Witney & surrounding villages
“Witney is a market town of 27,000 people on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford. The place-name “Witney” is derived from the Old English for “Witta’s island”. The earliest known record of it is as Wyttannige in a Saxon charter of 969. The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Witenie”
Interesting things to see and do
Cogges Manor Farm includes a 13th-century manor house and farm of Cogges represents farming and countryside history. Great for a family day out.
Blenheim Palace: World Heritage Site is a bus ride or short drive from Witney in the town of Woodstock. Blenheim Palace is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.
Oxford Bus Museum & Morris Motors Museum At the Oxford Bus Museum they tell the story of bus and coach travel around Oxfordshire over the last 130 years. Exhibits include a historic preserved horse-drawn tram, motor buses, coaches and a wide selection of artefacts - including bus stops, ticket machines, timetables, posters and staff uniforms.
North Leigh Roman Villa | English Heritage (english-heritage.org.uk) The remains of North Leigh Roman Villa are set within a peaceful landscape on the banks of the river Evenlode in Oxfordshire. This `courtyard villa’ is considered to be one of the larger villas of Roman Britain. It was at its most extensive in the early 4th century, when it included three bath suites, 16 mosaic floors and 11 rooms with under-floor heating.
Millets Farm Centre
Very large car park. X15 bus from Witney town centre runs frequently:
What you can do at Millet’s farm
I have been with my friend when her children were little and also with my grandson who is 4 ½ years old. On sunny and wet days, there is always something to do and kids and adults alike love it. Summer is particularly great as they have a free beach for little ones. Just take a bucket and spade and half a day’s entertainment sorted. Also free of charge are animals, a lake with ducks and swans, and lovely walks. There is a free playground and a couple of activities which cost £1 a go so not too expensive (great fun for little ones as I can verify).
They also have a play barn and falconry (charges apply).
They have special events on during the year including a maze, theatre, and open-air cinema (charges apply).
Food at the farm
You can take a picnic or buy picnic food from the farm shop (quite expensive but good quality). In the summer, you can pick fresh fruit at the farm to have with your picnic. (You pay for the fruit you pick)
Millets restaurant serves coffee and reasonably priced meals which you can eat inside or out.
Frosts Garden Centre ( also at the farm) has a super café for coffee, lunch, or tea
Kingston Road, Frilford, Near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HB
Cogges Farm Museum
What you can do at Cogges Farm
This is a very old historic farm. It has animals, birds, and an old, walled vegetable, fruit, and flower garden. There is a charge to enter. (see website) It is lovely to walk through the farm. Beautiful place and also has various events.
At the entrance to the farm, is a free playground. You can go to the coffee shop without going into the main grounds
Church Lane, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 3FR
01993 772602
Cotswold Wildlife Park
What you can do at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Garden
Lots of wonderful animal to see!
Charges apply. Public transport available to Burford and possibly to nearby but cannot confirm that. Very large car park.
Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4JJ
www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
01993 823006
Education
Witney has three county secondary schools: Henry Box School, Wood Green School and Springfield School. In 1660 Henry Box founded Witney Grammar School. In 1968 it became the comprehensive Henry Box School. In 1970 new school buildings were added to the original 17th-century premises beside Church Green. Wood Green School was founded in 1954 and is at the top of Woodstock Road. Springfield School was founded in 1967 and is a special-needs school for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
The King's School is independent of Oxfordshire Local Education Authority. It was founded by Oxfordshire Community Churches, an evangelical Christian organisation, in 1984. Cokethorpe School is an independent secondary school, founded in 1957. St. Mary's School beside Church Green was established in 1813. It was a Church of England primary school but in 1953 it became a Church of England controlled School for Infant children, and the Junior children transferred to the Batt School premises. Witney has two Church of England primary schools: The Batt School in Corn Street and The Blake School in Cogges Hill Road. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school founded in 1958.
Witney has five community primary schools: Madley Park Community Primary School, Queen's Dyke Primary School, Tower Hill Community Primary School, West Witney
Primary School and Witney Community Primary School. It also has one SEN primary school, Springfield School, which is part of the same school as Springfield secondary School. Springfield school (Primary) shares a building with Madley Brook Primary, but aside from sharing a building, some resources and integration, the schools run independently of one another.
There is also a higher education college in Witney Abingdon and Witney College.
Industrial History
Witney has been famous for its woollen blankets since the Middle Ages. The water for the production of these blankets is drawn from the River Windrush, which was believed to be the secret of Witney's high-quality blankets. Mops were also traditionally made by the blanket manufacturers; at one time every ship in the Royal Navy had Witney mops aboard. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets. At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker Early's, in 2002, the town's blanket industry completely ceased production. Early's factory, once a vital and important part of the town's history, has now been demolished and is the site of several new housing estates. Visit the Witney Blanket Hall for information on the history of blankets and see a restored wool merchant’s house. Shop and café also on site.