OXFORDSHIHK. 



To Uw *at of Oxford the vunl rug, one of the formation* of the 

 middle divuion of oolitr*, farnii the elevated platform between the 

 vaUVji of the Cberwell and the Tbame. Thu formation eztemU 

 acrou the Thame* into Berkshire. The blue clay, or Oxford claj, 

 which separate* the ooral rag from the lower oolite*, oooupie* the 

 inid.lU part of the county. On the eastern aide of the county the 

 Portland bed* of the upper *rie of oolite* reit immediately on the 

 Oxford clay. 



The rest of the county, except the Taller of the Cherwell above 

 Banbury, u occupied by the lower division of the unlit.-*. The forest 

 marble, another formation of tint diviaion, ha* obtained it* name from 

 Whichwood Forret, neer Bui ford, where it U found. It U a limeitone 

 nueeptihU of a tolerable polish, nnd oocanionally uaed a* a coarse 

 marble. The calcareous alata of Stoneafield, near Woodtock, U 

 remarkable for the singular variety of it* organic remain*, among 

 which are the spoils of bird*, land animal*, Amphibia, sen-shell*, and 

 vegvtable*. The great oolite U quarried near Burfonl, and these 

 quarries tupplud the (tone of which St. Paul'* cathedral (London) i* 

 built. The l.iwrr division of the oolite* form* the maas of a well- 

 defined range of hilla rising from the valley occupied by the Oxford 

 clay. The greater part of the county north of Deddington and 

 Chipping Norton i* occupied by ferruginous sand* and sandstone, 

 denuded of the great oolite which usually caps them. The district 

 occupied by them oolitic and arenaceous formations contains some of 

 the highest hills in the county. 



Hy<lroyra)thy and Communication*. Oxfordshire belongs almost 

 entirely to the basin of the Thames. The Stour, an affluent of the 

 Upper Avon, rises just within the north-western boundary at Drayton ; 

 and the Onse, in the upper part of iU course, skirta the north-eastern 

 boundary, and receives the Ousel, one of its smaller tributaries, from 

 that part of the county. The Thames first touches the county a 

 little below LecbUule iu Gloucestershire, where the navigation com- 

 mence*, and quits it a little below Henley. The length of its course 

 along thin county is about 70 mile*. [THAMES.] 



The n'intlrut/t rises in the Cotswold Hills, and after Bowing through 

 Gloucestershire enters Oxfordshire, passes Burford and VVitncy, and 

 flows by several channel* into the Thames. The i'venlade rises near 

 Xoreton-in-the-Marsh in Gloucestershire, and enters Oxfordshire about 



9 mile* from it* source, having previously skirted the border for a 

 abort diataucc : it* course through Oxfordshire is generally south-east i 

 and south. It falls into the Thames about a mile and a half east of 

 Knaham. The Glyme, one of the tributaries of the Evenlocle, after 

 passing Woodstock flows through Blenheim Park, where it expand* 

 into a large sheet of water. The Chencdl, or Vino-well, rises near the 

 village of Charwellton, in Northainptonshi e, and flows southward 

 iuto the Thames at Oxford. It receives a number of small tributaries. 

 The Thauie rises at Stewkley, between Aylesbury and Fenny Stratford 

 in Buckinghamshire, and flows south-west to the town of Thame, where 

 it touches the border of Oxfordshire; for about 5 miles farther it 

 skirts the border, and then entering the. county flows through it about 



10 miles into the Thames at Dorchester. It is navigable from Tbame 

 to Dorchester. 



The Oxford Canal, the only one in the county, commences at Long- 

 ford in Warwickshire, where it unites with the Coventry Canal. It 

 enters Oxfordshire near the northern extremity of the county, some 

 miles north of Banbury, and follows the valley of the Cberwell south- 

 ward to Oxford, where it terminates in the Thames. 



The county is well provided with common roads. The principal 

 coach-roads are the following : The road which enters the county at 

 Henley-upon-Thames, and runs through Bensington to Oxford, and 

 thence by Witney into Gloucestershire; the road which runs by 

 TeUworth and Shotover to Oxford, and thence by Woodstock to 

 Gloucrtteiabire ; the road to Birmingham, which runs through 

 Bioester and Banbury. 



The Great Western railway runs for about three miles along the 

 left bank of the Thames in this county, passing through Goring and 

 South Stoke ; and from the Didcot station, which is in Berkshire, a 

 line runs northward, to Oxford and Banbury, whence it is continued 

 by Leamington and Warwick to Birmingham. The city of Oxford is 

 connected with the London and Birmingham line at Bletchley by the 

 Buckinghamshire railway, which passes through Bicester and Winslow, 

 where it i* joined by the Buckingham and ttrackley line, which runs 

 north-west through these town* to Banbury. Oxford is also connected 

 with Worcester and Wolverhampton by the Oxford, Worcester, and 

 Wulverbamptou railway. 



' l\malt, Kotl, Agriculture. The climate of this county u, on the 

 whole, colder than iu situation in the central part of the island 

 would lead one to expect ; still the county may be reckoned amongst 

 the most productive agricultural counties of England, and some of the 

 land i* of a quality which can scarcely be surpassed anywhere. 



