THE BALDONS 2011 PARISHPLAN the Baldons Parish Plan
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE BALDONS 2011 PARISHPLAN the Baldons Parish Plan welcome Welcome to the what is a Baldons Parish Plan! Along with probably every resident of the Baldons, I feel very privileged to live here: a parish plan? beautiful village with a great sense of history, of community How did we do it and what is it for? Planning the and of vitality. We have been given an amazing inheritance future of the Baldons by the past inhabitants of the Baldons, and we need to arish Plans are a way for rural communities to express their views and ensure we can pass on that aspirations and are already forming the basis of strategic planning at all levels of benefit to future generations. Plocal authority. The Baldons Parish Plan will be used to influence the decisions of So the Baldons Parish Plan the Parish Council, South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) and Oxfordshire County was created, to record some Council (OCC), as well as other local authorities providing services to local residents. In of the history of the parish, to addition, it should act as a trigger for local people to undertake some tasks themselves. show how it has developed into the present day, and to look at how did we start? In late 2007 a group of PLAN OBJECTIVES how it might evolve into the villagers got together to kickstart the project, with a launch n The overriding objective of the future. This document will help event in early 2008. From this has evolved the Parish Plan Plan is to uphold and improve the us to focus on the things we Steering Committee, which has been aided throughout the quality of life in the Baldons, by as residents can do to keep our process by Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC). highlighting residents’ priorities, corner of Oxfordshire as special as shown by the questionnaire, as it is today and also help our the parish plan process The Steering and prompting action by those in a local service providers to focus Committee initially consulted with as many people as position to take it. their spending on the areas we possible to establish the issues that people felt strongly n Some of the actions will be feel are most important. about. This was done using a variety of methods including undertaken by local authorities, This project has been a approaching individuals, village groups and organisations but these organisations have joint effort and could not have happened without the and also inviting comment via the village newsletter and limited funds and many projects involvement and assistance suggestion boxes in the pub and at village events. From will depend to a high degree on of many people, particularly this came the questions in the questionnaire, which was local volunteers. those listed on the back cover. distributed to every household in the villages. All residents of n The key final task for the Parish However, this plan is not just 8 years and older were invited to complete a questionnaire, Plan Steering Committee will for those of us involved in its with the added attraction of a prize draw for meals at The be to assist in the monitoring of creation: it is for all the residents Seven Stars and The Mole. A total of 282 questionnaires were actions, to ensure that progress of the Baldons, past, present completed. This was a fantastic response rate of over 80% is made. and future. of the population. The data was independently statistically analysed with the help of SODC and an open event was held. At this residents were invited to look at visual displays of some of the key results, give their views and ask questions. The Steering Committee, in conjunction with ORCC and representatives from OCC and SODC, then used the data to put together an Action Plan that provides a framework NATASHA ELIOT, CHAIR, PARISH PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 2011 through which residents’ wishes can be implemented. 02 THE BALDONS PARISH PLAN the Baldons: today what is a the Baldons today… parish plan? a profile of our parish he villages of Marsh Baldon, Toot Baldon and Fantastic forms part of the civil parish of Marsh Baldon. All three Little Baldon, collectively known as the Baldons, communities are represented by one combined Parish are situated approximately six miles to the south response Council. Much of the land in the villages is owned by The of Oxford. The communities are surrounded by rate of over Queen’s College, Oxford, including the village green and a Tfarmland and strenuous efforts have been and continue to number of the farms. be made to maintain the Green Belt separating the Baldons 80% The Baldons also have close links with the from Oxford and thus protecting the Baldons’ identity as of the neighbouring village of Nuneham Courtenay, with many a rural community. The majority of the Baldons are within shared community activities. The Baldons community is a Conservation Area, and many buildings are listed. New population very active and sociable, with regular and well attended development in the area is very tightly controlled. Marsh village events, from amateur dramatics to the ever- Baldon is the largest of the villages, with a population of popular annual seniors’ party and fireworks nights. There 289 (2001 census). It is centred on the large village green 282 are also many groups, from Toddlers to book groups to (approximately 24 acres in size), with the remaining houses the Youth Club, and a thriving Church. Local services, such as along various lanes and tracks leading away from the green. shops, post offices and doctors’ surgeries can be found number of in the surrounding villages, following the closure of the Marsh Baldon has a number of completed Marsh Baldon post office in the 1980s and the loss of the amenities serving the local area: surveys Nuneham Courtenay post office and shop more recently. n a primary school of 70 pupils n a pub, The Seven Stars, which has recently become a Free House, 37% of those who completed the questionnaire n a village hall have lived in the Baldons for more than 20 years, n St Peter’s Church, dating from the 14th century, with 24% having been in the village between 11 with 19th century additions. and 20 years, 12% between 6 and 10 years, 25% between 1 and 5 years and 2% less than 1 year. Toot Baldon is known in the wider This suggests that residents tend to remain in district for its restaurant, The Mole, the village for a long time. previously a pub known as The Crown. St Lawrence’s church in Toot Baldon is very Of those who completed the questionnaire, 18% attractive and has a magnificent setting on a hill work from home, 4% within 2 miles of home, 16% overlooking farmland, with the Chiltern Hills in in Oxford, 11% in other Oxfordshire locations, the background. 2% in Reading, 8% in London and 8% in other Toot Baldon has 136 residents (2001 census), and locations. 41% of those surveyed did not work, maintains a distinct identity as Toot as well as being part suggesting that while the accessibility of the of the Baldons. Baldons is an attractive feature, it is very far Little Baldon is in fact a collection of cottages from being a “dormitory area”. connected to Little Baldon Farm. It is physically quite separated from Marsh and Toot Baldon, although legally THE BALDONS PARISH PLAN 03 the Baldons: through history the Baldons in the past Marsh Baldon, Toot Baldon, Baldon on the Green, Little Baldon, Big Baldon, Baldon-in-between his old rhyme is a reminder that there are a bequest by her in 1771 for the education of 6 poor boys number of ancient settlements in the area known and 6 poor girls. Other children could be educated at the as the Baldons. Toot Baldon is probably the expense of their parents. It was said that, owing to early earliest settlement dating back to Anglo-Saxon employment in the fields, the children did not profit from Ttimes, although the area was inhabited in the Roman their educational opportunities. However, by 1866 the period. A Roman Road passes through the parishes and numbers had risen to 56 and the curriculum included Roman pottery and coins have been found. The Anglo- reading, writing and casting accounts. By 1815 Toot Baldon Saxons liked to settle on high ground and reference can also had a school which by 1887 was reported to be a be found to “Bealda’s Hill”, while Toot is the Saxon word good school. It had been enlarged in 1886 to cater for 60 for a look-out. A good water supply and fertile soil would children. It survived until 1920 when the managers closed have encouraged this early habitation. The Domesday Book it and the children were transferred to Marsh Baldon. refers to Baldedone and does not differentiate between the The Baldons, being fair sized villages were more self various hamlets, which shared a common field system with supporting than some. In the 16th, 17th and 18th century strip farming. However, there were already seven different mention is made of a tailor, two butchers, a slaughter estates and there is little doubt that the four hamlets Toot house, a currier, a maltster, a sawyer, a carpenter and, Baldon, Marsh Baldon, Baldon St.Lawrence and Little more unusually, a bone-setter. In the latter half of the Baldon named in 13th century documents were already in 19th century there was a blacksmith, a grocer, a baker, a existence at the time of Domesday.