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All proceeds from sales go back to the Bampton Community Archive and your support is much needed and very much appreciated.
New Release - May 2023
Mapping Bampton – A Journey in Space and Time (by Will Fenton)
“From whichever direction you approach Bampton, it never fails to present itself in the most startling manner. Defying the low-lying and broadly featureless modern agricultural landscape, a traveller is somehow still unexpectedly confronted with the sudden appearance against the horizon of the darting spire of the Church of St. Mary”Frank Hudson: Made in Bampton
“…I’ve had a very good life and have always said I was lucky to be born in England, Oxfordshire and in Bampton. When you stop and think, one could have been born anywhere in the world and your life would have been completely different.”Birding in the Bush
A colourful illustrated guide to the birds that can be seen through the seasons here in Bampton.
Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney – A Parish History (Edited by Andrew Long)
A comprehensive history of Aston and the hamlets of Cote, Chimney and Shifford that until 1866 were part of the parish of Bampton.The Story of Trade in Bampton by Janet Rouse
Bampton, like every hamlet, village, town and city has developed through the centuries in its own unique way. For Bampton, they have included geology, geography, how far we are from the nearest trading port, if and when we’ve been on trade routes, and the influence of invading peoples and disease.Witney’s Forgotten Airfield by Peter Davis
The age of the aeroplane descended on Witney town on Wednesday 1 October 1913, when a Royal Flying Corps BE2a landed in New Leys field, on the side of the Witney to Curbridge road. After leaving
Burton-on-Trent on the Monday, the aircraft had arrived at Burford, after several stops, by the Tuesday evening.
Bampton: Recapturing the Castle by Matthew Rice
How can you forget a castle? Is it possible to abandon the story of a massive limestone building that dominated a village and the lives of everybody around it? Can Chinese Whispers change the story out of recognition? Yes, yes and yes. It happens again and again.
Lost Airfields by Mark McArthur-Christie
Ten minutes west of Bampton, you can walk on the original concrete of of a WWII runway from which men took off in flimsy Horsa gliders to liberate Normandy. The date was 6 June 1944. D-Day. Oxfordshire’s countryside is littered with the recent military pas and history is left to speak for itself only for the people who take time to listen.
A Village Herbal by Danny Hignett and Sally Proctor
Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed and many traditional uses and properties ofherbs have not been validated.
The Story Behind the Naming of Bampton – Vol. 1 by Jane Wallis, Janet Rouse and Jane Barnes
Bampton obtained its name becuase of the Beam: it became the ‘Beam-Tun’, or the village by the Beam. But who erected the beam is not known, so it could already have been an important site for many hundreds of years before the Saxons invaded this part of England.The Story Behind the Naming of Bampton – Vol. 2 byJane Wallis, Janet Rouse and Jane Barnes
This second part of the story behind the naming of Bampton leaves the main streets behind and examines the newer parts of the village. As before, the aim has not been to provide a complete history, but to try to explain the reasons why they carry the names they do.Unseen Bampton… and Beyond by Jane Wallis
Modern industrialised people don’t have a comfortable relationship with the ‘unseen’. If ‘unseen forces’ are mentioned they are usually labelled ‘paranormal’, meaning over and above ‘normal’ – perhaps some are, but the overwhelming majority are natural and vital parts of our home planet.
Bampton – The Way It Was by Freda Bradley
Books have been written before about Bampton by vicars and headmasters, who were what Bampton people would call “visitors”. Freda Bradley is Bampton born and bred of Bampton parents and her thoughts and views are from a totally different angle.Bampton Families by Janet Newman
For many centuries the culture and pattern of the population in Bampton did not change. Many Bamptonians were engaged in agricultural work. In 1861 it was recorded that almost 400 workers were employed in agriculture. Families of ten to thirteen children were not uncommon.
