Enstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Enstone |
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 St Kenelm's parish church, Church Enstone |
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 Enstone
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| Population | 1,139 (parish, including Chalford, Cleveley, Fulwell, Gagingwell, Lidstone, and Radford) (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SP3724 |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Chipping Norton |
| Postcode district | OX7 |
| Dialling code | 01608 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Enstone Parish Council[Usurped!] |
Enstone is a village and civil parish in England. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Chipping Norton. It is also about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Oxford city.
The civil parish of Enstone is one of the largest in Oxfordshire. It includes the villages of Church Enstone and Neat Enstone. It also has smaller areas called hamlets. These are Chalford, Cleveley, Fulwell, Gagingwell, Lidstone, and Radford. In 2011, about 1,139 people lived in Enstone.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Ent Stone
Enstone gets its name from a special standing stone. This stone is called the Ent Stone. It is part of the remains of a very old tomb from the Stone Age. You can find it just off Charlbury Road. This ancient stone is also known as the Hoar Stone. It is a protected historical site.
Places to Worship
St Kenelm's Church
The main church in Enstone is St Kenelm's. It belongs to the Church of England. The oldest parts of the church were built in the 1100s. Over many centuries, new parts were added. For example, the south side of the church was built around 1180. The north side was added later, in the late 1200s.
The church has a tall bell tower that was built in the mid-1500s. Many of the windows were also added in the 1400s and early 1500s. In 1856, the church was repaired and updated. A special stained-glass window was put in the north side of the church. It remembers those who fought in the First World War. St Kenelm's is a very important historic building.
The church tower has six bells that can be rung. Some of these bells were made in 1831. Others were made more recently, in 1961 and 1981.
The Medieval Tithe Barn
East of St Kenelm's church, there is a very old barn. It is called a tithe barn. This barn was built for a monastery called Winchcombe Abbey. Monasteries used tithe barns to store a share of the crops given to them by local farmers. The barn has a special roof structure called a cruck roof. It has a stone that says it was built in 1382. However, experts think it might have been rebuilt later, in the late 1400s. This barn is also a protected historic building.
Other Chapels
In Neat Enstone, there was once a chapel for the Wesleyan church. It is no longer used for worship today. In the past, around 1870, there were also other churches in the village, including Baptist and Roman Catholic groups.
Local Life and Amenities
Enstone has a primary school in Neat Enstone. It was built in 1875. The school has received good reports from inspectors.
The village has two public houses, which are like local pubs or inns. One is the Crown Inn in Church Enstone. It was built in the late 1600s. The other is the Artyard Cafe/Pub in Neat Enstone. It used to be called the Harrow Inn.
In Neat Enstone, you can also find shops. These include a post office and a general store. There is also an art gallery and a place for older people to live. On the main A44 road, there is a petrol station with a shop. Enstone also has a Women's Institute, which is a group for women in the community.
Enstone has a football team called Enstone Sports Football Club. The village is located where two important roads meet. One road goes between Oxford and Chipping Norton. The other goes between Enstone and Bicester. These roads have been important for travel for a long time.
RAF Enstone: From Airfield to Industrial Park
RAF Enstone is an area north-east of Church Enstone. During the Second World War, it was an important air base. It was used by RAF Bomber Command to train pilots. The base was closed in 1947.
Today, RAF Enstone is a civilian aerodrome. This means it is used for private planes and flying. The old buildings from the air base have been changed into an industrial estate. Part of the airfield is now a poultry farm where chickens are raised.
Formula One Team in Enstone
South-east of the Enstone Aerodrome, there is an old quarry. This site is now home to the Whiteways Technical Centre. This is where the Formula One motor racing team, Alpine F1 Team, is based.
The F1 team moved to Enstone in 1992. Back then, it was called Benetton Formula. Later, the car company Renault bought the team. It was renamed the Renault F1 Team in 2002. Over the years, the team changed names a few times. In 2020, it was announced that the team would be called the Alpine F1 Team from 2021. This team won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with driver Esteban Ocon.
Famous drivers have won championships with this team. Michael Schumacher won the drivers' championship in 1994 and 1995. Fernando Alonso won it in 2005 and 2006. The team has also won the constructors' championship three times. This happened as Benetton in 1995, and as Renault in 2005 and 2006.
The Enstone Marvels
Thomas Bushell was a mining engineer who lived in Oxfordshire in the 1600s. He had an estate in Road Enstone. There, he found a special spring and rock formation. He turned this area into a grotto, which is a small cave or cave-like structure. He also added water-powered special effects. These became known as 'Bushell's Wells' or the ‘Enstone Marvels’.
A book from 1677, Natural History of Oxfordshire, describes these marvels in detail. Sadly, they were taken down in 1836.
King Charles I visited Bushell's Marvels in the 1630s. On one visit in 1636, the rock was presented to Queen Henrietta Maria. This was done as a special show with music.
