Roads were flooded, schools closed and public transport delayed after the county was hit with more than a month’s worth of rainfall in the space of 36 hours last week. 

The Met Office escalated a weather warning for rain from yellow to amber in West Oxfordshire twice last week meaning homes and businesses were likely to be flooded.

Areas around Bladon and Woodstock saw most disruption.

Bladon Church of England Primary School and The Blake Church of England Primary School near Witney were both partly closed.

Flooding overnight on Sunday (September 22) caused the ceiling to collapse at Woodstock Surgery and took out the fire alarm system.

The ceiling fell in at Woodstock Surgery (Image: Contributed)

Senior partner Dr Duncan Becker said: "Obviously our building is very old and we’ve got a cottage next door that is several hundred years old.

"Water came in through the side of our building and flooded down the wall, took a ceiling out and into our fire alarm box which means our fire system does not work.

"Unless you’ve got a working fire alarm system you can’t have staff and patients in the building."

The surgery was closed on Monday (September 23) with the practice putting in place alternative arrangements.

Extreme weather threatened swathes of the nation's food-producing farmland.

Celebrity West Oxfordshire farmer Jeremy Clarkson summed up the frustration by posting a string of five expletives followed by the word 'rain'.

The Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins and Burford Ploughing Championship and Country Show at Langford was cancelled on Saturday (September 28) due to extreme weather conditions.

FFF&B chairman Mark Horner said: "With five inches of rain since Friday, the ploughing fields are waterlogged and more rain is forecast over the next few days.

"We want to make sure all our visitors and ploughmen stay safe and we cannot guarantee that with worsening conditions."

The Enviroment Agency issued multiple flood warnings , including for the River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge and the River Thames between Buscot Wick and Shifford although property flooding was not expected.

Witney Town Council staff checked and cleared trash screens and told walkers to avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses.

The town council issued warnings to avoid Witney Lake and Country Park where many areas had flooded past wellie-height.

River levels were high at the Windrush in Witney after record rainfall (Image: WODC)

The council warned flowing water "can be deceptive in it's speed and strength, and so dangerous to walk through.

"Please avoid taking pets or walking through these areas at this time."

Oxfordshire County Council faced some criticism that the flooding was worse because drains were not being maintained properly.

It said teams had been clearing gullies regularly since January in an effort to prevent blockages.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council - the lead authority on flooding - said no drainage system can cope with the record amounts of rain.

He said: “Even if it were possible or affordable, replacing all of our drainage pipes with bigger ones, they won’t work when a month’s rain can fall in a couple of hours.

“There’s a much wider landscape-scale and street by street operation needed locally and nationally to work out how you hold back rainwater wherever it lands.

“That means, among other things, smart ‘water farming’ practices, putting trees and other water holding measures on hillsides, and breaking up impermeable paved areas in villages, towns and cities."

“There needs to be a serious step up in national strategy and local co-operation that gathers pace to match the new reality, comes up with strong mitigations and funds them properly.”

A West Oxfordshire District Council spokesperson said: “Our main responsibility during flooding events is to support those at risk. We supported a small number of vulnerable households impacted by the recent heavy rain and regularly support households at risk of flooding during winter months.

"Over the last couple of weeks, we ensured our sandbag points were well stocked, and we have been visiting properties that have reported flooding to make sure that they have advice and to find out if they need assistance with accommodation.”

They added they check all ditches and watercourses the council is responsible for on a regular basis and carry out essential work clearing grills on critical culverts. The council also monitors privately owned ditches and encourages their maintenance.