Gosford is a village immediately southeast of Kidlington, in the Cherwell district, Oxfordshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Gosford and Water Eaton. The 2011 Census recorded Gosford and Water Eaton's parish population as 1,373.[1]

Gosford
Water Eaton Lane, Gosford
Gosford is located in Oxfordshire
Gosford
Gosford
Location within Oxfordshire
Population1,373 (parish, including Water Eaton) (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSP5013
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKidlington
Postcode districtOX5
Dialling code01865
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteGosford and Water Eaton Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire
51°49′05″N 1°16′16″W / 51.818°N 1.271°W / 51.818; -1.271

History

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Gosford seems to have been a township of the parish of Kidlington until 1142, when the manor of Gosford was granted to the Order of Knights Hospitaller. The Order held it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. In the 16th century Gosford was administered with Water Eaton.[2] The toponym "Gosford" is derived from Old English and means "goose ford". It was recorded as Goseford in 1242–46 and Goseforde in 1316.[3]

There has been a bridge across the River Cherwell at Gosford since at least 1319, when it was recorded in a patent roll.[4] In 1395 it was recorded as Gosefordebrugge.[3] In the 16th century the antiquarian John Leland noted that it was a stone bridge. In the 17th century the cartographer John Ogilby recorded it as Offord Bridge.[4] In the 17th century "Mr. Richard Washington, gent" (died 1670) maintained a school at Gosford. In 1838 a penny post station was opened in Gosford. There was a full post office by 1847 that remained until 1853.[2] Gosford was formerly a hamlet in the parish of Kidlington,[5] in 1866 Gosford became a separate civil parish, on 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form "Gosford and Water Eaton", parts also went to form Hampton Gay and Poyle and to Kidlington.[6] In 1931 the parish had a population of 75.[7] In 1932 a secondary school, Kidlington Church of England Central School, was founded in Gosford.[8] It is now Gosford Hill School.

Amenities

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The King's Arms

Gosford has an 18th-century pub, the King's Arms, in Bicester Road.[9] It is now a Miller & Carter steakhouse.[10] Gosford also has a J Sainsbury supermarket with a filling station.[11]

Public transport

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Stagecoach in Oxfordshire bus route S5 and Diamond bus route 250 serve Bicester Road. Route S5 is a direct service between Oxford and Bicester that runs seven days a week.[12] Route 250 also links Oxford and Bicester, but runs via various villages including Upper Heyford. Route 250 runs from Mondays to Saturdays, mostly at hourly intervals. It has no late evening service, and no service on Sundays or bank holidays.[13] Numerous Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach bus routes serve Oxford Road, which forms Gosford's western boundary with Kidlington Garden City. Buses that serve Bicester Road or Oxford Road link Gosford with Oxford Parkway railway station, which is at Water Eaton, about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Gosford.

References

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  1. ^ "Gosford and Water Eaton Parish". nomis. Durham University for the Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b Crossley & Elrington 1990, pp. 179–183.
  3. ^ a b Gelling 1954, p. 266.
  4. ^ a b Jervoise 1932, p. 154.
  5. ^ "History of Gosford, in Cherwell and Oxfordshire". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Relationships and changes Gosford CP/Hmlt through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Population statistics Gosford CP/Hmlt through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  8. ^ Crossley & Elrington 1990, pp. 211–212.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Kings Arms public house and attached mounting block (Grade II) (1045790)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  10. ^ "The King's Arms Kidlington (sic)". Mitchells & Butlers. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Kidlington (sic)". J Sainsbury. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Service S5: Bicester - Kingsmere/Bicester Village - Bicester Park and Ride - Gosford - Oxford" (PDF). Stagecoach. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. ^ "250 Bicester to Oxford". Diamond. Retrieved 11 May 2021.

Bibliography

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