Kingham Past
Mostly photographs and stories of Kingham village both old and new
The Green and cottages with the village well and pump. (Photo kindly supplied by Gillian Eaton)
Many of the old black and white photos on here were taken from postcards of photographs taken by either one of the two excellent Chipping Norton Photographers Frank Packer and Percy Simms. Their beautiful images give us a wonderful glimpse of days long gone. We owe them our gratitude for without their work we would be the poorer.
Other pictures were from my family collection or kindly donated by others. Modern day Photographs were taken by myself. Many of the images were taken by The late Ralph Mann and were kindly supplied by his son John. There is also a page entitled Ralph Mann containing more pictures.
Kingham is a generally unspoilt village in Oxfordshire. In 2004 it was voted as England’s favourite village by Countrylife magazine.
The census of 2011 recorded a population of 913. Kingham still has its railway station (first opened in 1855) which offers a good service both to the north via Worcester and the south to London via Oxford. The village still has a very good shop and post office along with a beautiful village hall and no less than two village greens. The village also supports the Kingham All-Blacks football team.
I do not intend to give a full synopsis of Kingham village here as the subject is adequately covered elsewhere on other web-sites. I have created this section to offer selections of old photographs of the village.
For an in depth story of Kingham and its history I would recommend the book Kingham the Beloved Place by E. J. Lainchbury published in 1957, the book has been out of print for many years but is available second hand.
The other book worth a mention is Kingham Old & New by William Warde Fowler, published in 1913 it is a much 'dryer' read than E.J. Lainchbury's book . It is available now as a reprint or 2nd hand copy. Warde Fowler is mentioned on page 2 of this site.
Two interesting shots of the high street, one from the Rectory roof the other from the garden. (Both photos by Rev Ralph Mann.)
Left. Baby Alley. A row of cottages so called because of a story that long ago a childless couple lived here, the wife desperately wanted a child and consulted a doctor who gave her some tablets. When the husband discovered the tablets he threw them down the well which supplied all the cottages.
All the couples were then blessed with lot's of babies.
Right. Cousins lane showing the carving on Jacksons stone workshop.
(Photos by Rev Ralph Mann)
Kingham Stores. Then and now.
As a youngster I remember Kingham having three shops as well as a few other places where items could be purchased. Eaton's post office, Mrs Dorrels and the main store Adams (0r Guys) were the main ones.
Our family mostly frequented the main shop and I still remember in the 1950's having to take a ration coupon book in for certain items still on ration after the 2nd world war. As children we would look out for empty Corona bottles, we could take them to the store and get 3d back which we could spend on sweets, we were able to buy four farthing chews for 0ne penny.
I had better explain out about the money for those born after 1971! the 3d above stands for 3 pennies which is worth just over 0ne new pence in today's money. There were 4 farthings to 1d (one penny). There were 12 pennies to 1 shilling and 20 shillings to each £1 (pound) we also had the threepenny bit, sixpence, florin, half a crown, ten shilling note and the guinea (1 pound and 1 shilling), it all sounds very confusing now but it was just normal to us. We all 'howled' when decimal money arrived but I doubt many of us would want to go back to the old system.
How excited us children were as November the 5th arrived and the shop had fireworks in their window display which we could actually purchase (no restrictions on either in those days!) At Christmas the upstairs was opened up where toys and Christmas items were on display, to us little ones it seemed like wonderland. People did not travel as much in those days and a trip on the bus to Chippy with all the 'large' shops was a wonder to behold.
Unusual photograph of the shop. (pictures kindly supplied by Simon Blackwell)
Copy of the sign on the shop wall
Henry Weston & Son delivering to Kingham 1920's
Eatons Post Office and Stores. Old postcard, date unknown.
Crossroads by the Green.
Crossroads by the Green. Today.
The Old post office, (after Eatons had closed). Then and now
Corner house and Rectory gates
Corner house and Rectory gates today
West street 2016
West street. Mrs Dorrells shop, (centre of image)
Blacksmiths Cottage 1906
Blacksmiths Cottage 2019 (temp Google image)
Stocks well
Stocks well before the pump was fitted
Until 1951 Kingham did not have a public water supply and people either had their own wells or used a communal one such as the stocks well. In 1950 when the new council houses were built in new road (the so called Airey houses named after designer Sir Edwin Airey) a borehole was sunk nearby which provided enough water for the whole village.
