Shutford

infobox UK place

country = England
latitude= 52.05971

longitude= -1.43985

official_name= Shutford
shire_district= Cherwell District
shire_county=Oxfordshire
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Banbury
post_town= Banbury
postcode_district = OX15
postcode_area= OX
dial_code= 01295
os_grid_reference= SP385405
population= 461

Shutford is a small village located 6 miles west of Banbury, north Oxfordshire, England. Its origins as a permanent settlement are assumed to date from Saxon times, though there is archeological evidence that it has been in existence since ancient times.

Geography and climate

The terrain around Shutford is very hilly, yet very fertile. The area maintains a very green appearance all year round.

The village lies on the north-easternmost edge of the English Cotswolds, the nearest main Cotswold town being Chipping Norton. Whether the village constitutes part of the Cotswolds is a matter open to debate, but it does not officially lie within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

According to the Ordnance Survey map, the village is about 475ft (145m) above sea level. The village lies at latitude 52.05971º N and longitude -1.43975º W.

Summers in Shutford are mild to warm, averaging around 21-24°C (maximum) throughout the summer period, but can reach as high as 30°C; Winters are cold to mild, temperatures ranging mostly around 5-8°C (maximum), but can fall below 0°C. Frost is a frequent occurrence during winter. Precipitation falls with greater frequency in the winter period, mostly as rain, but snowfall is a common feature at least once per winter and falls can be quite heavy. As with the rest of the southern English climate, winters have the capacity to be long, severely cold and snowy; and summers long, hot and dry.

Local and national government

Shutford possesses a parish council, it is in the Wroxton ward for the Cherwell District Council and falls under the Oxfordshire County Council's remit.

In the 2005 General Election, the Rt Hon Tony Baldry MP, a Conservative, was re-elected to represent Banbury in the House of Commons. He gained 26,382 votes, making up 46.9% out of 56,209 votes (a turnout of 64.5%). This gave Mr. Baldry a gain of 1.7% from the previous election in 2001 and led second placed Mr. Leslie Sibley (Labour) by 10,797 votes.

History

Shutford is best known for its former plush industry. The industry, run for the large part by the Wrench family, was functioning from the 1600s right up until 1947, providing plush materials to various royal courts all over Europe and winning several international awards for its quality.

The village is full of historical buildings built from the local Hornton stone. Many local buildings were destroyed by a fire in 1701, but by 1774 it was one of the largest villages in Banburyshire, with 71 homes. St Martin's Church stands proud above the village, with parts of it dating back to Norman times. It is adjacent to Shutford Manor, a fine mansion once owned by the Saye and Sele family (now to be found in Broughton, three miles away from Shutford) which is currently owned by a well-known British business family.

From the collapse of the plush industry to the 1960s, the village went into serious decline, with no school, no pub and no permanent vicar for a time. Various advertising campaigns from 1969 onwards encouraged a rejuvenation, turning the village into the affluent settlement it is today.

Modern day Shutford

The village today is much larger with the building of a modern housing estate almost doubling it size. In line with the rest of the county, Shutford's agricultural roots have been greatly diminished with negligible employment amongst the population in that sector. Rather, the village has become a commuter village and has been popular amongst second-home buyers. The village is served by the "George and Dragon", a free house pub, which also doubles as a restaurant. Until recently, the village also had a small Post Office in Ivy Lane, but this closed in 2005.

According to the 2001 National Census, 461 people are living in Shutford.

Many traditions are still kept alive and are actively participated in by the local population, such as an "Easter Egg Roll," where villagers race decorated eggs from the top of "Jester's Hill" to the bottom; a village fête held every June; and every Christmas a brass band plays carol on a horsecart followed by singers. The Church congregation has suffered somewhat of a decline in numbers but attracts church-goers from outside. The Shutford and Balscote Branch of the Royal British Legion often holds its Annual Memorial Service at St. Martin's.

External links

* [http://www.cherwell-dc.gov.uk/leisure/shutfordcircularwlk.cfm/ Information on the Shutford Circular Walk] - from the Cherwell District Council Website