KIDLINGTON

Although having the appearance and many of the facilities of a town, Kidlington is actually a very large village and it is claimed by the parish council that Kidlington is the second largest village in England.

The original village was around the parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, which is now right on the northern edge of the present village not far from the River Cherwell. There are still many attractive Georgian houses in this part of the village. Near the church is a 17th century almshouse built in 1671 by Sir William Morton who was a Royalist Commander during the Civil War and lived in nearby Hampden Manor in Mill Street.

In the 1920s and 1930s Kidlington was subject to ribbon development along the main road through the village (now the A4260), and many housing estates have been built behind this on both sides. The village now is centred on the shopping area in High Street where there are many shops, banks and building societies, etc.

The Grade I listed parish church, St. Mary's, has a 220-foot spire known as "Our Lady's Needle", and some fine medieval stained glass. It is a grade one listed building and dates from 1220. There is evidence of a church existing on the site from AD 1073. Behind the church there are archaeological remains of a three-sided moat, and a causeway has recently been discovered which is possibly of Roman origin. St. Mary's Rectory is Tudor. Full details about St. Mary's Church can be found here.

Kidlington is on the A4260 Oxford to Banbury road about 5 miles north of Oxford.