Swinbrook

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Swinbrook
St Mary the Virgin parish church
Swinbrook is located in Oxfordshire
Swinbrook
Swinbrook
Location within Oxfordshire
Population139 (parish, with Widford) (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSP2812
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBurford
Postcode districtOX18
Dialling code01993
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire
51°48′25″N 1°35′38″W / 51.807°N 1.594°W / 51.807; -1.594

Swinbrook is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Swinbrook and Widford, in the West Oxfordshire district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the River Windrush, about 2 miles (3 km) east of Burford. Widford is a hamlet about 0.5 miles (800 m) west of Swinbrook. The 2011 Census recorded the population of Swinbrook and Widford as 139.[1]

History

The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin dates from about 1200.[2] Its unusual open-sided bell-tower was added in 1822.[2] The church is noted for its 17th-century Fettiplace monuments;[3] that of 1686 was carved by William Bird of Oxford.[4] St Mary's also has a monument to the officers and men of the Royal Navy submarine HMS P514, and especially its commander, Lieutenant W. A. Phillimore, whose parents lived at Swinbrook. In 1942 P514 failed to identify herself to the Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper HMCS Georgian. The Canadian ship therefore assumed the submarine to be an enemy vessel and rammed P514, sinking her with the loss of all hands.

In 1926, David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale had Swinbrook House built 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the village.[5] Four of his six daughters (the "Mitford sisters") are buried in the parish churchyard: Nancy, Unity, and Diana are buried side by side, while Pamela is buried northwest of the tower.[6] There is a tablet in the church commemorating their only brother, Tom, killed in March 1945 in Burma. Max Mosley, son of Diana, is also buried in the churchyard.

In 1931 the parish had a population of 173.[7] On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form "Swinbrook & Widford", parts also went to Shilton and Asthal.[8]

Amenities

Swinbrook Cricket Club[9] has two teams. They play in division 5 and 10 respectively of the Oxfordshire Cricket Association.[10]

One of the Fettiplace monuments in St Mary the Virgin parish church

References

HMS P514 monument in St Mary the Virgin Church. Quam Dilectus translates as 'How beloved'.
  1. ^ "Area: Swinbrook and Widford (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 799.
  3. ^ Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 800.
  4. ^ dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis
  5. ^ Ottewell 1999, p. 71.
  6. ^ Pearson 2004, p. 93.
  7. ^ "Population statistics Swinbrook AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Witney Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  9. ^ Swinbrook Cricket Club Archived 18 July 2012 at archive.today
  10. ^ Oxfordshire Cricket Association

Sources and further reading

Media related to Swinbrook at Wikimedia Commons