Bampton, Oxfordshire

Flower Delivery to Bampton by Clare Florist

Bampton which is also known as "Bampton-in-the-bush" is a village and civil parish located in west Oxfordshire, England. It is situated in the Thames valley and standing in the small tributary of the Thames 4.5 miles south west of Witney and about 6 miles from the market town of Burford. It was particularly a very important place in the time of the Saxons and rose to become a very popular market town and is one of the oldest towns in England.

Around the period of the Norman Conquest, Bampton was one of the largest settlements in England and it boasted an early market and salt works. The town prospered and rose to prominence in the middle ages and derived much of its wealth from wool. It built a second market in 1255 and was granted an annual fair. The town is renowned for its Morris Dancing tradition spanning over 400 years and still celebrated till today.

There is a post office under Faringdon, a town and village hall, a chapel, a parish church, many beautiful 17th and 18th century houses in the town and lots more places of interest in the town. United States troops once camped in Bampton during the Second World War.  Over the years, the town has seen expansion in the number of houses as well as its population which stands now at about 3000 today. There’s a weekly market which holds on Wednesdays.

Local Attractions

St Mary's Church - The parish church of Saint Mary is a very old church dating from the 12th century. The church was built on the site of a late Anglo-Saxon Minster whose tower survives till today within the present church.  The church has a splendid 170ft spire located at the base on which are flying buttresses surmounted by a carved apostle. There is a 17th century monument to George Thompson inside. Thompson was a rich man from Bampton who willed all his money to the poor. There is an organ in the church, beautiful stained Glass and lovely handcrafted cushions to kneel on and a magnificent ceiling. The church has undergone several reconstruction and extension over the years most recently in 1870 when the roof took on its present form.

Bampton Library - The Bampton library is a nice quiet place near the church which was once along with the church used in some of the scenes in a British drama TV series called “Downton Abbey”. There is a book section of the library and some cozy spaces to relax and read. The library sells a map which shows the locations used in filming the series. They also have a small gallery of pictures from when the filming was done. There is a bathroom within the library when open.  The librarian is very nice and spends time giving talks about the library and about the series Downton Abbey to visitors.

Events

The Great Original Shirt Race - It is held on the Saturday of the Spring Bank Holiday and run by 'The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing' (SPAJERS). It involves a team of two dressed in night shirts with one pushing the other in a trolley around the village, stopping at the town’s famous pubs and drinking a quantity of beer before running to the next pub. The event is a celebration of the 14 pubs that used to be open in the town although now they are just four but with some private pubs in addition. Different types of transport have been used ranging from prams to wheelbarrows and wheelybins!

Morris Dancing - Three famous Morris dance teams dance around the village starting from the Monday of the Spring Bank Holiday. They usually start in the evening and continue the next day dancing at various locations within the village as well as outside the pubs. Visiting teams join in the evening as the dance gradually ends and make merry.

May Garlands - Children come out in the morning of the Monday of the Spring Bank Holiday to display May garlands they have created. The making of May Garlands is an old tradition dating many centuries back. Making May Garlands are time consuming but easy to do.

Bampton is well known for its abundance of flower species. Bampton flowers are beautiful, of various colours and are in different species. Many people use Bampton flowers for events such as marriages, burial ceremonies, birthday celebration and lots more or for house and office decorations. If you need these types of flowers we will we will make arrangements and send flowers to you in Bampton. There are a wide range of flowers from Roses to Freesia to amethyst flower in bouquets you can choose from, and are pretty affordable.  You can get extensive information on our range of flower delivery services, which are available for next day delivery to Bampton.

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