50 KiB
St Mary the Virgin, Witney
Social Audit January 2012
Catriona Robertson
www.catrionarobertson.wordpress.com
Cover photo: Brian Robert Marshall under Creative Commons Licence.
Photos on pages 9 (lower), 11 (top), 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 (top) have kindly been shared by Ian Meyrick.
Other photos are by Catriona Robertson.
The social audit would not have been possible without the generous participation of the Rector, clergy, the Appeal Committee, key lay people within the parish of Witney and leading members of the wider community.
A Statement of Need has been compiled, alongside a Statement of Significance and an attractive Appeal pack, all of which are available from the parish office.
Revd Toby Wright, Rector
St Mary the Virgin
Church Green
Witney
Oxfordshire OX28 4AW
01993 779492
Introduction
The first stage of the appeal has
been very successful, with the roof
of the church now in good repair.
The next stage, which will enable
the spacious interior of the building
to be fully appreciated, equipped
and used by both the worshipping
congregation and the wider
community, is now underway.
The social audit has used statistics
from a variety of sources (see
appendix for details). Links to many
of them can be found in the text and
graphics.
Statistics are available for various
types of geographical area. Witney
is the largest town in West
Oxfordshire, which is one of five
districts in the county. There are
three levels of local government:
Oxford County Council, West
Oxfordshire District Council (local
authority) and Witney Town
Council. Wards are the smallest
administrative and electoral areas.
Five wards (see left) cover the bulk
of Witney’s population and figures
for this area are used most
frequently in the social audit. Two
of the parish’s churches are in rural
wards.
Some statistical information is not
available at local level, in which case
figures for West Oxfordshire,
Witney Parliamentary Constituency
or Oxfordshire have been used.
Census statistics are the most
detailed and reliable, but figures for
the 2011 Census are not yet
available and the 2001 data are now
rather out of date.
St John the Evangelist
Hailey
Parish of Witney churches
St Mary the Virgin
Holy Trinity
Wood Green
St John the Baptist Curbridge
Witney West ward
Witney North ward
Witney East ward
Witney South ward
Witney Central ward
Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield ward
Ducklington ward
Ward boundaries and Parish of
Witney churches in and around
Witney
A social audit for St Mary’s Church, Witney, was commissioned as part of
the appeal for the restoration and renewal of the church building within
the context of the parish, its four churches, the town of Witney and the
surrounding area.
Introduction
More recent information (for example the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010, which uses data from 2008) is available for some topics.
The maps on the right show the Middle Layer and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (SOAs) which cover Witney. These are geographical areas created in order to compare statistical data from small areas.
The Lower Layer SOAs are able to reveal a more detailed picture.
The latest available data has been used throughout the audit. The only
County Council’s Data Observatory
is a good source of national and local
information for the area.
The parish boundary (see below) is
not coterminous with any of the
administrative boundaries since it
follows local watercourses and
acknowledges ancient townships.
The social audit explores the
opportunities for St Mary’s to serve
the area as a whole.
Lower Layer Super Output Areas
® St Mary’s falls within SOA 010E, on the border of 010F.
(Map downloaded from ONS via Oxford Data Observatory)
009B
008D
007C
007B
010B
®
009D
010D
010C
010F
010E
008A
008B
008C
009A
008F
008E
009C
West Oxon 007
West Oxon 009 West Oxon 010
West Oxon 008
Middle Layer Super Output Areas in Witney, Hailey & Curbridge.
(Map downloaded from ONS via Oxford Data Observatory)
009B
Map downloaded from A Church Near You
More recent information (for example the Indices of Multiple Deprivation
The maps on the right show the Middle Layer and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (SOAs) which cover Witney. These are geographical areas created in order to compare statistical data from small areas.
The Lower Layer SOAs are able to reveal a more detailed picture.
The latest available data has been used
throughout the audit. The Oxford
County Council’s Data Observatory is
a good source of national and local
information for the area.
The parish boundary (see below) is
only coterminous with administrative
boundaries where they follow local
watercourses.
The social audit explores the
opportunities for St Mary’s to serve
the area as a whole.
History
In 1044 the Bishop of Winchester
was given the manor of Witney by
King Edward the Confessor and
Queen Emma and it is likely that a
church was then built on the site
of St Mary’s. Witney continued to
enjoy very close ties with the royal
family throughout the Middle Ages.
The earliest record is of a Norman
church in 1142, parts of which can
be seen incorporated into the
present building, which was
dedicated in the mid-thirteenth
century.
Additions, restoration and re-
ordering have taken place over the
centuries but the church is still one
of the largest single covered spaces
in West Oxfordshire and
protected by Grade I listing by
English Heritage as a building of
“exceptional national interest”.
The Bishops of Winchester also
played a part in the development
of the wool trade in Witney. They
grazed sheep on their large estates
on the river Windrush and in the
thirteenth century Bishop Peter
The last mill, Early’s, closed in 2002, but Witney blankets still fetch a price. (www.thebuckettree.bigcartel.com)
St Mary’s Church lies at the historic heart of Witney. The building and
the interweaving traditions of church and community life are witness to
the lives of local people from early medieval times to the present day.
Some of Witney’s footballers (Witney Town Football Club) are known as the
Blanketmen - a reminder that the town’s main source of wealth from
the Middle Ages was wool and, since the seventeenth century, the
manufacture of blankets.
