STONESFIELD

Stonesfield is a village of Cotswold stone cottages, winding roads and narrow lanes and is set on a hill overlooking the valley of the River Evenlode.

The Cotswold stone used for roofing in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and neighbouring areas was found around Stonesfield and until 1900 Stonesfield was principally a farming and slate mining village.

The parish church in Stonesfield is the church of St. James the Great which dates from the 13th century. The bell tower, which is clearly visable above the surrounding buildings probably dates from the 15th century. For the history and full information about St. James' Church click here.

Just to the east of Stonesfield is the site of a Roman villa which was discovered early in the 18th century by a farmer whose plough revealed the remains of a Roman pavement. However aerial archaeology has found no surviving trace of the villa.

The first fossil bones to be described as those of a dinosaur of the genus Megalosaurus were found close to Stonesfield and the slate-mining activities unearthed many finds in succeeding years.

Stonesfield is about half way between Woodstock and Charlbury and can only be reached on unclassified roads.