Binsey, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Binsey is a village by the River Thames
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of the centre of Oxford
. It is the opposite side of the river from Port Meadow
and about 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of the ruins of Godstow
Abbey.
of St Margaret, set at some distance north of the surviving houses. It dates from the 12th century and is a Grade I Listed Building. Its fame lies mostly in that, just outside its west end and belltower, stands St. Margaret's Well, a Grade II Listed Building, which is the model for Lewis Carroll
's "Treacle Well" from Alice in Wonderland
; this is a holy well dedicated to St Frideswide
, patron saint of Oxford
. She had fled to Binsey in a bid to escape marriage to a king of Mercia
, whose pursuit of her was halted when he was struck blind at the gates of Oxford. Frideswide's prayers brought forth a healing spring, whose waters cured his blindness, and the spring was walled into a shallow well which became something of a focus for pilgrimage, the mediaeval sense of the word 'treacle
' meaning 'healing unguent'. The well became a pilgrimage site in medieval times.
The reason for the apparent separation of church and village is revealed best from the air; crop-marks show the floor-plans of houses that lay along the straight road that runs between them, suggesting a much larger village during the mediaeval period, or possibly one that has 'migrated' south.
The village and its associated farmland belonged to St Frideswide's Priory during the 14th and 15th centuries, until the Priory's dissolution and (apparently) incorporation into Christ Church
, a college of Oxford University
, which now owns all of the buildings in Binsey, save one. Plans in 2001 by Christ Church to double the size of the village by demolishing a barn and constructing seven new residences were met with worldwide protests, leading to withdrawal of the proposal.
Binsey features a total of nine Listed Buildings. As well as St. Margaret's Church and St. Margaret's Well, Binsey has seven other Listed Buildings:
An avenue of poplars in Binsey was made famous by Gerard Manley Hopkins
in his poem Binsey Poplars, written when he found the riverside trees felled. The replacements for these trees, which stretch from Binsey to Godstow
, lasted until 2004, when the present replantings began.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of the centre of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. It is the opposite side of the river from Port Meadow
Port Meadow, Oxford
Port Meadow is a large area of common land beside the River Thames to the north and west of Oxford, England.The meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle, and has never been ploughed...
and about 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of the ruins of Godstow
Godstow
Godstow is a hamlet on the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, or Godstow Nunnery, are here.-The Abbey:...
Abbey.
History
Binsey's most noted feature is the Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St Margaret, set at some distance north of the surviving houses. It dates from the 12th century and is a Grade I Listed Building. Its fame lies mostly in that, just outside its west end and belltower, stands St. Margaret's Well, a Grade II Listed Building, which is the model for Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's "Treacle Well" from Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
; this is a holy well dedicated to St Frideswide
Frideswide
Saint Frithuswith was an English princess and abbess who is credited with establishing Christ Church in Oxford.-Life:...
, patron saint of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. She had fled to Binsey in a bid to escape marriage to a king of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, whose pursuit of her was halted when he was struck blind at the gates of Oxford. Frideswide's prayers brought forth a healing spring, whose waters cured his blindness, and the spring was walled into a shallow well which became something of a focus for pilgrimage, the mediaeval sense of the word 'treacle
Treacle
Treacle is any syrup made during the refining of sugar and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". Treacle is used chiefly in cooking as a form of sweetener or condiment....
' meaning 'healing unguent'. The well became a pilgrimage site in medieval times.
The reason for the apparent separation of church and village is revealed best from the air; crop-marks show the floor-plans of houses that lay along the straight road that runs between them, suggesting a much larger village during the mediaeval period, or possibly one that has 'migrated' south.
The village and its associated farmland belonged to St Frideswide's Priory during the 14th and 15th centuries, until the Priory's dissolution and (apparently) incorporation into Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, a college of Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, which now owns all of the buildings in Binsey, save one. Plans in 2001 by Christ Church to double the size of the village by demolishing a barn and constructing seven new residences were met with worldwide protests, leading to withdrawal of the proposal.
Binsey features a total of nine Listed Buildings. As well as St. Margaret's Church and St. Margaret's Well, Binsey has seven other Listed Buildings:
- Medley Manor Farmhouse
- Manor Farm Cottage
- Manor Farm House
- The Limes
- Barn at Manor Farm
- The Thatched Cottage
- The Perch InnThe Perch (Binsey)The Perch is a historic, thatch-roofed public house in Binsey, Oxfordshire on the River Thames overlooking Port Meadow.-History:The Perch dates back 800 years, and the current building, a Grade II Listed Building, to at least the 17th century. It is said to be haunted by a sailor...
An avenue of poplars in Binsey was made famous by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. was an English poet, Roman Catholic convert, and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous 20th-century fame established him among the leading Victorian poets...
in his poem Binsey Poplars, written when he found the riverside trees felled. The replacements for these trees, which stretch from Binsey to Godstow
Godstow
Godstow is a hamlet on the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, or Godstow Nunnery, are here.-The Abbey:...
, lasted until 2004, when the present replantings began.