Wool was the key to Witney’s success as a market town for centuries.
The last woollen mill closed in 2002 but well before that the town’s
economic base had diversified. Instead of facing decline, Witney has
seen a steady rise in small, medium and large businesses and a
quadrupling of its population over the last sixty years.
Detail showing St Mary’s Church at the top of the Green, and what became the Market Square and Corn Street, from Trevor J Cooper’s Conjectural Reconstruction of the Bishop’s New Town of Witney c 1300, from A Walk Round Witney by Witney and District Historical and Archaeological Society (permission to reproduce applied for).
History
des Roches laid out what is now Church Green and Market Square (see left), encouraging trade which included a weekly market and two annual fairs. Water from the river was used in the manufacture of woollen cloth.
In Tudor times, many in Witney embraced various strands of Protestantism. During the Civil War, Witney supported the Parliamentarians and after the restoration it became a centre for non-conformism. John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement, visited regularly. Quaker, Baptist and Independent congregations grew in prominence - a feature of Witney church life which continues today.
The railway arrived in the nineteenth century, boosting the wool trade by bringing coal to the mills and taking blankets to London. Many of the mill owners were Methodists: attending church increased the likelihood of a job at the mills.
The blanket industry survived the
depression of the 1930s but the
popularity of duvets and then
central heating in the 1970s and
1980s led to a decreasing market
in the woollen goods that bore
Witney’s name.
Smiths Industries bought a factory
in Witney in 1949 and, in keeping
with the post-war climate of social
responsibility, built 192 houses for
its employees.
Housing schemes have continued
to be developed to accommodate
the rising population, as more and
more light industrial and larger
businesses have made Witney
their home.
The town grew slowly from the
Middle Ages through to the mid
twentieth century, with an
extension of the High Street from
Market Square to Wood Green
and ribbon development along the
roads out of town.
A map showing Witney in the
1950s (see right) shows Church
Green, Market Square and Corn
Maps from West Oxfordshire District Council (Cogges Link Road enquiry, 2011,
p22 & p28) show the growth of Witney 1950s-2000s: the upper map shows the
medieval town centre of St Mary’s, Church Green and Market Square extended to
Wood Green; the lower map shows the extensive housing and business
developments since 1960.
History
Street all as prominent as in
medieval times.
Housing developments since the
1950s, however, have expanded
the town considerably. They
include (see page 8) Smiths Estate,
Burwell, Newland, Cogges,
Thorney Leys, Deer Park and
Madley Park, along with industrial
estates providing good
employment at Station Lane,
Bromag, Windrush Park and
Thorney Leys.
The town has also become popular
for those looking for affordable
housing within commuting distance
of Oxford, Swindon, Abingdon and
London.
Witney has retained and
developed its historic centre.
Local schools such as The Batt
School, St Mary’s Infant School and
The Henry Box School thrive in
their original locations and
continue to use their historic
buildings in creative ways, actively
passing on the heritage of Witney
to new generations.
St Mary’s Church has been part of
Witney life from the beginning.
Its unique position in West
Oxfordshire, its spacious beauty,
history, and current use continue
to inform and support a wide range
of community activities.
The Witney Feast bring people together from across the town. The Elvis Evening, held in St Mary’s, was a popular part of the weekend in 2010.
A quiet corner of St Mary’s -
the church which will become
increasingly useful, inspiring
and engaged with the wider
population of Witney as the
restoration and renewal gets
underway.
Setting and context
St Mary’s is one of four churches in the parish of Witney. Holy Trinity in Wood Green (in the north of the town), St John the Evangelist in the village of Hailey and St John the Baptist in the village of Curbridge all have their own character, congregations, patterns of worship and a wide range of community activities.
Witney lies 13 miles west of the City of Oxford in the south east region of England. It is the largest town in West Oxfordshire and the 27,000 residents constitute a quarter of the district’s population. West Oxfordshire is one of five districts within the County of Oxford. Although nearby Oxford is a city of world renown, Oxfordshire itself is the most rural county in the South East. Over half the population lives in small towns or villages. Carterton is the second largest town in the district (population of 16,000). It is very close to the RAF’s Brize Norton base and is 6 miles from Witney.
Witney thrives as a market town and
is the largest service centre in the
district, “meeting the employment,
shopping, leisure and other needs of
most of West Oxfordshire’s
residents” (Local Development Framework,
Draft Core Strategy, 2011).
It is very popular as a shopping
destination. With free parking, an
excellent range of independent
retailers and the recent addition of a
cinema and well-known high street
names at Marriott’s Walk, Witney is
attracting people who might
otherwise travel to Oxford.
Witney is a good starting point for
tourists and visitors to Oxfordshire
and as a gateway to the Cotswolds.
The town continues to draw from a
wide area as well as serving the people
who live and work in Witney.
The position of St Mary’s Church,
close to the schools and shops in the
centre of town but nevertheless a
landmark building in a protected
conservation area, gives it a wide
Location St Mary’s Church holds a striking position at the top of Witney’s Church Green (see cover) and the graceful spire is a focal point for miles around. Visitors and residents alike are drawn to the serenity of the church, lying so close to the heart of the busy market town.
Witney lies to the west of Oxford, within West Oxfordshire District.
