Aston Upthorpe is a village and
civil parish about southeast of
Didcot in
South Oxfordshire. It was part of
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
until the
1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The motion picture National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) - Stonehenge Scene was filmed a mile to the south of the village on the ancient downland. The
2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 179.
Prehistory
Half of the high
Blewburton Hill is in the parish. The hill is the site of an
Iron Age hill fort that may have been occupied from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC.
Parish church
The
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 each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...
of
All Saints may date from the second half of the 11th century. However, the only surviving
Norman features are one small window in the north wall of the
nave and the blocked-up remains of a south doorway. The nave roof may be 14th century and its west wall and
Perpendicular Gothic
Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-c ...
window may be 15th century. The wooden north porch is of uncertain date, possibly the first half of the 17th century. In 1859–60 under the direction of the
Gothic Revival architect P.C. Hardwick, the nave was restored and the
chancel was restored. The
bellcote is also wooden and has two bells, and may have been added by Hardwick. All Saints is now part of the
Benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
of the Churn.
References
Sources
*
*
External links
The Astons.Net*
Civil parishes in Oxfordshire
Villages in Oxfordshire
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