A Brief History of St Mary the Virgin, Bampton by Rev. David Lloyd
Like so many English parish churches, Saint Mary’s, Bampton, has evolved over many centuries to become the building it is today. The original church would probably have been a wooden building with a thatched roof. In the 8th or 9th century, it was served by a religious community whose leader was a man called Beornwald.Uncommon Bampton (A Visual Snapshot) by Nik Stanbridge
This is a record of Bampton already in the past – the village has changed since these photographs were taken. These images are quite ordinary – they show what Bampton looks like (today) – put yourself in the mind of someone in 20 years’ time and reflect on their value to us all.Mr Onesiphorus Oliver Collett and the ‘Bampton Voiturette’ by Graham Newman
This is the story of a man very much of his time who was born in Clanfield in 1870 and one year later moved to Bampton, where he lived and worked for his whole life until his death in 1934.A History of Morris Dancing in Bampton by Janet Rouse
Morris dancing was first recorded in England in 1448, in London, where it was associated with a procession of the Guild of Goldsmiths. The first Bampton recording dates back to the 18th century and there have been Morris dancing teams in Bampton since that time.Dug Up in Bampton 1 – The Objects
The items dug up in Bampton and presented here represent Bampton throughout its history. They range from a Stone Age hand axe to a hand grenade; from Bronze Age to Brylcreem. They each tell us something about the life and culture of the village.Dug Up in Bampton 2 – The Coins
The coins range from Roman to modern times, and all periods in between. All were found in around bampton, most by a dedicated collector, but some by people simply digging in theor gardens.Dug Up in Bampton 3 – The Fossils
Bampton is built on Ice Age gravels that are between 10 and thirty thousand years old. They are chock-full of fossils that have been eroded out of much older rocks.SPAJERS by Frank Hudson, Don Rouse and Helen Grimwade
The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing was established by John Quick and some of his cohorts nearly sixty years ago. SPAJERS is all about Bampton people raising money so that our senior citizens can have fun.A Pictorial History of Bampton’s Fire Brigade by Tom Papworth
No one is certain how long a fire service has been in Bampton. The earliest record we have is in 1813 when repairs were made to a pump damaged in a fire at Lower Haddon. The damage must have been
quite severe as the bill was for £2.10.0.
Downton Abbey in Bampton – Book 1
The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, and follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in the reign of King George V. The first two series span the two years prior to the Great War up until after war is declared.
Downton Abbey in Bampton – Book 2
Series three and World War I is over, and the British Empire is already in its twilight. Series four moves further into the 20th Century, 1922, and life is a lot more cheerful, unless you are Mary, of course, who has just lost her husband.
Downton Abbey in Bampton – Book 3
Series five and six tie up a few loose ends. Above stairs, Lady Edith, unhappy in love so far, and with a secret illegitimate daughter, finds love, or at least a wealthy and titled husband, who accepts her little daughter, Marigold.Celebrating 30 Years of the Bush Club in Bampton by Anna Pitt
The Bush Club is a lunch club for residents over the age of sixty in the village of Bampton in Oxfordshire. The Bush Club was founded in 1985 and has just celebrated its 30th birthday. It is and always has been run by a team of volunteers and remains a valuable asset to the beautiful village of Bampton.Army Communications in Bampton 1939 to 1969 by Ray Evans
This is not an account of glossy photos which have been posed for, in fact some are of pretty poor quality. I hope it is an account of the way in which the soldiers lived and explains how the station functioned.The Poor Law in Bampton by Miriam James
The history of people who cannot survive without help stretches back into pre-history; how are we to aid people who have too few resources to sustain life? At what stage should we step in and try to help them?Schools in Bampton by Miriam James
There have been schools in Bampton for almost a thousand years, and perhaps longer. The oldest building is the church tower, built before the Normans came to England; and where there was a church, there were learned men who could speak and read Latin, and who could teach boys who wanted to become learned in their turn.A Boyhood in Bampton by Phillip Addison
I was seven years old when we moved to Oxfordshire, so it must have been 1940, when Mum, my brother Michael (who was two years older) and I left our native home of Brighton to be nearer Dad, who was a flight-sergeant instrument maker with the RAF stationed at Brize Norton.The Tanning Industry in Bampton by Miriam James & Jo Lewington
Three hundred years ago there were only two choices of material, both home produced, that could be made into everyday clothes: wool and leather. Both these materials came from the sheep and the cattle that the hills of the Cotswolds were renowned for.Farming in Bampton and Weald by Janet & Don Rouse
The changes in farming in Bampton in the last 90 years are many and they have brought about a huge change in the whole life, feel and ethos of the people of Bampton and Weald.
