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Murcott, linked usually with Fencott, is the smallest of Otmoors seven towns.
Separated by a straight mile of road, and green belt, the two villages barely
support 100 dwellings, although Murcott has its own surviving public house, the
Nut Tree, an Anglican church and a Primitive Methodist chapel dated 1847, both
still in use. Only two small lanes off the main road provide access to the few
houses.
Much of the customary winter flooding has been eradicated by the present Otmoor
drainage schemes and the advent of mains water and sewage disposal to the
village. It is barely 30 years ago though, that many of the householders moved
upstairs with most of their furniture to escape the periodic flooding. Certainly
when the roads flooded they became impassable, the waters ebbing and flowing
like a tidal wave.
Because of its close proximity to Otmoor, and during the Second World War, the
practice bombing ground, one cottage received a direct hit from a German bomb,
killing a mother and child who had evacuated here for safety from Londons
bombs. There were several other bombs unloaded in the area, which left enormous
craters.
Murcott House, dated 1803, would seem to have been the first cottage in the
village in its original form. Many additions have been made during subsequent
decades. Very few of the thatched cottages remain with any vestige of their
original form. Most have succumbed to modern development.
The Nut Tree has been modernised and enlarged, but with the thatched roof and
reflection in the village pond, still retains much of its rustic charm.
Fiveacres still retains its original cottage which until 30 years ago housed the
village shop. Later another shop was set up, almost next door, but with modern
ease of transport to the supermarkets it proved an uneconomic venture; both
shops are now dwelling houses.
Murcott was essentially a farm village; apart from the three actual farms, every
householder owned sufficient land to run a smallholding. The little paddocks
still bear witness to the validity of the green belt area; there has been very
little building off the main road. The lanes lead directly on to the moor and
provide relaxing and delightful walks for the enthusiast.
Before the Second World War there was a fair amount of good natured rivalry
between the towns. The Charlton children would chant at their Murcott
counterparts:
Murcottites, Murcottites,
What silly old fools they be
Murcottites, Murcottites
Well drown em in the sea.
Probably with the influx of furreners in the shape of London evacuees, the
local folk welded together and now none of the old animosities remain.
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