Overview

A typical Cotswold honey coloured village, worth driving through to see. Four miles southwest of Bicester Village shopping outlets is the lovely village of Weston-on-the-green, which was recorded in the Doomsday book as Westone, because it lay west of the parish, and west of an ancient track, and according to the old English “tun” meant it was a homestead or enclosure. All through its history it has been regarded as a fair sized village. According to the tax to be paid to the crown, and along with the Manor House, there were 37 taxable houses listed in 1665, with 13 farm houses. During the 1700’s there were 50 or more houses, but with just 8 farm houses. By 1811 there were 82 dwellings in the village, and 40 years later another 25 had been built. Since then the general appearance of the village remains much the same, and you can still see some delightful stone cottages with thatch roofs, some dating from the 1600’s, like Manor Cottage and the general store of 1617. When you are ready to leave Chesterton hotel, set your sat NAV to OX25 3QL for Weston-on-the-green. TURN LEFT from hotel, and drive for seven miles through countryside on the Northampton Road, passing the RAF base on the left. (Photo 1) You will then reach Weston (Photo 2) Looking right as you reach the village houses, you will see two thatch cottages that have just been re-roofed. (Photo 3 and 4) a few yards later you can pull in to the right to look at BEN JONSON. He was a English playwright and poet during the early 1600’s, and having attended Westminster School up to 1589, he first worked for his father in law as an apprentice bricklayer, but left to go to the Netherlands and volunteered to join the English regiment under Francis Vere. He then returned to England and worked as an unsuccessful actor, and as a playwright, and by 1597 he co- wrote a play “The Isle of Dogs” but this was regarded as lewd, and he was jailed that year in Marshalsea prison. Released, he was sent back to prison for killing a man in a duel and sent to Newgate prison, but somehow managed to be released. 1598 he produced “Every Man in his Humour” his first success, and by 1616 some considered him to be Englands first poet Laureate. The period between 1605 and 1620 may be viewed as his heyday, but then declined from then on, having suffered a few strokes, but lived on for another 13 years before dying August 1637. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, and a monument was erected about 1723 in Poets Corner. ================================================ The Ben Jonson pub is the only one with this name, licensed since the late 1700’s, but without a name then, until recorded in the early 1800,s. On the small piece of land in front of the restaurant there used to be side shows and a donkey driven roundabout when the local fair passed through. The Ben Jonson recently had work completed to bring it up a better standard and as traffic had become less used through the village it became more of a restaurant, and seems to be getting good reviews, and on our visit here January 2023 it looks as if more work is being carried out. Drive on now for a few more yards, and TURN RIGHT by the green on Church Road. Stop here to look around the green. (photo 5) over to the right stands the thatch of Hazel Cottage, valued for £669.000 in 2022. It was originally Rose cottage which was once a small shop, and a shoemaker, the home of the local constable, William Goodson during 1819-1849 who kept law and order here. (Photo 6) shows the green, but if this is the Green the village received its name for, we are not sure, but it was around here when the village became Weston-on-the-green. (photo 7) The village road of Church road branches off the main road, and you need to turn right and drive just a few yards, and you see two thatch cottages on your left known as Rutland cottage, valued at £827.000 in 2022, to give you an idea of the costs involved if you fancy a cottage in the delightful village. (photo 8) Opposite stands the pretty thatch of “The Old Forge” perhaps dating to the early 18th century, built of coursed limestone rubble with wooden lintels and a thatched roof, two storeys high, which was the home of the local Blacksmith, his yard then became Beecrofts, and then the housing estate of Blacksmiths Close. The red Horse Chestnut tree was planted to celebrate the 1935 Jubilee. (photos 9 and 10) We now arrive at the 1617 general store, and this and the cottage on the left and the one behind it was at first one building. It has belonged to Haman Porter, deputy lieutenant of Oxfordshire, whose responsibility included promoting the civic and community life of the village, encouraging volunteers to support the local life. As our photo through the shop window shows, it is indeed a general store, selling almost everything you need while living in the community. (photo 11) next door to the store, stands the thatched Willow cottage, and in January 2023 having minor repair to parts of the thatch roof. (photo 12) a thatched roof can be of a variety of dry vegetation, such as straw, as we see here, or reed, rushes or heather. It will be densely packed, and will act as insulation. It is a very old roofing method, almost all houses in rural areas of England used this type roofing until the end of the 1800’s. The straw method being used on Willow cottage can last as long as 50 years, and the straw will be bundled into “Yelms” before being carried up the ladder to the roof, and attached using staples, known as “spars” made from twisted hazel sticks. (photo 13) it’s good to see the old method being used today to repair the corner of the roof. (photo 14) Ahead of us now on the corner stands the church of St Mary’s. (photo 15) The church was a ruin long before 1741, and almost all of it had to be rebuilt during 1743-1744, the old three bells now replaced by a ring of five bells in 1870, but added to later on with now six bells. Inside the church, are many memorials to the Norreys and Bertie families, and family members are buried in the churchyard, as you can read on our reviews of Weston Manor hotel. On this corner, Church Road becomes Church lane, with attractive cottages to see. (photo 16). shows more modern homes built here but still with that honey yellow Cotswold stone. (photo 17) though shows the now Pink Holly cottage, part thatch and part tiled roof. (photo 18 and 19) opposite side of lane we see the “Olde Shoemakers cottage” (photo 20) If you now continue ahead on Church Lane to pass all the houses, you arrive at Gallos Brook, still inclined to flood at times, but a lovely resting place on a pleasant warm afternoon, with tables available if you fancy a picnic. OUR FINAL THOUGHTS A very attractive Cotswold village of honey coloured cottages, many still thatched, and worth your while just driving through before visiting Weston Manor Hotel,

Transport & Parking

Easy drive from Bicester Village through countryside views, and parking is easy enough along lanes as you reach points of interest.

Access

Disabled can sit back in the car and enjoy the views, no problems for you.

Toilets

Did not see any public toilets, but Weston Manor hotel is our next call with toilets. But difficult Disabled use of toilets.

Staff

Photos