Bampton Architecture – Volume 1 by Gilbert Marsh
A visual catalogue of architectural details, old and new, from in and around Bampton.Bampton Architecture – Volume 2 by Gilbert Marsh
A visual catalogue of architectural details, old and new, from in and around Bampton. Some wider perspectives than seen in Vol.1.A Collection of Poems by Vera Elward
Vera Elward was born in Bampton on 29th March 1923. She is a very creative person, who has immersed herself in therapeutic poetry-writing following the death of her husband in 1991.The Wilkinson Brothers by Miriam James
The story of George and William Wilkinson: Two architects who built public buildings in Bampton. Who were these two men, and what else did they do? What became of the buildings they designed? This book attempts to answer those questions.Cricket in Bampton by Anna Pitt
It has long been thought that Bampton Cricket Club was founded in 1890, but when I started to investigate the history of cricket in Bampton, it seems that it probably pre-dates that. In 1990, people understood that it was the centenary year and it was celebrated accordingly. This book tells the full story.
Patchwork & Quilting
The primary aim of of this booklet is to record the work of the Bampton Quilters and Patchworkers, who in 2020, continue these traditional crafts in the village, and also to display examples of their work.Archery in Bampton by John Hill
With Bampton’s rich history dating back many hundreds of years one can imagine that archery was practiced in some form or another during the ages but unfortunately there is no record of arrows being fired from the slits or ramparts of the remaining castle wall!Inclosure of the Open Fields of Bampton by Miriam James
Today we all know what a field is: a piece of land, of varying size and shape but generally square or rectangular, fenced off from the fields next to it by a hedge, a ditch, a wall or a wooden fence, with a gate for access; growing one crop, belonging to one person. Two hundred years ago, such a piece of land was not known as a field: it was ‘an enclosure’ – or, as it would have been spelled at the time, ‘an Inclosure’.Bampton Town, Its Castle and the Earls of Pembroke
Bampton is one of the oldest continually occupied sites in England with Iron Age, Roman and Medieval remains to be found in the area, much of it has not been investigated but traces come to light every now and then. One of the most interesting finds has been a Roman coin of which there is only one other example in Europe.The Restoration of the Lord Nelson by Jo Lewington
This book is a record of those steam engines restored by Tim Tomlins. We have photographs of all the steam engines and especially, we have a record of the progression of work done on Lord Nelson.Flint Visits Grandma’s House by Jo Lewington
Every Summer Flint went with his mummy, Jimi, to visit Grandma in Bampton. Grandma Jo lives in the best little house in the world.Miss Daisy by Jo Lewington
Let me tell you about a wonderful little dog… “Daisy…! “Daisy…!” Where could she be…? There she is, in the compost heap again. She’s searching for mice. No wonder she couldn’t hear.Miss Daisy – My Life and Work by Jo Lewington
Hello everybody. I’ve been asked to explain how I go about the important business of catching mice. You see, I’m quite an expert. It’s been my passion ever since I can remember.Goodbye Miss Daisy by Jo Lewington
Miss Daisy, you were good at chasing rabbits, you saved the cabbage and the Brussels sprouts. You saw off all the other garden rogues – it was your job. You welcomed friends who called; you smiled, you wagged, and smiled and wagged some more.Bampton Folklore by John Blair
Bampton has a national reputation for its folk culture with the morris dancing in May and the mummers’ play at Christmas being especially famous. It is also one of very few places to preserve a continuous tradition of May garlands, and it maintained the late medieval practice of Rogationtide processing until the 1810s.The Bampton We Have Lost by J L Hughes-Owens
A pioneering and well-respected account of Bampton first published in 1976, and later updated in 2005 with new illustrations. Recounting the history of the town from ancient times until 1914, it is an entertaining and highly readable history of Bampton.
Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Friends of St Mary’s, Bampton
to help raise an endowment fund for the maintenance of the church, and to
Bampton Community Archive
My Life Story by Dr Alan Cole
“In 2010, around the time of my 80th birthday, I decided to write my life story intended mainly for my family and it was very clearly family oriented. I [also] decided to set about writing a revised version that might be of more general interest.”Sorry, only available online
Aston, Cote, Shifford and Chimney – A Parish History edited by Andrew Long
A comprehensive history of Aston and the hamlets of Cote, Chimney and Shifford that until 1866 were part of the parish of Bampton.