Winterbrook is a small settlement in the English 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 ...
, which adjoins the south end of
Wallingford and sits on the west bank of the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
. It is separated from Wallingford by Bradford's Brook. In 1974 it was transferred from
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
. Although having been part of the adjacent parish of Cholsey for centuries, its proximity to Wallingford resulted in its being absorbed into that town for administrative purposes in 2015. This change was effected despite the strenuous and long-term objections of the residents. It is now part of the Wallingford ward of
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Its council is temporarily based outside the district at Abingdon-on-Thames pending a p ...
District Council. It remains in the
Church of England parish of
St Mary the Virgin,
North Stoke.
Winterbrook appears in records from the time of King
Henry III. It is connected to the east bank by
Winterbrook Bridge. The
common lands in Winterbrook were
enclosed in 1851. Winterbrook House is a
Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
17th-century house. Its most famous resident was the novelist,
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...
, who lived at
Winterbrook House and died there in 1976. Winterbrook Lodge and Winterbrook Close are both Grade II listed early 19th-century houses. Other major buildings include the Waterside Court Care Home and the Winterbrook Nursing Home. As of 2009, Winterbrook residents were campaigning against its possible selection as the preferred option for 850 new houses as part of the
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Its council is temporarily based outside the district at Abingdon-on-Thames pending a p ...
Core Strategy as well as a preemptive planning application by Wates Homes Ltd (part of
Wates Group) for 106 dwellings.
South Oxfordshire District Council Planning Application Details P09/W0489 Planning permission was refused.
References
External links
Winterbrook
Save Winterbrook
Villages in Oxfordshire
Wallingford, Oxfordshire
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