Holy Trinity Church at Wood Green, one of the four churches in the parish.
Setting and context
range of opportunities to serve local
people.
To the south of the church lie playing
fields, a recreation ground and the
Leys, a large area of open green
space which is used for the Witney
Feast. A Sainsbury’s supermarket is
close by, providing parking for
shoppers.
Next to the church is The Henry
Box School, a secondary school
which dates from 1660. St Mary’s
Infant School is further down Church
Green. The popular Fleece inn
brings business people, visitors and
residents to Church Green and the
Green itself is used as a place of
relaxation, especially during the
summer and in good weather and
occasionally for trade fairs and
entertainment.
The footpath running alongside the
west door of the church is well used
by school pupils and their parents,
young people, workers and shoppers
walking into town from the two
nearby car parks, the all-weather
pitches, recreation ground and the
Station Lane Industrial Estate.
As well as those who enter the
church for a service, a social event or
to visit the historic building, there are some who use it as a place for quiet reflection. The prayer board is usually full of requests, which are prayed at mid-week services. The church building is surrounded by its churchyard, trees and a row of almshouses. Inside, the church is light, beautiful, airy and spacious - and exceptionally wide for a church built to a cruciform plan. Several interviewees during the social audit described the ‘awe factor’ when people, including children and young adults, step inside. The capacity of this ancient place of worship is huge: more than 600 people are able to gather at one time. An AA guide introduces Witney as “attractive without being twee, smart without being ‘touristy’, In short, it is classic Middle England. “One of Witney’s best views is looking across Church Green to the parish church at the southern end. This quiet corner of town has the feel of a small English cathedral city and if Witney were ever descended upon by tourism marketing men, the focus of their attention would surely be here.” Christmas lunch for all the community, organised by St John the Evangelist at Hailey, one of the four parish churches.
Witney Feast, the ever-popular community festival which brings everyone together and dates from the consecration of St Mary’s Church in the thirteenth century. During WWII the Feast was held under canvas to comply with the blackout.
Witney’s people
According to Oxfordshire’s Small Area Population Forecasts, based on the regional plan for housing, Witney West (see centre right) is expected to see most of the increase in residents over the next four years. The Oxfordshire Population and household forecasts 2010, which use expected housing developments to estimate figures, show Witney Central, Witney West and Witney East predicted to grow by 44%, 23% and 16% respectively between 2006 and 2016.
Witney East (see above) has the
highest population and Witney
West and East have the youngest
residents (see below right). Witney
Central and Witney South have the
highest proportions of residents of
pensionable age.
West Oxfordshire is expecting the
proportion of people over 54 years
of age to rise significantly by 2016.
Witney North is considerably more
densely populated than the other
wards (see page 13) and is also the
area of Witney expected to see the
least increase in population by 2016.
Population
Witney’s population has more than quadrupled from 6,554 in 1951 to 27,569 (projected figure for 2012). Further employment opportunities and housing developments are planned.
Population of Witney from 1951, with projections to
2016
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Witney wards by age (ONS estimates 2008)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Witney Central
Witney East
Witney North
Witney South
Witney West 0-15
16-29
30-44
45-64 (males) or 45-59
(females)
pensionable age
Population of Witney's wards: ONS Population
Estimates 2008
4526
7377
3974
5904
4181
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Witney Central
Witney East
Witney North
Witney South
Witney West
Oxfordshire small area population forecasts by ward 2012-
2016, based on South East Plan, 2009.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Witney Central
Witney East
Witney North
Witney South
Witney West
Witney’s people
The ethnicity of the population mirrors that of West Oxfordshire. The
last Census recorded over 95% of Witney residents as White British, with
the largest ethnic minorities being Other White and White Irish.
The majority of adults are married or live in couples, around a fifth are
single people and a small proportion are divorced or separated (see left).
Nearly a tenth of the adults in Witney Central and South are widowed.
The majority (78% - a significantly higher proportion than the figure for
England as a whole, which is 71%) of Witney residents stated their religion
as Christian in the last Census, with 15% stating they had no religion and
7% preferring not to answer the question, which was optional. Those
stating other religious traditions were very few - under 1%.
There were 562 lone parent households counted in 2001, with clusters in
Lower Layer Super Output Areas 8B (Cogges), 10F (from the Leys,
through the Crofts to Marriott’s Walk), 9C (Deer Park) and 9A (Smiths)
(see lower map on p 6).
Population Density (Census 2001)
17.85
29.49
19.32
25.78
42.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
Witney Central
Witney East
Witney South Witney North
Witney West
Living arrangements (Census 2001)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Living in a
couple:
Married or
re-married
Living in a
couple:
Cohabiting
Single
(never
married)
Not living in
a couple:
Married or
re-married
Not living in
a couple:
Separated
(but still
legally
married)
Not living in
a couple:
Divorced
Not living in
a couple:
Widow ed
Witney South
Witney Central
Witney East
Witney North
Witney West
Stated Religion (Census 2001), Witney
78%
15%
7% Christian
Buddhist
Hindu
Jew ish
Muslim
Sikh
Any other religion
No religion
Religion not stated
Health
The shaded area (SOA 10F) has the least good health in Witney (within
the 40% of areas in England which are most deprived within the Health and
Disability domain. Indices of Multiple Depriviation 2010).
