Charlton-on-Otmoor
| Charlton-on-Otmoor | |
|---|---|
 St Mary the Virgin parish church |
|
 Charlton-on-Otmoor
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| Charlton-on-Otmoor shown within Oxfordshire | |
| Area | 3.31 km2 (1.28 sq mi) |
| Population | 449 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 136/km2 (350/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP5615 |
| Civil parish |
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| 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 | Otmoor: Charlton-on-Otmoor |
Charlton-on-Otmoor is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The village is near the River Ray on the northern edge of Otmoor. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 449.
Charlton had a parish church by the 11th century. The present Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin was a 13th-century Early English Gothic building but received substantial Decorated Gothic alterations in the 14th century. The east window is slightly later, in the transitional style from Decorated to Perpendicular Gothic. Around the beginning of the 16th century the clerestory and new roof were added to the nave and a new window was added to the south aisle.
In the early 16th century the present rood screen and rood loft (for a crucifix between the chancel and nave) were added to the church. During the English Reformation Edward VI's injunctions of 1547 instructed that rood screens and lofts be removed from all churches in England and Wales. Charlton's screen and loft survived these injunctions, and in the 20th century the critic Jennifer Sherwood judged them "the finest and most complete in the county". A tradition of garlanding the rood cross with flowers and box greenery on May Day and carrying it in procession around the parish also survived the Reformation and continues in modern times. In recent years due to pressure on the school administration it is usually impossible to hold the May Garland Service on May Day so it has to be held either in late April or later in May.
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Wikipedia