Barford St John

Barford St. John is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Barford St. John and St. Michael, in the Cherwell district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the north bank of the River Swere, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Banbury. In the Middle Ages it was sometimes called Little Barford or North Barford to distinguish it from the larger village of Barford St. Michael on the opposite bank of the Swere.[1] In 1931 the parish had a population of 53.[2]

Barford St John
Barford St. John seen from across the Swere valley below Hempton. RAF Barford St John is beyond the village and St. Mary's parish church, Bloxham is in the distance.
Barford St John is located in Oxfordshire
Barford St John
Barford St John
Location within Oxfordshire
OS grid referenceSP4333
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBanbury
Postcode districtOX15
Dialling code01295
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteBarford St John & St Michael Parish Council

Chapel

The Church of England chapel of St. John was built in about 1150, but only the south doorway and the font survive from this period.[1] The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century, and the Decorated Gothic windows in the nave were added in the 14th century.[1] There was a tower at the southwest corner of the church, with the date 1622 on a stone near the top.[1] In 1860–61 the Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street rebuilt the church,[3] demolishing the tower and replacing it with a new one over the south porch.[1] St. John's was built as a dependent chapelry of the parish church of Barford St. Michael, and it remains part of the same ecclesiastical parish.[4] The parish of St. John and St. Michael and that of Deddington and Hempton are now run as a single benefice.[5]

RAF station

RAF Barford St John was established just north of the village in 1941.[6] It ceased flying operations in 1946 but the United States Air Force has used it as a radiocommunications centre since 1951.[6]

Governance

Barford St John was formerly a chapelry in the parish of Adderbury,[7] in 1866 Barford St John became a civil parish, on 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form "Barford St John and St Michael".[8]

References
Barford St John's disused watermill, by the River Swere 660 yards (600 m) east of the village
  1. Lobel & Crossley 1969, pp. 5–44.
  2. "Population statistics Barford St John Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  3. Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 445.
  4. Archbishops' Council (2008). "Barford St. Michael with Barford St. John". A Church Near You. Church of England. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  5. Archbishops' Council (2010). "Barford St John Barford". A Church Near You. Church of England.
  6. Crossley, William (20 September 2011). "Base's special place in aviation history". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  7. "History of Barford St John, in Cherwell and Oxfordshire". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  8. "Relationships and changes Barford St John Ch/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 18 August 2023.

Sources


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