NHS priorities in West Oxfordshire include increasing physical activity for children and the elderly
There are pockets of Witney where there is less good health, most notably the area which sweeps from the Leys at the back of St Mary’s north-west through Queen Emma’s Dyke and round to Abingdon and Witney College (see right).
There are four GP surgeries in Witney:
ü The Nuffield Practice
ü The Windrush Health Centre (the newly constructed centre is due to open early in 2012)
ü Cogges Surgery
ü Deer Park Family Medical Practice
There is a Community Hospital at Welch Way and well-used sports and leisure facilities.
The latest Health Review for West Oxfordshire was published in 2011. There are concerns across the district as a whole that children are not as physically active as they should be. The other two indicators which are significantly worse than the England
average are the incidence of
malignant melanoma and road
injuries and deaths (West Oxfordshire
Health Profile 2011).
The Profile reports that life
expectancy for men (80.2 years) and
women (84.1 years) is higher than
average in England (78.3 and 82.3
respectively) and that early death
rates from cancer, heart disease and
stroke have fallen in recent years.
Around 14% of Year 6 school
children and 24% of adults are
obese in West Oxfordshire and a
lower than average percentage of
children spend at least three hours
each week on school sport.
Priorities for the NHS in the district
include
ü tackling obesity
ü increasing physical activity
ü reducing high risk alcohol
behaviour
ü improving older people’s activity
programmes to reduce hip
fractures
Witney residents, along with West Oxfordshire’s citizens, enjoy comparatively good health and life expectancy compared to the country as a whole.
Witney at work
There are three major business
estates in Witney (Bromag,
Windrush Park and Station Lane)
and six smaller areas. Together they
host a variety of enterprises. There
is a strong manufacturing and
engineering strand as well as an
increasing number of high
technology and niche firms.
Some residents commute to jobs in
Abingdon, Oxford, Swindon and
London. Witney also attracts
workers from elsewhere; the nine
and twelve hour free car parking is
well used by those driving to work.
The table on the left shows the
latest available figures on the type of
employment found in West
Oxfordshire. Distribution, hotels
and restaurants form the largest
group (24%) , with finance, IT and
other business activities coming
second (21%), followed by public
administration, education and health
(20%).
The median gross earnings (2011)
for employees working in West
Oxfordshire (not necessarily
residents) was £484 per week and
£11.89 per hour for full-time
workers, which was less than the
Great Britain figures (£503 and
£12.95). The median (gross) annual
income (ONS 2010) of Witney
residents was £23,755 which is
above the UK figure of £21,212.
West Oxfordshire (November
2011) had 1.2 Job Seeker’s
Allowance claimants for each
unfilled job vacancy. This compares
favourably with the figure for the
South East (3.2) and Great Britain as
a whole, which had 4.7 claimants for
every unfilled job vacancy.
Witney Central has the highest
levels in the district (2.9%) of people
claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance, but
this figure is lower than the national
average of 3.8% (see left).
Large companies as well as smaller niche
enterprises offer employment at Witney’s
business parks.
As blanket manufacture declined, Witney planned carefully to ensure the
working age population found suitable employment.
A large number of small and medium sized businesses have been attracted
to Witney, as well as some larger firms, including Abbott Diabetes Care,
the multi-national packaging company Smurfit Kappa and furniture
manufacturers Corndell Furniture.
Retailing and the care and hospitality sectors are major employers.
Employee Jobs, ONS annual business inquiry employee analysis (2008)
West Oxon West Oxon South East GB
(employee jobs) (%) (%) (%)
Total employee jobs 38,900 - - -
Full-time 26,800 68.8 69.0 68.8
Part-time 12,200 31.2 31.0 31.2
Employee jobs by industry
Manufacturing 5,300 13.6 8.1 10.2
Construction 2,100 5.5 4.5 4.8
Services 30,600 78.5 85.7 83.5
Distribution, hotels & restaurants 9,500 24.5 24.6 23.4
Transport & communications 1,600 4.2 5.9 5.8
Finance, IT, other business activities 8,100 20.8 24.0 22.0
Public admin, education & health 7,700 19.8 25.6 27.0
Other services 3,600 9.2 5.6 5.3
Tourism-related† 4,800 12.4 8.2 8.2
Jobseeker’s Allowance Claimants (no and % of working age residents, by ward), November 2011
Numbers % Witney Central [^78]: 2.9 Witney East [^72]: 1.5 Witney North [^43]: 1.7 Witney South [^79]: 2.2 Witney West [^45]: 1.5 Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield [^27]: 1.1 Ducklington [^20]: 1.5 West Oxfordshire [^913]: 1.4 Great Britain - 3.8
Housing
Housing in Witney:
Burwell (above)
Deer Park (centre)
Thorney Leys (right)
The residential population of an area is mostly determined by the housing available and Witney has attracted several developments of terraced, detached and semi-detached properties over the last fifty years (see map on page 8). These have increased the population and include
ü Smiths Estate
ü Burwell
ü Newland
ü Thorney Leys
ü Deer Park
ü Madley Park
ü Jacobs Mill
Property prices are lower in Witney than in nearby Oxford and some of the West Oxfordshire villages.
Census 2001 found 74% of housing in the OX28 postcode was owner- occupied and according to UpMyStreet.com, average prices over the last three years to December 2011 were £151,000 for a flat, £208,000 for a terraced house, £244,000 for a semi- detached house and £326 for a detached house.
