyford into a large family. She married my father who came from Newcastle, she met him whilst he was serving at the RAF base. Although there were quite a few families called Golder living there at the same time, not all are from the same tree. I have managed to trace quite a few over the years and there is still a Golder living there although that was her maiden name. If you can help me trace more Golders then please dont hesitate to contact me
chridunham@aol.com
Cheers.
