Sir - I understand that the closure of Cogges Manor Farm Museum, Witney, is one of a number of options being considered for budget savings at the end of this season. Should any recommendation for closure be agreed, the council may decide to sell the site.

In support of the Cogges Agricultural and Heritage Museum Trust's campaign to save the museum, I would like to register a strong protest against this option on the following grounds:

  • It is an exceptional historic site, scheduled as an ancient monument
  • It is in the centre of Witney - one of the fastest growing communities in Oxfordshire
  • It offers a rich educational experience appealing to visitors of all ages; several thousand school children visit every year
  • It is an important cultural and social asset for the local community - a green space and a recreation space and the only amenity in the parish of Cogges
  • It attracts tourists to Witney - a benefit to local businesses
  • It is a very special place: it represents the rural history of Oxfordshire in the setting of a remarkable complex of listed historic buildings dating from the 13th to the 20th century.

Your support against this proposal would be very much appreciated.

Stephen Barker, Buckingham