The District Council no longer builds or owns residential property having transferred it to Cottsway Housing Association in March 2001.
Affordable and social housing in
Witney (17% of housing in OX 28 was
socially rented in 2001) is in different
locations across the town, including
Smiths Estate, Cogges, Corn Street,
Newland, Hailey Road and near
Witney Community Primary School.
Witney has been identified as a
strategic development area by the
District Council and the Local
Development Framework describes
the town as ‘vibrant and historic’ and
that it ‘continues to be the most
sustainable location for further
development.’
New housing is planned for the area
west of Deer Park and south of Range
Road. One thousand homes will be
built, along with primary schools,
shopping areas and other services.
Woodland and allotments will be part
of the development and a new road in
to the area from the A40 is being
considered.
Five hundred new homes are planned
for other parts of Witney. An average
of 2.5 people occupy one residence.
When the new homes are occupied,
Witney will have a further 3,750
residents. Plans for nearby Carterton
include 1,600 new homes (4,000
people) by 2026.
Crime and safety
Witney is protected by Thames
Valley Police and community safety
is the shared responsibility of West
Oxfordshire Community Safety
Partnership, which includes the
police, the District Council and
other public agencies.
Witney’s Neighbourhood Action
Group consulted 330 local residents
in November 2011 and their top
priorities were:
ü Youths hanging around,
intimidating behaviour and
perception
ü Speeding
ü Litter / fly-tipping
ü Vandalism / graffiti
ü Parking
ü Lack of youth activities
The Witney Neighbourhood Action
Group has identified anti-social
behaviour, underage drinking and
disorderly conduct on the Leys and
on Burwell Estate, speeding in
residential areas including Corn
Street and the High Street and
littering, particularly town centre
rubbish from the night time
economy, including Market Place
and Church Green.
An ecumenical initiative, the Late
Night Café, run by the Street
Pastors, offers refreshments and an
informal chat to young people on
the streets in the town centre at
night, even if they are the worse for
wear from drinking. This is
appreciated by the young people
themselves, who may not otherwise
find a listening ear.
Crime maps and details of local
police officers can also be found at
the Police.uk website.
Crime in West Oxfordshire
Year 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Crimes per 1,000
population 50.64 46.95 40.62
West Oxfordshire continues to be one the safest areas of the country to
live in and crime levels have continued to fall in recent years.
In the eight months to November 2011, the total number of crimes in
West Oxfordshire dropped by 13% from 3,221 to 2,805, which places the
district within the best performing quartile nationally.
Crime rates in West Oxfordshire 1st April - 30th November 2011 Crimes recorded Rate per 1000 people Violence against the person with injury [^221]: 2.13% Violence against the person without injury [^361]: 3.48% Serious sexual offences [^25]: 0.24% Serious acquisitive crime [^289]: 2.78% Other crimes (eg shoplifting, criminal damage) 1,909 18.39%
Crime maps of Witney can
be found at the UK Crime
Stats website.
The area around St Mary’s
is relatively free from anti-
social behaviour and crime.
Education
GCSE attainment (% of 5+ A*-C grades including English & Maths)
2008 2009 2010 2011
England & Wales average 48% 50% 54% Jan 12
Oxfordshire average 50% 53% 57% Jan 12
The Henry Box School 57% 62% 62% 59%
Wood Green School 62% 56% 62% Jan 12
Cokethorpe School 73% 79% 91% Jan 12
The Kings School 90% 100% 94% Jan 12
(Performance tables for 2011 are published by the Department for Education at the end
of January 2012)
Witney’s schools are popular and the pupils achieve good results. The Henry Box School is situated next to St Mary’s at the top of Church Green. There are 1324 pupils aged 11-18 from the south and east of Witney and the school has specialist status in languages, science and mathematics. The latest Ofsted inspection in July 2010 confirmed that the school is good and the performance tables show that GCSE results are improving and above the Oxfordshire and national averages. Wood Green School is between Wood Green and Madley Park. There are 1105 pupils aged 11-18 from the north and west of Witney and the school has specialist status in visual and performing arts. The school received an outstanding Ofsted inspection report in September 2010. GCSE results are above the county and national averages. There are two independent secondary schools in the area. Pupils at Cokethorpe School (659 pupils) and The Kings School (143
pupils) achieve excellent GCSE
results.
There are two Church of England
schools for younger children in
Witney: St Mary’s Infants School
and The Batt Primary School. The
Batt School received an outstanding
Ofsted report in November 2011.
There are eight more primary
schools in Witney.
The local further education college
is Abingdon and Witney College
which is undergoing a major
redevelopment.
Educational achievement varies
across Witney. Part of Smiths
Estate is the most deprived area in
West Oxfordshire within the
Education, Skills and Training
domain of the Indices of Multiple
Deprivation 2010 (which measures
educational achievement at school
and adult skills) and this area also
falls within the 20% most deprived
in England (Education domain).
Seven more SOAs (mostly in central
Witney, Cogges and the area
around Hailey Road) fall within the
20% most deprived areas in West
Oxfordshire. In contrast, Madley
Education
Park and Deer Park fall within the
least deprived quintile in England.
The Henry Box School, The Batt
School and St Mary’s Infant School
use their original historic buildings.
