Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES
Apart from the water-mills on the Sor Brook, the only known evidence
of medieval industry at Bloxham is in the records of Bicester Priory, -
where in 1296 fine stone quarried at Bloxham was used for the church- -
seats.
From the 17th century onwards there.are records of an increasing*
range of local crafts and' industries. In 1678 hempwag being bought to -
provide work for the poor, and a rope and twine maker was still-operating
in 1864. There was a woollen manufacture in 1768, and shag- and plushweaving
were important in the 19th century. The building trade
provided employment for brickmakers, stonemasons, slatters, thatchers,
carpenteis and plasterers, and there'were several- marble and monumental
masons in the 19th century. There was the usual'range of small-scale
trades serving local needs, e.g. bakehouses and-smithies.
Ironstone mining began in the 19th century, but did not begin to
operate on a large scale until after 1917. A carpet-mill was established
here in 1947 and 'a firm making prefabricated concrete structures in the
. .
1950's.
PLAN ELEMENTS
Bloxham is a-véry large village, consigting of two*separate nuCleated
settlements facing each other across the valley of the. Sor Brook tributary.
It reseMbles seVeral nearby 'double' settlements, such as E. and W.*
Adderbury or Barford St. John and Barford St. Michael. Like them its two
constituent parts have been distinguished by separate nomenclature in
the past - 'le Crowehead Ville' and 'le Downe End' in the medieval
period, 'Bloxham North' and 'Bloxham South' in the 17th century. Their
individuality Was reflected in their separate.overseers, constables and
highway surveyors during the .17th and 18th'centuries. Although the
physical distinction remains, the separate identity of the two parts.has
receded, and the entire settlement is now known simply as Bloxham.
The two settlements were linked-by. two bridges 'across the stream *
which were apparently of medieval origin : the Great Bridge.(now the Old,
Bridge) and the Little Bridge upstream to the W. The feoffees of the town
estate were responsible for their upkeep and repair under their 1627
constitution. A third crossing-point was at Cumberford on the Tadmarton
road leading.out of.the village to the NW. The present main road
bridge is part of a 19th century road realignment, discussed futther
below.
The street-plan of both parts of Bloxham appears very irregular, .
the first impression being of an inéoherent maze of Winding lanes and
alleys climbing up the valley sides to the 'plateau 'top. Some elements of
the plan appear to be influenced by the physical constrictions of
the site, for example the curving line of Queen's Street, Little Green
and Merrivale's Lane, which runs parallel to and just above the
principal break of slope on the southern side of the valley.
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