Charlbury

Charlbury (, , or , in the IPA) is a small northwest Oxfordshire town bordering the Cotswolds, England on a hillside overlooking the Evenlode river and the Wychwood forest. Its parish church of St.Mary the Virgin is by tradition associated with Saint Diuma, the first Bishop of Mercia, though the present building is 17th Century in date. On the outskirts of Charlbury is Lee Place, the former Dower House of Ditchley and now the summer home of the Duke of Marlborough; also Cornbury Park, a great 17th century house partly by architect Hugh May, the estate now owned by Lord Rotherwick. Charlbury has an Brunelian station and regular rail services south to Oxford and London among others, and north terminating at Hereford. The town has recently become well known for the annual Charlbury Riverside Festival, the largest free rock and world music festival in Oxfordshire, held on a public area of watermeadow encircled by the Evenlode known as the Mill Field as it was the location of an old watermill.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The origin of the town's name is a matter of some dispute, with some holding it to relate to the name 'Charles' whilst others to the Old English word 'ceorl' (probably said ) meaning 'freeman of the lowest class' or such from which the Modern English word 'churl' (cf 'churlish', incidentally originally becoming derogatory as it came to mean lowly) derives. For this reason some hold the latter two pronunciations more valid than the former, and the current spelling incorrect, preferring 'Chorlbury'. Interestingly both the name 'Charles' and the word 'ceorl'/'churl' derive from the same Proto-Germanic root word (reconstructed phonemic transcription) meaning 'old man', adding another twist to the dispute.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite its small population (in about 1400 houses) and the increasing tendency of people to commute to work in the larger conurbations, Charlbury retains a number of small shops including a small Co-op supermarket, as well as four pubs and a cafe. Increasingly people are moving to the town to work from home, giving the place a new lease of life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Visitors will find accommodation at two of the pubs, The Bell and The Bull, and there is a campsite for tents and touring caravans at Banbury Hill Farm, about half a mile from the town.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Charlbury also boasts its own museum, open mainly at weekends.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

IPA: REDIRECT International Phonetic Alphabet...

Oxfordshire: Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire....

Cotswolds: The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the "heart of England", a hilly area reaching over 300 m or 1000 feet. The area has been designated as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Their highest point is Cleeve Hill at 330m/1083ft....