The history of the schools, and of
Witney, is part and parcel of the
education the pupils receive.
St Mary’s Church is used by some
local schools for special occasions -
Year 7 introductory services,
harvest and carol services, nativity
plays and concerts.
The capacity of St Mary’s to
accommodate parents as well as the
school makes it an attractive option
- school halls are often only able to
seat the pupils and staff. The fine
acoustic and soaring architecture of
St Mary’s gives a sense of occasion
to special events which sports and
drama halls struggle to provide.
With so many children and young
people coming to school and
college near St Mary’s and
sometimes passing by the church
itself, it makes sense for the church
to ensure they feel welcome and
are able to find something of value
when they visit, whether or not
they are church-goers. Vox pops
surveys amongst secondary school
pupils in Witney produced a mixed
response. Some said they had
visited the church for a bit of head
space. This was confirmed later in
interviews which mentioned the use
of the church made by pupils at The
Henry Box School when a recent
school leaver died.
Others said that they did not pop in
on a regular basis but St Mary’s
would be the place they would go if
they needed somewhere quiet to
reflect. Others said they would
rather think things through at home.
Some of the schools make good use
of the church as a teaching aid.
With easy to use teacher and visitor
packs for the different Key Stages,
St Mary’s (both the building and the
churchyard) could offer a wider
range of hands-on and experiential
learning opportunities across the
curriculum - including language,
drama, science, business studies,
history, maths, music and RE.
Resources for learning are plentiful in and around St Mary’s: the memorial to Henry Box (d 1660) whose generosity founded the nearby school.
The prayer board at St Mary’s is used by school
pupils and many others.
Transport
Witney is well known for its excellent shopping and there is ample free parking available. Easy parking and a wide range of major and independent retailers attracts many who would otherwise shop in Oxford.
Witney is very car-friendly town, although the traffic bottle neck at the town’s only bridge over the river Windrush is notorious. Traffic delays can also increase the journey time to and from Oxford along the A40. An inquiry into a new road, the Cogges Link, is underway and due to report in
- If built, the new road would bring traffic around the edge of Cogges, between Oxford Hill and the Witan Way roundabout, which is close to St Mary’s Church.
The railway came to Witney in 1861 but was closed to passengers in 1962.
The nearest stations are Oxford, Long
Hanborough and Charlbury. Oxford
has a frequent rail service to London.
Coach and bus services to Oxford run
frequently, including at weekends.
The Windrush Valley Cycle Route
(No 47) runs through Witney and on
to Northleach.
West Oxfordshire suffers
proportionately more deaths and
injuries from road traffic accidents
than many other parts of the country
and air pollution from exhaust fumes
is a concern along Bridge Street.
The last Census found that 63% of the
working population of Witney drove
to work, compared to the England
average of 55%. Eight per cent walked
and 4% took the bus.
Witney bus services to nearby towns are frequent. This
Oxfordshire County Council guide can be downloaded.
The route of the proposed Cogges Link road, which would end close to St
Mary’s Church.
Witney residents - means of travel to work (Census 2001)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Driving a Car or Van
Passenger in a Car
or Van
On foot
Bus, Mini Bus or
Coach
England
South East
Witney
Lifestyle and deprivation
According to Mosaic, the most
common Oxfordshire (and West
Oxfordshire) classification is
‘Higher income older champions of
village communities’ (see left) and
Acorn also shows the town of
Witney surrounded by ‘wealthy
achievers’.
The picture for Witney is more
varied, including the comfortably off
and the hard-pressed (Acorn) and
five different classifications from
Mosaic including busy executives,
indebted families and self-employed
traders (see page 22).
Much of the housing in Witney is
relatively new and the careful
planning has ensured a mix of
housing tenure and size. There are
no obvious areas of deprivation.
Compared to other areas in
England, Witney only twice falls into
the 20% most deprived category.
The SOA 9A (part of Smiths Estate)
is within this quintile in the
education, skills and training domain
and SOA 10A (the north end of the
High Street) in the crime and
disorder domain.
The West Oxfordshire Citizens
Advice Bureau, which has an office
in Witney, reports that they advised
most people during 2010-11 on
debt (34%), benefits (24%) and
employment (10%) matters.
The town includes a mix of ranking
within most of the domains and
includes areas within the least
deprived quintile in all the IMD
domains: income, employment,
health and disability, education,
West Oxfordshire’s predominant Acorn classification is Wealthy Achievers (in yellow above), whilst Witney classification also includes Comfortably Off (turquoise) and Hard-pressed (dark blue).
As West Oxfordshire’s major market town, Witney reflects most of the
district’s range of lifestyles and levels of deprivation.
Mosaic (2009) and Acorn (2008) offer different analyses and some of their
mapping ‘rang true’ with interviewees. The Mosaic mapping for the town
describes larger areas and therefore produces a broad-brush picture.
Both sets of data are available through the Oxfordshire Data Observatory.
The Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 (IMD) show levels of deprivation
in a variety of domains.
Mosaic classifies most of West Oxfordshire’s population as ‘Higher income older
champions of village communities’ (in blue above).
Lifestyle and deprivation
Classification by Mosaic of neighbourhoods in and around Witney - a
broad brush approach which illustrates some characteristics of a
neighbourhood.
All maps have been downloaded from Oxfordshire Data Observatory.
