Swinbrook is a village and former
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
, now in the parish of
Swinbrook and Widford, in the
West Oxfordshire district, in the county of
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
, England. It is on the
River Windrush, about east of
Burford.
Widford is a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
about west of Swinbrook. The
2011 Census recorded the population of Swinbrook and Widford as 139.
History
The
Church of England parish church of
Saint Mary the Virgin
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
dates from about 1200. Its unusual open-sided bell-tower was added in 1822. The church is noted for its 17th-century
Fettiplace monuments; that of 1686 was carved by
William Bird of
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
. St Mary's also has a monument to the officers and men of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
submarine
HMS ''P514'', and especially its commander, Lieutenant W. A. Phillimore, whose parents lived at Swinbrook. In 1942 ''P514'' failed to identify herself to the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
minesweeper . The Canadian ship therefore assumed the submarine to be an enemy vessel and rammed ''P514'', sinking her with the loss of all hands.
In 1926,
David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale had Swinbrook House built north of the village. Four of his six daughters (the "
Mitford sisters") are buried in the parish churchyard:
Nancy,
Unity, and
Diana are buried side by side, while
Pamela is buried northwest of the tower. There is a tablet in the church commemorating their only brother,
Tom, killed in March 1945 in Burma.
Max Mosley, son of Diana, is also buried in the churchyard.
In 1931 the parish had a population of 173. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form "Swinbrook & Widford", parts also went to
Shilton and
Asthal.
Amenities
Swinbrook Cricket Club has two teams. They play in division 5 and 10 respectively of the Oxfordshire Cricket Association.
Oxfordshire Cricket Association
/ref>
References
Sources and further reading
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External links
Google 360° panorama of the chancel of St Mary the Virgin parish church, showing the Fettiplace monuments
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Villages in Oxfordshire
Cotswolds
Former civil parishes in Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire District