Begbroke
| Begbroke | |
|---|---|
 St. Michael's parish church |
|
 Begbroke
|
|
| Begbroke shown within Oxfordshire | |
| Area | 2.88 km2 (1.11 sq mi) |
| Population | 783 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 272/km2 (700/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP4824 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kidlington |
| Postcode district | OX5 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Begbroke Parish Council |
Begbroke is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Kidlington and 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 783.
Fragments of early pottery have been found in the parish, as well as flints, scrapers, and an axe and arrow head. Aerial photographs show ancient crop marks.
The toponym "Begbroke" is Old English for "Little Brook". This refers to Rowel Brook which runs through the village and was the reason for its early settlement. Rowel Brook is a tributary of the River Cherwell.
Begbroke Manor House was built in about 1700. In the 19th century it became part of the Priory of St. Philip, which until 2000 was the novitiate house for the Roman Catholic Servite Friars in England. It was then sold to a Church of England order of nuns. The brethren of the Servites were well known in the village and served as Air Raid Precautions (ARP) wardens in World War II.
The Church of England parish church of Saint Michael was a 12th-century Norman building. The uppermost stage of the tower was rebuilt in the 14th century and the nave and chancel were repeatedly "restored" in the 19th century.
The former Begbroke Hill Farm was owned by the Giffard and FitzHerbert families for nearly 500 years. It was built early in the 17th century for either Humphrey FitzHerbert (died 1616) or his son Robert (died 1632). It is now the site of the Oxford University Begbroke Science Park (which, despite the name, is accessible only from the neighbouring village of Yarnton and but is in the boundary of Begbroke parish).
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Wikipedia