Childless new
owner occupiers
in cramped new
homes
Busy executives in
town houses in
dormitory settlements
Young parents
new to their
neighbourhood,
keen to put
Low income down roots
communities reliant on
low skill industrial jobs
Often indebted
families living in
low rise estates
Higher income older
champions of village
communities
Self-employed trades
people living in smaller
communities
Better off empty
nesters in low density
estates on town fringes
Maps showing in orange the most (above) and least (below) deprived areas (across all domains) in West Oxfordshire, both of which are found in Witney, according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010.
skills and training, barriers to housing and services, crime and living environment. Interviewees saw Witney as a hard-working, even feisty, town where people get on well and where you can find work if you want it.
Conclusions
As the building with the largest
capacity for miles around, St Mary’s
is the venue of choice for large
gatherings.
School head teachers, music groups
and cultural organisations all
acknowledge the sense of occasion
that St Mary’s as a venue lends to an
event.
However, all interviewees pointed
to a need for improved and more
flexible seating, lighting and heating.
This work will also increase St
Mary’s capacity to serve the other
churches in the parish and, with
them, to be able to offer a wide
range of spaces with differing
qualities and facilities. It will also
enable St Mary’s to host larger
ecumenical and civic events than is
possible at present.
When the restoration and renewal
is complete, the improvements will
enrich the worshipping life of the
church, allowing for a range of
liturgical expression to meet the
needs of a growing and active town.
The main service centre for the
rural district of West Oxfordshire,
Witney is a popular place to live.
With the regular additions of new
housing and business developments
over the last sixty years, Witney’s
adult population has mostly arrived
from other parts of the country.
The population has a mix of young
couples, families and older people
and is set to rise again significantly
over the next few years.
A high proportion describe
themselves as Christian. The town
has seventeen active churches,
The church draws people all year round.
Views to St Mary’s are protected by law.
Witney is a very successful market town which is growing rapidly. It has
a strong sense of its medieval heritage, its part in the wool trade and its
continuing role in manufacturing and trading.
St Mary’s has been part of this history from the beginning and has renewed
opportunities to be of service to the current population, its civic
structures, schools, businesses and visitors.
The church’s acoustic attracts musicians from many different traditions - solo folk singers, brass bands, chamber music and full orchestras and choirs.
Conclusions
The west window at St Mary’s (top) and the church filled with
visitors to the model exhibition (above)
including a strong and busy Methodist centre on the High Street which has a suite of rooms, a café and several projects which are very well used and appreciated.
Health is generally good although the population is encouraged to be more physically active.
Unemployment and crime is low and new businesses continue to find a home in Witney.
Cars are welcome, although traffic congestion is a problem at peak hours. Bus services are good.
There are well over two thousand secondary school students and as many at primary school. The schools are using St Mary’s regularly and would do so more frequently if the seating, heating and lighting were improved and if the seating was more flexible.
Local organisations, drama and music groups use school premises for some of their activities, rehearsals and performances, but for large audiences the choice is very limited. For events which benefit from a good acoustic quality,
high ceilings and fully accessible
facilities, there is very little to
choose from.
The closure of the Corn Exchange
and the limited capacity and facilities
at the Langdale Hall (refurbished
and now re-opened) have only
increased the need for a large, well-
equipped space which complies with
modern requirements such as
wheelchair access.
The location and setting of St Mary’s
is unique and sought after for
weddings and major events.
Improved kitchen facilities would
immediately open up opportunities
for St Mary’s to offer a range of
packages combining catering,
flowers, table dressing, invitations
or promotion. Interviewees
confirmed that a range of options
for weddings would be particularly
popular.
With an entrepreneurial approach,
fully integrated into the mission of
the church, St Mary’s could enhance
its ability to be the first port of call
as a major venue for cultural events
and a good source of information
and signposting.
What St Mary’s offers
St Mary’s has a number of different
spaces which can be used
separately. The light in the north
transept is good for exhibitions and
would also provide a good setting
for formal dinners. The nave is
wide and majestic and has a
beautiful stained glass window at
the west end.
The sanctuary offers a quiet place of
reflection and could be developed
further. The Winchester Room is
well used - an upgraded kitchen
would allow professional catering to
be provided on site for weddings,
funerals, special church services and
cultural events.
A range of catered options for
weddings and other occasions
would make St Mary’s significantly
more attractive for potential users.
A strong marketing campaign and
entries in publications such as
Oxfordshire Guides for Brides
would be needed.
The whole church can be used at
one time, with a focus at the
crossing. There are plans to bring
the central focus for worship and
performances a little further west,
St Mary’s has been a focal point for Witney and the surrounding countryside for centuries.
St Mary’s has an exceptionally able clergy and lay leadership team, keen to
see the church bringing benefits to all - not only the worshipping
community.
They know that the church building in the heart of Witney has immense
potential to serve the townspeople, the other three churches in the
parish, the rural areas and those from further afield. As Witney continues
to grow, a place for large numbers to gather together becomes ever more
pressing.
Encouraging the maximum use of this ancient and beautiful church by
restoring it to its full glory will benefit local people, have a transformative
impact on cultural and community life and secure the future of its
centuries-old building.
The spacious interior makes a striking setting for a wide range of activities.
