Berinsfield
| Berinsfield | |
|---|---|
 Parish church of St. Mary & St. Berin |
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 Berinsfield
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| Berinsfield shown within Oxfordshire | |
| Area | 3.73 km2 (1.44 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,700 (2001 census) |
| • Density | 724/km2 (1,880/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU5796 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wallingford |
| Postcode district | OX10 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Berinsfield Parish Council |
Berinsfield is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Oxford.
Palaeolithic and Roman artefacts were found during 20th century excavations to build the village. The Roman road between Dorchester-on-Thames and Alchester runs through the centre of Berinsfield. An Anglo-Saxon cemetery was also found at Berinsfield.
The village occupies the site of RAF Mount Farm, a satellite of RAF Benson, initially used to train bomber pilots. It was later taken over by the United States Army Air Forces, who used it as a reconnaissance base. From here stars including Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour and Glenn Miller took off to entertain the troops in Europe. Miller performed for the US service personnel at the base in December 1944. From there he went to RAF Twinwood, boarded a Noorduyn Norseman single-engined aircraft, took off for Paris - and was never heard of again. His plane is believed to have ditched in the Channel - although 20 years ago there was a belief he may have crash-landed in the dense Chiltern woodlands. Searches found no trace of the aircraft.
In 1957 the Air Ministry sold the airfield for civilian use. Bullingdon Rural District Council decided to build a new village - the first in England for 200 years - to be named after Birinus or Berin, a local saint. The word 'field' was added because the Americans called their base an airfield.
The first residents moved in 50 years ago. Many new residents at that time lived in the old air force huts, before brick-built houses were constructed on the site.
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Wikipedia