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Chilson

Chilson maps

Historic maps of Chilson and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Chilson maps

Chilson photos

We have no photos of Chilson, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Shorthampton| Ascott-Under-Wychwood| Charlbury| Shipton-Under-Wychwood| Churchill| Chipping Norton| Minster Lovell| Over Norton| Cornwell| Salford| Burford| Witney| Great Tew

Chilson area books

Displaying 1 of 7 books about Chilson and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Chilson

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Oxfordshire memories

Visit to Ascott-Under-Wychwood

A few years ago my brother and I visited Ascott-under-Wychwood. My father's family, surname "Venville", lived there for a very long time. Venville as a surname was rather rare and it wasn't until the wife of a Venville family member in Wales did some research on the name back in the early l990s that we found out about our family connections to Ascott. In the late l950s our family, in our first car, drove all over the area not knowing about the connections. Finally, my brother and I made a visit to Ascott and the church. We were thrilled to be there and found the village and history to be very interesting indeed. I just wanted to say what a charming place Ascott and the surrounding area is. We were so glad to be able to make the visit.

Chadlington

My great gran lived in Chadlington, Oxon, next door to the Sany's Arms. Her name was Francis Clare Hatton. My grandad was Frak Hatton although I never met him. We used to visit my great gran and I loved it there. I remember Morris Hatton, Mary Hatton, Dale, Barbara, Ron and Barbara, Malcolm and Diane, Auntie Olive and Uncle Wallace.. and someone called Roly who used to play cricket in the village. I'd love to say hello if any of them see this. My mum was Judith Slaughter (nee Hatton).

The Marlborough

View From Grammar School Hill c1950
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The white building in the picture below the church tower was the Marlborough pub. During the war through till the early 1950s my grandmother and grandfather were licencees and my father was brought up there. I have a picture of my grandfather and myself as a small child in the back yard of the pub. I'm not sure when it stopped being a pub - my grandmother left after my grandfather died in 1953, but the last time I went to Charlbury it was a private house.

Charlbury Railway Station

View From Grammar School Hill c1950
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I well remember been driven to the station to meet a train that was carrying at least two hundred head of cattle destined for Ditchley Mansion. As a young man in those days, with five other men we drove the animals to the park, it took most off the day I remember. It was for Sir D Wills a short while after he took control of the park, we also spent a few days there doing the fencing. I started my working days for Mr D Wills at Litchfield Manor Estate in Hampshire under the estate manager Mr G Gale, the estate was then run by The Hon Patrick Wills and I left in 1956 to join the RAF.

Churchill, Oxfordshire

The Village And The Church c1960
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My parents moved to Churchill in January, 1963 and took over the running of the shop. We stayed there until 1969 and I have very fond memories of the village. My grandmother, and the ashes of my father and mother are buried in the small churchyard at the bottom of Hastings Hill.

Our Lives in Milton Under Wychwood

My family and I were in Milton after being stationed at Upper Heyford AFB with the USAF. My daughter Tina attended the village school which was attached to the church. We participated with the mothers' run on the village green. I enjoyed the village. We lived in Heather Cottage and then above Priest Store. The Priest Brothers gave me some of their grandmother's furniture which I still have and will always cherish. I still have contact with my babysitter who was 16 at the time but still lives in the village, Sandra Baldwin who we love very much. It has been over 50 years but I have loving memories of my stay there and have been back to see Sandra and her family. Don't change the beautiful place too much.

Escape to The Country

I travelled to Chipping Norton to start a new life.  When I stepped off the coach on the high street and looked across the road I saw a very grand looking building and a sign saying The White Hart Hotel.  My next thought was I am going to work in that hotel, which I did!  I was also able to live-in, as other staff also did.  The White Hart at that time was a privately run hotel with a friendly informal atmosphere, especially in the public bar which was very popular with local residents.  The hotel was originally a coaching inn, and was one of the last, if not the last, to be used as such. The White Hart was also said to be haunted especially the oak room which had an original oak four poster bed, the walls original oak panelling throughout with a hidden door in the walls that led to an ensuite.  Chipping Norton or "chippy" as its known is a lively place and I found the... Read more

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