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Wheatley village lies six miles east of Oxford in a valley at right angles to
the river Thame. A stream once flowed through the centre of the village and had
to be crossed by stepping stones, but this is now contained in a culvert and
covered with a road surface which forms the High Street, where most of the shops
are to be found.
People have lived here since Saxon times and finds from a Saxon cemetery which
was discovered in 1883 are housed in the Ashmolean Museum. A Roman villa was
unearthed in 1845, and although nothing remains now, fragments of pottery, tiles
and coins dating from AD 260 to 378 have been found. During the 13th century
Wheatley was part of the property of the Abbey of Abingdon and in 1279 was
described as a hamlet of Cuddesdon.
One of the main occupations for Wheatley people was stone quarrying and the
stone was used for building Windsor Castle, Merton College, local cottages and
ecclesiastical buildings, most of which were erected between the 13th and 18th
centuries. Quarrying stone would have been thirsty work and gallons of ale would
have been consumed at the ten public houses in the village. The quarry was
notorious for its bull baiting and cock fighting activities and no doubt the
mens meagre wages were squandered on placing bets on the unfortunate animals.
Other occupations included faggot cutting and ochre cutting, the ochre being
crushed at the windmill which is still standing today.
The manor house was enlarged and improved in 1601, and bears a plaque on the
front stating T.A. 1601, which stands for Thomas Archdale, the owner at that
time. It still retains its original appearance whereas most of the other old
cottages and buildings have been restored. The George coaching inn stands
opposite the manor and has been turned into a charming residence with courtyards
and gift shop.
Stage coaches travelled from Oxford to London via the Old Road which crossed
Shotover Plain, and the descent into Wheatley was a favourite haunt of
highwaymen. Many of the inns had an upper entrance in Church Road and another in
the High Street to accommodate the change of horses.
The railway arrived in 1862 and linked Wheatley with Oxford, High Wycombe and
London. However, new roads were built, the railway closed and passengers are now
served by local buses to Oxford, Thame and Aylesbury.
The village lock-up, built in 1834, is a pyramid-shaped stone structure standing
near the edge of the old quarry site. It has a heavy padlocked door and the
floor space is about six ft square with a headroom of about eight ft. During the
19th century it was used to lock up drunks overnight before sending them to the
Oxford court. More recently it has been opened every May Day. For a small charge
you can be locked up for five minutes or so, and given a certificate to prove
it.
Shotover Park is an area of outstanding beauty and in its midst stands Shotover
House, home of Lt Col Sir John Miller, who was Crown Equerry to the
Queen. In 1888 his grandmother gave the building known as the Merry
Bells to the villagers for use as a temperance hotel as she was
saddened to see so much hardship caused by drunkenness.
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