This page is about Tidmarsh, Oxford and Vienna! (but mainly Tidmarsh)
Local websites
St Laurence's Church, Tidmarsh - this site includes a photo of "the most accomplished Norman doorway in Berkshire ..."
The Greyhound, Tidmarsh - our excellent and photogenic pub
A historical note about Tidmarsh - and a nice picture
Moor Copse Nature Reserve - one of 72 reserves managed by BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon WIldlife Trust).
The website includes a map of the reserve showing the footpaths, including the important path out of the reserve running north along the east bank of the river Pang. After 200 yards, you can turn left across the river and emerge from the drive opposite Manor Farm Lane. Thus it is now easy to get to Moor Copse on foot from Tidmarsh and Pangbourne.
A Brief Attempt at Tidmarsh History.
Clearly Tidmarsh was once a marsh, with the Pang flowing through many channels. Mill Lane perhaps follows the course of the best path across the marsh. I think the date of Tidmarsh Mill is not accurately known but there was a mill in Tidmarsh by 1305. It is certainly later than the other mills on the Pang which are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Building it was difficult, since the river had to be confined to a single channel, as it is today (almost, a small channel does connect with Sulham Brook). The straight piece of the river between the Mill and Moor Copse is clearly artificial - the river is above the level of the field on the east side. Floods into the field are quite common and generally do not do much harm(?). A big exception was the large flood of 2007, which extended as far as Sulham Brook. A large volume of water arrived in the rather small Sulham Brook, which overflowed downstream at the point where the Brook goes under the A329, resulting in the flooding of 140 houses in Pangbourne. It is stated that steps have now been taken to make this less likely in a similar situation.
About people and places called "Tidmarsh"
Many place names are also surnames - Tidmarsh is one of them. I believe that there are around 1500 people in the UK with the surname "Tidmarsh". There are about 200 more in the USA, 60 in Canada and smaller numbers in Australia and other countries. These are quite large numbers for such a small place (population around 500). Comparing such figures with other places runs into the problem of alternative spellings. For example, "Pangbourne" can be spelt several ways (see comment below).
Some of the people named "Tidmarsh" come to visit us, occasionally from large distances. The visitor's book in St. Laurence Church was presented in 1983 by Margaret, the wife of Douglas McDonald, the departing rector. It has been signed by about 60 people with surname or maiden name "Tidmarsh". Most are British, but others have come from the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Austria and Africa (the Gold Coast). (A new book will be required soon!)
Robert M. Tidmarsh, has travelled from Vienna three times, in 1991, 2001 and 2006 - with family members. On his first visit to Tidmarsh he wrote: "A dream come true." He was for many years a guide at Schoenbrunn Palace, Vienna - a surprising job for an Englishman!. Visit his website for information about the Palace and the history of Austria: robert-m-tidmarsh.webnode.at (or Google "Tidmarsh Vienna").
Matthew Tidmarsh came from California, USA in 1994: "At last I've gotten the chance to see this wonderful place."
Victoria Tidmarsh came from Pasadena, USA in 2016: "So exciting to visit the 'Fatherland!' So beautiful!"
More recently, in 2023, Zander Tidmarsh came from Brisbane, Australia: "Three generations of my family in this book."
An Andrew Tidmarsh has been twice, in 1995 (from a UK address) and 2003 (from France). I have recently bought a book by someone of the same name (I will try and find out if this is the same person):
The Tidmarsh Family Tree: a story of twelve generations (Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd., 2024).
The visitor's book at St. Nicholas, Sulham goes back to 1999. There have been just two people with surname "Sulham", who came from California, USA in 2025.
The visitor's book in St James The Less, Pangbourne, also goes back to 1999. There have been two visitors (probably from the UK) with surname "Pangbourne", today's spelling. There have also been two from the USA who spelt their name "Pangborn", and four who wrote "Pangburn", three from the USA and one from Mexico. Noone used the spelling "Pangbourn", which also exists as a surname.
As for past holders of the name "Tidmarsh", I think the best known was Richard Tidmarsh who lived in Oxford in the 17th century. He is commemorated on a plaque on the north side of the bridge in Park End Street: "Near this place the Baptists of Oxford worshipped from 1661 to 1715 in the house of Richard Tidmarsh (Minister 1661-1691). Baptisms took place in the stream below. The Meeting House was destroyed by rioters in 1715." Nearby is the west end of Tidmarsh Lane, which is named after Richard Tidmarsh. The first building on the left is the Oxford Register Office (1, Tidmarsh Lane). The lane heads towards Oxford Castle but then turns sharply right and leads to Quaking Bridge (the name may refer to the Quakers, or just to a rickety bridge?). Crossing the bridge you come to Paradise Street which leads to Paradise Square. You may feel that the last two do not live up to expectations.
As I just mentioned, there is another "Tidmarsh Lane" besides the one in Tidmarsh (which runs west from the crossroads in the centre of the village). There are also at least three houses called "Tidmarsh Cottage". The "real one" is here in Manor Farm Lane, where I am writing this page - a converted farm building bought by my parents in 1970. But there is another in Ewelme (quite a grand listed building), and yet another in Australia (also quite large).
You might think that "Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary" was another name for Moor Copse Nature Reserve (link above). No, it is a larger place in Massachusetts, USA:
Tidmarsh Island in Nova Scotia is just 24 acres. Here is a map which you will have to magnify to find exactly where it is:
It is also the larger of the two islands in this set of 10 photos:
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In Northamptonshire, there is a village called Titchmarsh, also the surname of well-known gardener Alan Titchmarsh and others:
The name "Titmarsh" is a surname but not a place. This surely derives from either Tidmarsh or Titchmarsh, but I don't know which.
I am currently expanding this page - comments welcome
My email: jmptidcott at gmail dot com
URL of this page: sites.google.com/site/jmptidcott2/tidmarsh-page
(last modified: 24th February 2026)