What St Mary’s offers
Floorplan of St Mary’s (top) and the spacious interior (above)
to accommodate the sight-lines of those seated to the north and south. St Mary’s is already used by film festivals, exhibitions and for a wide range of fund-raising and musical events, from Elvis Nights and acoustic evenings to Haydn’s Creation with a full orchestra and choir. As the largest medieval building in West Oxfordshire, performances and cultural events in St Mary’s have an added dimension. Flexible and creative lighting will create a range of ‘looks’ and digital projection onto the white walls will give further opportunities for creativity. St Mary’s has signed up to the sMeasure energy management programme, which will help identify areas where the church can take action to reduce both the building’s carbon footprint and its energy bills. This places St Mary’s at the forefront of those using the latest technological advances to protect the heritage of medieval buildings in a sustainable and responsible way. It forms part of an ongoing commitment to environmentally
friendly living through which St
Mary’s hopes to encourage others
in Witney.
With the population growing so
rapidly with in-migration from other
parts of the country, building a
sense of history and of cultural
identity is as important for the
newcomers as for those born and
bred in Witney.
A heritage and local identity trail
would deepen an understanding of
the area, its archaeology and sense
of place. St Mary’s, as the earliest
building in Witney, is an obvious
place to begin, working in
partnership with the schools, local
history organisations, the non-
conformist churches and Witney
Museum.
Heads of schools, those involved in
music and the arts and key local
figures agreed that St Mary’s could
become an important venue for
exhibitions, drama, film and music.
Developing St Mary’s great potential
to become a major cultural asset in
West Oxfordshire will benefit the
wider community for generations.
Recommendations
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Interior of St Mary’s (top) and new housing near Bridge Street (above)
- Encourage St Mary’s to develop its position as mother parish church (or minster) serving Holy Trinity, St John’s Hailey and St John’s Curbridge in their diverse roles and to continue to place its liturgical life at the heart of its work.
- Play to St Mary’s strengths as a beautiful, historic and capacious building in a timeless setting by developing its role in West Oxfordshire as a major cultural venue.
- Press ahead with the Appeal, prioritising a new, unifying and heated floor, flexible seating and lighting.
- Consider inviting key arts organisations (eg Witney Music Festival, Witney Book Festival, Witney Film Festival, Witney Art Studios, Witney TV) to advise the Appeal.
- Work with local business partners to create wedding (and other) packages which combine an understanding of the significance of the service (or event) with a range of reasonably priced catering, flowers, hairdressers, gowns/outfitters, venue dressing, photographers and invitations (or marketing materials).
- Develop resources (with strong curriculum links) for primary and secondary teachers to facilitate their bringing students to the parish churches, including St Mary’s, as part of the syllabus. Involve local schools in the development.
- Create attractive guides and GPS apps for newcomers to St Mary’s, immediately apparent on entering: historical, church historical, spiritual, pastoral, child-friendly and for those exploring the church as a venue. Signpost on to further resources.
- Make the most of the east end sanctuary as a place set aside for quiet reflection. Provide directions from the north door, appropriate seating and helpful material for newcomers, visitors and pilgrims.
- Consider the installation of inner glass doors at the west end, enabling the many passers-by to be inspired by the beauty of the (lit) interior, even when the church is locked. Smart low-level lighting along the pathway itself would be an asset.
- Consider developing a heritage and local identity trail, particularly for the many newcomers to Witney, in partnership with Witney Museum, schools and local organisations.
- Upgrade the parish website, add ‘virtual tours’ of the parish churches and their activities. Widen participation and learning by making services and performances available online and/or podcast, particularly for the infirm, the housebound and for newcomers. Engage in a two-way fashion with Witney people, organisations and networks via social networking.
- Consider upgrading the organ to recital standard to support first-rate musical performances.
Further information and links
Parish of Witney
St Mary the Virgin, Witney
Holy Trinity Church, Wood Green
St John the Evangelist, Hailey
St John the Baptist, Curbridge
St Mary’s Appeal
Witney Wool and Blanket Trail,
leaflet by West Oxfordshire District
Council & Oxfordshire County Council.
A Walk Round Witney Carroll, N., et
al., Witney and District Historical and
Archaeological Society, 1978
Public Inquiry into the A4095
Witney: Cogges Link Road, West
Oxfordshire District Council, 2011.
Indices of Multiple Deprivation
2010, Department for Communities
and Local Government.
Oxfordshire Data Observatory
Office for National Statistics
Nomis (for labour market figures)
Witney Town FC (Blanketmen)
Churches Together in Witney
West Oxfordshire District Council
Witney Town Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Local Development Framework,
Draft Core Strategy, 2011
Conservation area covering St
Mary’s, showing protected view lines.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment,
NHS Oxfordshire & Oxfordshire
County Council, November 2010
(version 3)
West Oxfordshire health Profile 2011
Draft Air Quality Action Plan, West
Oxfordshire District Council, Dec
UpMyStreet Cottsway Housing Association Police UK Thames Valley Police West Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership Witney Neighbourhood Action Group Witney Music Festival Witney Book Festival Witney Film Festival Witney TV Witney Art Studios The Henry Box School St Mary’s Infant School The Batt C of E Primary School Wood Green School Cokethorpe School The Kings School Abingdon & Witney College Citizens Advice Bureau
Burwell (top) and Wood Green (above)