New Road Airey houses built in 1950. In the pictures are Keith and Alan Harding with John and David Hewett. Norman Hewett looks on.
Stayt cottage of old
Stayt cottage today
William Stayt
'Our Bill' born 1861
Cottage with thatched roof is Stayt cottage where William Stayt lived.
William Stayt was a well known local Gardener who was nick named Our Bill in the book by Frederick Grisewood first published in 1934, (Our Bill was my Great Grandfather)
'Old Bill' was always said to be 'hard up' my late mother remembers that he preferred cat's to his children and referred to his children as 'them damn younguns' she said he spent quite a bit of his spare time in the Plough inn opposite where he lived.
He laid down a cricket pitch in Bury Pen Close. Apparently he was a very good gardener and was said to have laid out Burford golf course as well as being Gardener to Freddie Grisewood (BBC radio announcer) Grisewood thought a lot of Bill Stayt and often spoke about him on his programmes as well as writing a book about his character called Our Bill. Have to say I don't find it to be a very interesting book.
The book Our Bill
Kingham Telephone Exchange
Originally Kingham only had one telephone line to the Post Office (Kingham 1).
The Post Office who controlled the phone lines then insisted that at least 8 people needed to subscribe for extra lines to be supplied. it was 1924 before 8 could be found!
The Exchange serves 8 villages inc Kingham, Churchill, and Bledington
The old Smithy of yesteryears
The old Smithy 2016
The Methodist Chapel know as the Wesleyan chapel before 1932 was built between 1855 and 1862, in that period chapels were not welcomed by the established church and had to be privately owned buildings. The chapel is now a private house.
West street 1935
West Street 2019 (Google street view.temp image)
Langston Arms Hotel
Now a Nursing home
The Langston Arms Hotel was built in 1879 as a hunting lodge and later as a hotel for those travelling on the railway as the station was next door with a footpath leading down from the hotel to the station. The name Langston comes from the owner of the local quarry, Squire Langston where the stone to build it came from. In 1985 it was converted into a Residential & Nursing home.
Delightful view of the Langston Arms with cars. (Frank Packer)
Another view of the Langston arms 1940's (Frank Packer)
Public Houses and drinking establishments
Over the years Kingham has had several pubs and drinking establishments. The Mill was in the doomsday book when it was a corn mill, as far as I am aware it is not known when it became an inn. Over the last few years it became an upmarket restaurant and hostelry but sadly it closed down in 2018.
I know little of the history of the Plough Inn except that it has been there a long time and it is still open for business. As mentioned earlier on this page The Langston Arms was a hotel and drinking establishment from around 1883 until 1985 when it was converted into a nursing home.
The house now known as Squirrel cottage was once The Victoria Arms, not much is known about it other than in 1854 the landlord was one James Chamberlain. Another inn was situated near the Manor farmhouse, this was The Fox Inn, again little is known about it other than the innkeeper was a John Harwood who was also the local plumber and glazier.
And lastly we have the Wild Rabbit which is a fairly new establishment and still in business, it was called the Tollgate Inn until being taken over by the Daylesford corporation. (personally I much preferred the name Tollgate)
The Mill
Once the Victoria Arms
The Plough
Station Road
Station Road today (temp Google image)
The Green 1920. Oil street lamps and no village pump yet.
The Green from a different viewpoint.
College Farm today
College Farm (H.Pearce)
Small Green with The Plough through the trees
Eaton's post office can be seen middle left
A Eaton's Post Office Stores
Also a bakery until the 1950's
There is an excellent group on Facebook entitled Memories of Kingham. The group has almost 300 members with an interest in the village.
Here you can find lots of old photographs of the village, it's people and their stories of life in the village.
Why not join in and post your memories and perhaps any pictures you may think are of interest.
Many of the pictures on this site were kindly supplied by members of the group.
If anyone has any photographs and stories of Kingham that they would like to share I would be most happy to display them on this site