Sutton Courtenay
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Sutton Courtenay is a village and civil parish, between Didcot and Abingdon, currently in the English county of Oxfordshire, but before administrative boundary changes in 1974, part of Berkshire.
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[edit] Today
In the past, agriculture, a local paper mill and domestic service were the main sources of employment within the village. Now the prime employers include local scientific establishments and Didcot power station. There are many commuters using Didcot railway station, London being a mere 45 minutes away. Didcot Power Station itself falls within the boundaries of Sutton Courtenay parish, as do several large quarries that have been used for gravel extraction, and then used for landfill activities taking domestic refuse from London via a separate rail terminal.
[edit] Notable buildings and history
Settlement in the parish dates from Stone Age times, when the alluvial plains of the Thames made the area fertile for agriculture. The Romans were present in the village as evidence of a ceremonial site and road survive. The Anglo-Saxons were already present before Roman legions left and their most important enduring monument in Sutton was the massive causeway and weirs which separate the millstream from Sutton Pools. The causeway was probably built by Saxon labour.
Written records of Sutton's history began in 688 when Ine, King of Wessex, endowed the new monastery at Abingdon with the manor of Sutton. In 801, Sutton became a royal vill, with the monastery at Abingdon retaining the church and priest's house. It is believed that this was on the site of the 'Abbey' in Sutton Courtenay. The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the manor of 'Sudtone' was owned half by the King and farmed mainly by tenants who owed him tribute. There were three mills, 300 acres of river meadow (probably used for dairy farming) and extensive woodlands where pigs were kept.
In the Norman era, the oldest surviving buildings of the village were built. The 'Norman Hall' is one of the oldest buildings in the village. It was built in 1190, in the reign of Richard I, Coeur de Lion. Adjacent to the Norman Hall is The Abbey, actually the rectory house, which dates from about 1300. The 14th century Great Hall has an arched oak roof. The manor house was formerly known as Brunce's Court when it was the home of the Brunce family, one of whom became Bishop of Norwich. It is a five-gabled, two-winged house which has had many additions over the centuries but originated as the great medieval royal hall, frequented by King Henry I and then taken over by the Courtenay family, who gave their name to the village. All Saints' Church was also built at this time (see below), and is a fine example of local Norman and Medieval architecture.
In 1912, Sutton Courtenay became famous when the Prime Minister, Asquith, chose The Wharf (which he built in 1913) and the adjoining Walton House for his country residence, using them instead of the Chequers mansion. Asquith and his large family escaped the rigors of politics at The Wharf on weekends where his wife Margot held court over bridge and tennis. She converted the old barn directly on the river which served for accommodation for the overflow of her many weekend parties. A painting of the period by Sir John Lavery (now in the Hugh Lane Gallery) shows Elizabeth Asquith and her young friends lounging in boats by the riverside. On a more serious note, Asquith signed the declaration that took Britain into the First World War here. He and his family remained in the village after he resigned as Prime Minister and he was buried in the churchyard (see below).
[edit] All Saints' Church
Sutton Courtenay Church as it stands today, originated in the 14th century, the only surviving part today being the nave. The interior shows unusual Norman zig-zag work as well as later carved capitals. On the tower door, there are crusader crosses inscribed by soldiers either hoping for or given thanks for a safe return from the Crusades. The main south door is surrounded by a fine brick porch built with money left to the poor of the parish by the 15th century Bishop Thomas Bekynton of Bath & Wells. The brick-built south porch also has a room above reached by a narrow stairway from inside the church. The clock on the church tower is unusual in that it is one-handed and dates from about 1700. Other fittings include a 17th century wineglass pulpit (installed in 1901) and a carved mid-12th century font with fleur-de-lys pattern. The church was nearly destroyed during the Civil War when munitions stored by the parliamentarian vicar exploded in the church.
[edit] Churchyard
The churchyard is notable as the location of the burial place of Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name, George Orwell. As a child he fished in a local stream. He wanted to be buried in the churchyard of whichever was the nearest church to where he died. However he died in London and none of the local churches had any space in their graveyards. Thinking that he might have to be cremated against his wishes, his widow asked her friends whether they knew of a church that had space for him. David Astor, a friend of Orwell's who lived in Sutton Courtenay, explained the problem to his local vicar, and arrangements were made.
The Churchyard also contains the grave of David Astor and that of Lord (Herbert Henry) Asquith, Earl of Oxford. The latter so much loved the simplicity of the village that he chose to be buried there rather than in Westminster Abbey.
[edit] Famous people
- Herbert Asquith, Prime Minister and Earl of Oxford (as above)
- David Astor, newspaper publisher (as above)
- Thomas Bekynton, Bishop of Bath and Wells (as above)
- Thomas Brunce, 15th century Bishop of Norwich
- Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, great-great grand-daughter of Herbert Henry Asquith, have moved to the village in recent times, purchasing the Mill House (which had been owned and improved by her grandmother, Violet Bonham-Carter) and Tom and George Latimer currently live there.
- Empress Matilda, 12th century 'Lady of the English' (aka Queen of England), was probably born at Sutton Courtenay Manor.
- Eric Arthur Blair (as above)
- Hugh Macdonald Sinclair, nutritionist
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Sutton Courtenay
- Berkshire History: Sutton Courtenay
- Discover Oxfordshire villages: Sutton Courtenay
- Sutton Courtenay Village Website
- The Abbey at Sutton Courtenay
