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Benson is a large village beside the Thames, about twelve miles downstream from
Oxford, with a population of approximately 6,000.
The first official mention of Benson was in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of AD 571,
where it appears as Bensington. This is still the villages formal name, and is
written on the name board which stands outside the parish church of St Helen.
Parts of St Helens church date back to the 12th century. The interior was
completely restored and a nave altar added during the 1970s. This can be removed
if the occasion arises, and gives a very open and friendly feel to the church.
The work was mainly performed by the members of the church, and other volunteers
from the community. The church clock is very interesting, as it is in Roman
numerals and contains two Xls and no IX. During the Second World War a radio
broadcast was picked up that included the message that the German Luftwaffe were
going to bomb the airfield near the village with the church that had two elevens
on its clock!
Today Benson is probably best known for its RAF station, which is also the place where the Duchess of York learned to fly.
The airfield was built in 1937, and played an important role during the Second
World War as home of the Photographic Reconnaissance unit. Many local people
Work on the station, and the relationship between local residents and service
personnel is very good. The annual RAF fete and the flying displays always prove
very popular attractions.
The Thames has played an important and on-going part in Bensons history.
Fisheries were mentioned here in the Domesday Book of 1086, and today there is
still a thriving angling club. Until about 1934 coal was transported from the
Midlands through the Coventry and Oxford Canals, and then down the Thames to
Bensons wharf. This site now houses the Cruiser Station, where boats can be
hired, and a holiday caravan park. This also supplies some seasonal employment.
The village is on the old coaching route from London to Oxford, and the Crown
Inn was built in 1709 for travellers to rest, and to change horses. A mounting
stone can still be seen on the corner of the building. In those days many
villagers would have earned their living building coaches, and would later have
transferred to making railway carriages.
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