Kidlington - the village that’s got it all covered

One of the largest villages in England with an estimated population around 17,500, Kidlington lies just to the north of Oxford, nestled between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal.

It has great transport links, being close to the A34 for access to the country’s motorway network and regular bus services, making it a popular choice for commuters working in Oxford.

Soon, it will have its own 50-minute rail link to London Marylebone when Chiltern Railways’ new Oxford Parkway railway station, sited south of the village next to the Water Eaton park-and-ride, opens later this year, with trains to Oxford from next year.

Although the size of a small town, Kidlington has so far resisted attempts to change its designation from a village, so retains its parish council and strong community identity. It lies at the southernmost end of the Cherwell District Council region.

The village got its name from the Old English tun, meaning settlement, where Cydel’s sons – or ‘kidlings’ – lived. The Domesday Book in 1086 mentions it as Chedelintone and by 1214 the spelling Kedelinton appears.

In the old part of the village is the Grade I Listed parish church of St Mary the Virgin. Dating from 1220, it has fine medieval stained glass and a 220-foot (67m) spire known as Our Lady's Needle.

There is evidence of a church existing on the site from AD 1073.

The rectory is Tudor. Behind the church are the remains of a three-sided moat and a causeway, possibly of Roman origin.

Alongside the church is the almshouse, built by Sir William Morton in 1671 in memory of his wife and children, whose names are inscribed above the windows. Sir William was a Royalist Commander during the English Civil War and lived in nearby Hampden Manor in Mill Street.

Other famous residents of the Manor include Sir John Vanbrugh, who lived there while Blenheim Palace was being built in Woodstock.

Thomas Beecham formulated his famous medicine while living in a cottage near the manor, where he worked for a time as a gardener for John Sydenham.

There are many examples of 18th century Georgian buildings in ‘old’ Kidlington. Until the Enclosure acts in 1818, a large section south of the village was common land, prompting the name Kidlington-onthe-Green.

After the Second World War, this land was used to create the housing estate called Garden City.

In the 1920s and 1930s the village was subject to ribbon development along the main road (A4260), which is the view many visitors see when travelling through.

The former railway station on the Oxford and Rugby Railway near Langford Lane was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1852. It was named Woodstock Road, although it was nearly three miles from Woodstock and less than a mile from the centre of Kidlington. It was renamed Kidlington Station when Woodstock got its own branch line in 1890. British Railways closed Kidlington in 1964.

The village has a weekly market and about 50 shops, many independent. Shoppers also enjoy ample free parking. National retailers include Tesco, Co-op, Iceland, Superdrug, Greggs, M & Co and Sainsbury’s. There are banks and building societies, estate agents, a popular public library, Exeter Hall – the large village hall – doctors’ surgeries and dentists.

There are six public houses, plus cafes and restaurants. The public houses are mostly concentrated along the main A4260 road.

The Highwayman Hotel is next to the Oxford Canal, the Black Horse, the Black Bull and the Red Lion are more central and the King’s Arms is in the Moors, with the Six Bells in Mill Street. The Squire Bassett pub, also known as the Dogwood, was recently converted into the Gurkha Village Nepalese Restaurant.

The secondary school is Gosford Hill and the primary schools are North Kidlington, West Kidlington, Edward Feild and St Thomas More Catholic primary.

The headquarters of the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police and the county’s St John Ambulance are all in Kidlington, as is the UK head office of publishing company Elsevier. Oxford Airport, renamed London Oxford Airport in 2009, is also in Kidlington. Since 1962, its pilot training school has trained thousands of pilots for many world airlines. There are several industrial and business parks and a large motor park to the north of the village, opposite the airfield.

Campsfield House immigration detention centre, run for the UK Government, is also near the airport.

Kidlington and Gosford Leisure Centre is next to Gosford Hill School, just off the main Oxford Road. It has a 25m swimming pool, gym, sports hall, activity hall, all-weather pitch, squash courts, sauna and steam room, soft play area and crèche.

The village has had a brass band continuously since 1892, with earlier foundations dating back to at least the 1850s. The current band, Kidlington Concert Brass, was founded by the merger of Kidlington Silver Band and Oxford Concert Brass in 1992. It presents regular local concerts and has competed nationally in the highest grade for many years.

Kidlington Amateur Operatic Society (KAOS) was founded in 1977, and presents concerts of varied choral material in the village several times a year in addition to staging regular productions of musicals.

There are many clubs and societies, ranging from the camera club to the Women’s Institute.

Many sports, from karate to rugby, are catered for. Kidlington Football Club was founded in 1909. Its first team plays in the Hellenic Premier Division. Kidlington FC also runs an under-18 youth team that plays in the Allied Counties League. All teams play and are based at Kidlington FC's floodlit ground in Yarnton Road. There are also ladies’ and girls’ teams. The village’s Youth Football Club is based at Stratfield Brake sports ground, off Frieze Way as is Kidlington Cricket Club and the Running and Athletics Club.

Kidlington Royals Football Club is the only Sunday football team in Kidlington. It was founded in 2004 and plays its home games at nearby Bletchingdon. Kidlington Old Boys Football club was formed in 1999.

The Gosford All Blacks rugby club was founded in May 1956, taking its name from the New Zealand All Blacks team which was touring that season.

It also has a youth team. Despite its name, the club is based in Kidlington, also at Stratfield Brake sports ground, Frieze Way When first founded, the club used the Gosford Hill School pitch and facilities.