The noil may be divided into four distinct classes the rich red 

 loam, the stonebraib, the chalky and the irregular loams, and sands 

 and gravel*, which cannot be clasied with any of the foregoing. The 

 red laud is partly in old gnat, in which state it is very valuable, and 

 partly cultivated u arable land. The itonebruh district, which 

 extend* from the borders of Gloucestershire aero** the country to the 

 north of Oxford and Witney, i* of inferior fertility to the red land ; 

 but it i* easily worked, and, baring a porou* ub*oi], it is not often 



injured by rain. The soil i* formed of decomposed chalk and sand- 

 stone. The chalk district, in the south-east of the county, i* generally 

 covered to a certain depth with a light calcareous loam. The low lunds 

 in the valleys through which the rivers flow are in many place* covered 

 with the finest herbage, and maintain much cattle. A part aUo is 

 cultivated a* arable land, and produce* great crops of barley, clover, 

 bean*, wheat, and turnips. Besides these distinct soils, there are 

 many of a mixed nature varying in texture and quality without any 

 regularity. Where they rest on a porous subsoil, they are mostly 

 Some few consist of poor Bands or wet clays, which form tin- 

 extremes, and are very unproductive until they are corrected and 

 improved by marling or draining. 



The farmers of Oxfordshire, as well a* of most other parts of 

 England, have very generally adopted the modern system of cultivation 

 by rotation of crops, and new or improved implements of husbandry 

 are generally in use. All the usual crops are raised. 



The fatting of calves, by allowing them to suck the cows, is pre- 

 ferred by some fanners to making butter. On the butter-farms many 

 pigs are fatted on the skimmed milk. The farm-horses in <ixt.ir.l- 

 shire are mostly good and active. The cows are of various IT 

 Devonshire and Alderneys are common. The improved nliort-horus 

 are the favourite breed both for the dairy and for calves. Sheep are 

 an important object with the Oxfordshire farmer, and are in g 

 well managed. Large hogs are prized ; enormous boara are reared 

 and fatted to be converted into brawn. 



Jhritioiu. Tovnu, etc. Oxfordshire is divided into 14 liun.hv 

 follows : Bampton, west ; Binbury, north ; Binficld, south-east ; 

 Bloxham, north; Bullingdon, central and east; Chadlington, north- 

 west; Dorchester, central ; Ewelme, south; Langtree, south ; Lewknor, 

 south-east; Pirton, south-east; Ploughley, north-east; Thame, east; 

 Wootton, central ; and the city aud liberties of Oxford. 



Oxfordshire contains the city and university of OXFORD, the borough 

 and market-towns of BANBURY and WOODSTOCK, and the market 

 of BAMPTON, BICESTER, BURFORD, CHIPPING NORTON, HKM.KV-I PON 

 THAMES, THAHE, Watlington, and WITNEY, all of which will lie found 

 under their respective titles, except Watlington, which we notice here. 



Watlington, population 1884 in 1851, about 15 miles S.E. from Oxford, 

 has a small market which is held on Saturday, and two yearly fairs. 

 The market-house is a substantial brick building. The church is 

 ancient aud of mixed styles. The Wesleyan Methodists and Inde- 

 pendents have places of worship, aud there are National schools. The 

 making of pillow-lace employs a considerable number of females. 



The following arc some of the more important villages, with the 

 populations of the respective parishes in 1851 : 



Adderbiu-y, population 2310, about 19 miles N. by W. from Oxford, 

 is on the Sorbrook, a feeder of the Cherwell. The church, a good 

 gothic edifice, with a lofty octangular spire^ stands on an emiuence. 

 The chancel was built by William of Wykehatn. The Weal, van 

 Methodists have a chapel, and there are an Endowed and a National 

 school. liotiinglon, or Benson, population 1231, about 12 miles S.S.K. 

 from Oxford, is on the left bank of the Thames, a little above Wal- 

 lingford, Berkshire. It forms part of the parliamentary borough of 

 Wallingford. Bonsington, now a mere village, was a place of some 

 importance in early times. The West Saxons built a castle here for 

 the defence of their frontier ; this castle was reduced by the Mercians 

 under Ofia in 775. The church, which ia ancient, has an east window 

 of decorated character. There are National schools, and an ancient 

 hospital or almshouse. Bloxham, population 1577, about 21 miles 

 N.N.W. from Oxford, is situated on a branch of the river Cherwell. 

 The church is a handsome building, with an elegant tower and spire, 

 195 feet high; the west door has some curious carving in stoue repre- 

 senting the Day of Judgment ; near the east end of the church is a 

 stone cross. There are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists and Baptists, 

 a National and an Infant school. Carersham, population 1752, is 

 pleasantly situated on the left bank of the Thames, about a mile N. 

 from Reading. The church is ancient. There are a chapel for Dis- 

 senters and schools supported by subscription. Chalgrove, population 

 616, about 10 miles S.E. from Oxford, has a church of Norman cha- 

 racter built of stone. In Chalgrove Field a monument has been > i 

 to the memory of John Hampden, who was mortally wounded in a 

 skirmish with the Royalists there. Chtuibury, population 3179, about 

 15 miles N.W. from Oxford, a decayed market-town, has a parish 

 church, partly Norman; chapels for Wesleyau Methodists aud Quakers: 

 an Endowed Grammar school ; British and Infant schools ; and a Girls 

 school. Brewing, malting, aud glove-making are carried on. Four 

 yearly fairs are held. Cldnnor, population 1257, about 18 miles K.S.K. 

 from Oxford, at the foot of the Chiltem Hills, has a handsome church 

 of Norman character, with a clerestory, and at the west end a square- 

 roofed tower. The Independents have a chapel Lace-making is 

 carried on, and once a fortnight a feast or market for the sale of lace 

 is held. Chairs, of the kind called Windsor chairs, are manufactured. 

 Cuddetdtn, population 15 42, about 8 miles E.by S. from Oxford, contains 

 the bishop's palace, and a handsome building recently erected for the 

 Diocesan Training school. Cuddesdeu Palace has been repaired and 

 enlarged by the present bishop. A chapel in the decorated style has 

 been added. The windows of the chapel are fitted with painted glass. 

 The east window was presented by Prince Albert. Deddimjton, popu- 

 lation 2178, is 17 miles N. by W. from Oxford. There are here the earth- 



