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Salford is no beauty spot frequented by tourists. Nor is it on the way to
anywhere, lying as it does off the A44 between Chipping Norton and Moreton-in-Marsh.
It is a small village of just over 300 souls in the centre of the manor of
Salford, which lies within the boundaries of the 1,500 acres forming the ancient
parish. Small it may be, but it is today a very close-knit and active village.
The school and the village shop have gone, but the church and pub flourish and
the villagers run a dramatic society, a history society, a WI, a sports ground,
an annual flower show, a Christmas dinner for the over sixties, given by the
village hall committee, and all sorts of other activities.
As a place name, Salford is relatively common, but this version is unique. The
other Salford settlements take their names from the Latin Salix or willow, and
presumably mean the ford near the willow copse or osiers. This Salford means
salt-ford and the village may have been a stop-over on the ancient Salt Way
linking Droitwich to the south coast.
So Salford is an ancient village and there are still families in it who have
lived here for several centuries. Among these are the Fawdrys and the
well-stocked churchyard indicates the continuity of the family within the
parish. Fawdrys have been farming here though not at the same farm over the
centuries. The first mention of the family occurs in an old document as Ralph
Fawdry flourishing in Salford 1640. They look set to farm and flourish here for
some time to come.
Agriculture, of course, was the only livelihood of the majority of villagers
until the Industrial Revolution, when workers drifted into nearby towns. Before
the Second World War, the parish of Salford contained ten farms. Now, with
intensive farming, there are four farms and a smallholding.
Salford is part of what is fondly known as The Five Parishes Salford,
Cornwell, Chastleton, Little Compton and Little Rollright and 13th century St
Marys church stands on a rise to the west of the village. It was considerably
altered by George Street in 1856, but original windows, a Norman tympanum and
Norman font speak of the past.
The most dramatic church event of late has been the removal on 12th September
1989 of the historic Bagley ring of five bells, all cast in 1687. Whites of
Appleton joined forces with volunteer labour on that day and the tower became a
hive of activity. By lunch time they had cleared all the wood, wheels and old
frame from the tower, and the five bells were lined up on the church path. It
was a beautiful moment, as sightseers and workers stood in the mellow September
sun, gazing at these historic pieces of art. The bells were returned to their
home in April 1990.
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