Newington, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Newington is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire
, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Wallingford.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Giles
was built in the 12th century, its transept
s were added about 1200 and the west tower and spire
were added early in the 14th century.
Gilbert Sheldon
held the living of the parish for a time in the 17th century. Sheldon also simultaneously held the livings of Hackney
, Ickford
, Buckinghamshire
and Oddington, Oxfordshire
. After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Sheldon was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury
in 1663.
The Manor House
was built about 1664, and a third storey
and a Corinthian
porch were added to it in about 1777. The former Rectory
, now Beauforest House, is a Georgian
house of five bays
built about 1774.
Archaeological work was carried out in the grounds of Newington House in the early 1980s and the latter half of the 2000s revealing extensive medieval occupation including at least one smithy.
Some residual Roman pottery was recovered from medieval pits, indicating that there may have been a Roman farm or similar in the vicinity. Newington is approximately 5km from the Roman town of Dorchester on Thames. The earliest in situ remains comprise evidence for post-Conquest plots dating from the late 11th and early 12th centuries. These may have been agricultural enclosures, such as paddocks, but were probably laid out as house-plots for tenants. By the early 12th century, it appears that a smithy was built within one of the plots, followed in the 13th century by a larger smithy built on stone footings. This smithy was in use until the 14th century when it fell into disuse. Whether smithing was carried out elsewhere in Newington - there is a 14th century reference to Andrew le Smith from the attached hamlet of Brightwell (probably Brightwell Prior) - is still unknown, but by the 15th century the plot where the smithy formerly existed had been dug over and used for the disposal of rubbish.
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Wallingford.
The Church of England parish church
Church 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 Saint Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
was built in the 12th century, its transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s were added about 1200 and the west tower and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
were added early in the 14th century.
Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
held the living of the parish for a time in the 17th century. Sheldon also simultaneously held the livings of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, Ickford
Ickford
Ickford is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the boundary with Oxfordshire, about west of the market town of Thame....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and Oddington, Oxfordshire
Oddington, Oxfordshire
Oddington is a village and civil parish about south of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The village is close to the River Ray on the northern edge of Otmoor.-History:...
. After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Sheldon was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
in 1663.
The Manor House
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was built about 1664, and a third storey
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
and a Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
porch were added to it in about 1777. The former Rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, now Beauforest House, is a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house of five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
built about 1774.
Archaeological work was carried out in the grounds of Newington House in the early 1980s and the latter half of the 2000s revealing extensive medieval occupation including at least one smithy.
Some residual Roman pottery was recovered from medieval pits, indicating that there may have been a Roman farm or similar in the vicinity. Newington is approximately 5km from the Roman town of Dorchester on Thames. The earliest in situ remains comprise evidence for post-Conquest plots dating from the late 11th and early 12th centuries. These may have been agricultural enclosures, such as paddocks, but were probably laid out as house-plots for tenants. By the early 12th century, it appears that a smithy was built within one of the plots, followed in the 13th century by a larger smithy built on stone footings. This smithy was in use until the 14th century when it fell into disuse. Whether smithing was carried out elsewhere in Newington - there is a 14th century reference to Andrew le Smith from the attached hamlet of Brightwell (probably Brightwell Prior) - is still unknown, but by the 15th century the plot where the smithy formerly existed had been dug over and used for the disposal of rubbish.