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Shellingford was first mentioned in Saxon times, when King Athelstan granted the
monastery of Abingdon twelve hides of land at Scaringaford, in AD 931. The
ford crossed Mill brook, one of the tributaries of Rosey brook. Drinking water
was at one time obtained here from a spring and served the whole village, as
well as a roadside pump. Various industries were also served by this water as
many as six malthouses, a mill, a laundry for the Kitemore estate, and an old
smithy which existed from the 18th century until the early 20th century.
The largest house still standing was built in 1867 as Kitemore House and it
still commands a fine view across the parish to the Ridgeway.
Several large houses in the village have served as rectory, four in all, the
largest being a 16th century manor house known locally as Shellingford Castle.
Sadly it fell into decay and was finally demolished. On its site the newest
rectory stands, now in its turn redundant and privately owned.
St Faiths, the partly Norman, 12th century church stands nearby, and still
provides services on a regular basis, although like many local churches, the
rector is shared amongst other parishes.
One of the more noted rectors was John Morton, who went on to become Archbishop
of Canterbury and Chancellor of England in the reign of Henry VII. He was noted
as being the inventor of Mortons Fork, a two-pronged attempt at securing
monies for the Church and Crown from the thrifty and spendthrift alike!
The local area is mainly agricultural, and as such the lifeblood of the village
could be called the many farms Home Farm and Church Farm within the village
and Sands Farm and Little Newbury Farms on the outskirts, as well as Kitemore
Home Farm. Many of the inhabitants of the village are agricultural workers.
Land over the centuries has changed a great deal, an enormous amount of woodland
having disappeared, although there are still remnants of copses still remaining.
In Fishpond Copse, attached to the village, there can still be seen the remains
of medieval fishponds managed by sluices and banks to provide fish and wildfowl
for the table at Kitemore estate and the rectory.
Although the village has now lost its shop and pub (known locally as the Hole
in the Wall as the customers had to stand in the yard to drink their ale,
served from a literal hole in the wall!), there is still a very busy and
thriving school, built on land given by one of the former inhabitants of
Kitemore House. A school has existed in the village for a very long time,
although it is now a far cry from the Penny on a Monday for the weeks tuition
no penny, no school!
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