Event Timeline

c.320 - 350 AD   There is some evidence of a Roman Settlement near the present village during this period (see 1890, 1956 and 1968).

871 - 90   The first mention of Appleford, as such, was during the reign of Alfred the Great when his faithful subject Deormed was granted land here. (Victoria County History Berkshire, Vol 1).

1086   Entry about Appleford (sic) in Domesday Book in a list of Abbey properties.

12th Century   The Church was rebuilt.

1496    Appleford Church first linked with Sutton Courteney.

1538   Surrender of Abingdon during Henry VIII's reign - end of Appleford's connection with the Abbey.

1551   Manor of Appleford granted by the King to Sir John Mason

1563   First recorded baptism             Joan Whitfield
1564   First recorded burial                Thomas Hunnybunne
1567   First recorded wedding            Higges - Whicheloe

1566   Sir John Mason died - Manor of Appleford passed to Anthony Weekes, who took the name Mason.

1579   Leases were granted to Anthony Wykes (alias Mason) and John Trulock to run for 200 years from the decease of Elizabeth Mason. They covered much of the lands and property in Appleford. The leases were still extant in 1878 but have subsequently lapsed and most properties are now freehold.

1594   The Manor passed to the Reade family until about 1820.

1607   Edmund Bradstock died. In his will he left an endowment to provide education in Appleford. This resulted in a "free" school being built.

1660's   Probable date of building Old Thatch, also original parts of Barnards.

1700/1799   The Justice family gave several endowments to benefit Appleford.

1749   Appleford Churchyard licensed for burials.

1752   Church acquired its Communion Plate which is still in use today.

1801   Population 200.

c. 1820   House now known as "Kingsweston" built.

1840   Bridge Farm House built, after the railway divided the farm at that time owned by Arthur Napper's grandfather.

1855   The Samuel Green organ (Originally at Sutton Courtenay since its building in 1777) installed in Appleford Church.

1876   55 pupils on school roll.

1878   200 acres in Appleford, together with a Villa, Farmhouse, Public House and 30 cottages, sold by auction.

c. 1880   The old wooden railway bridge over the Thames replaced by a girder bridge.

1885/86   Church nave rebuilt and lengthened. New tower and spire built. Three new bells cast and added to the existing three to make a ring of six.

1890   Evidence of a Romano-British settlement found in field south of the Church, together with skeletons and pottery of the same period at Manor Farm.

1891   Carpenter's Arms opened.

1896   Appleford school enlarged.

1914/18   About this time the Post Office was moved from Church Lane to a site at the junction with Main Road.

1918   Hundreds of tiny toads descended on the village during a heavy rainstorm.

1920/30's   3 bakers, 6 butchers, 4 coalmen, 2 milkmen, 2 fish and chip vendors had round in Appleford.

1926    Churchyard extended. Packer Studios of Chipping Norton produced a series of local postcards. The plates for about 20 Appleford views still exist.
Mr and Mrs Berry retired from the Post Office. Mr and Mrs Jackson bought Post Office and Shop.

1929   Mrs Mary Hilsdon appointed headmistress of the school.

1933/34   Appleford halt built.

1933    John Faulkner died in his 104th year. Perhaps Appleford's most renowned inhabitant, he was a successful jockey until his 70's. Twice married he fathered 32 children!

1935/36   Electricity installed in school as part of general improvements. 1935 Mrs Grace Fidler became post woman for Appleford until 1969.
Mrs Dorothy Skinner of Sutton Courtenay appointed infant teacher at the school.

1937   From Parish Council minutes. "Decision to cut and lay hedge at recreation ground and to notify police of the malicious damage continually being done by the youths of the village."

1938   Bungalows north of the allotment built (PCM) "Concern expressed about dangerous bend at foot of railway bridge", Council asked for a 30 mph limit.

1939   Mr Harry Pullen died after farming Manor Farm for 20 years. His father had farmed there since the end of last century. The farm was then worked by Mr Bill Diamond who lived at Orchard house.

1942   Rail crash at Appleford. An express train and goods train collided at Appleford crossing on the 13th Nov.

1944   Parachute exercise prior to D-Day. Many parachutists landed in Appleford and three unfortunately drowned in the river. An Appleford resident was fined "for receiving a parachute from a soldier."

1945   Mrs Stuart~Monteath of Barnards became a school governor. End of World War II. Electricity came to Appleford.

1946   Struggle for restoration of the recreation ground after its wartime use for agriculture - finally achieved in 1950.

1947   Electricity installed in Church.

1948   Councils houses by Carpenter's Arms erected.

1949   Rev. G.R. Dunstan was appointed vicar.

1950   Arthur Napper's challenge that his "Old Timer" could beat another traction engine in a race marked the beginning of the annual rallies - and of the national Traction Engine movement.

1951   Attempts by the Parish Council to have Miller's Bridge, a packhorse bridge on the footpath between Appleford and Long Wittenham restored.

1952   September - another rail crash at Appleford. A freight train demolished the signal box which had to be rebuilt.

1953   Mrs Mary Hillsdon ceased to be Headmistress of the school. (SMM)

1954   Miss Helen Williams appointed as new headmistress - formally senior assistant at Steventon. (PCM) Complaints about smells from piggeries at Barnards.
December-The Church was endangered by fire due to lack of water nearby.
Mrs Cunliffe appointed to the school for 2.5 days a week.

1955   School troubled with flies and pig smells from Barnards. (SMM) Leslie Williams of New House (now Five Elms) appointed school governor.
Rev. R.G. Dunstan left - succeeded by Rev. W. Littlechild in 1956.

1957    More nuisance from Barnard's piggeries. (SMM)

1959   End of long campaign by the PC to have mains water laid to the village - resulting in difficulties with drainage. (PCM) Resignation of Mrs Cunliffe from school post. (SMM)

1960   Boy from school won a place to attend Wallingford Grammar School.
Only 16 on school roll.

1961   May 10th. Miss Williams told by the vicar that the school was to close in July - which it did amid a certain amount of confusion due to indecision at Count Hall. (SMM)
First hints of the beginning of growth - application for Chambrai Close development was vigorously opposed by the Parish Council but was eventually passed. (PCM)
Mrs Jackson who had run the Post Office since 1926 sold to Mr Bull.

1962   End of train service from Radley to Abingdon, ending the rail link from Appleford to Abingdon. (PCM)

1963   Mains drainage in village (PCM). Proposal for erection of Power Station at Didcot by CEGB.

1964   Proposal to erect houses on old school site.
Proposed development at Barnards - now Holmwood and The Croft. Two extra houses proposed at Main Road end of Chambrai Close (Glaros and Waydown). (PCM)

1965    Black Horse Public House demolishes. Houses and bungalows proposed for the site.
Proposed erection of 12 houses at the junction of School Lane and Church Lane.
Proposal to demolish the old chapel at Barnards and erect a dwelling alongside at end of School Lane.

1966   Cottages demolished in the paddock between the railway and Barnards. Meadow House erected behind site. Development at Barnards started.

1967   Half of the tree on The Knap blown down early on October morning.
Internal roof timbers of the Church were renewed.
Gas was brought to Appleford. The last of the utilities was in place.

1968   The "Appleford Hoard", a set of pewter bowls and plates, 24 in all, discovered along with some ironwork including tools, chains and a padlock. Pottery fragments and a shoe found in an old collapsed well shaft, all believed to date from the 4th century AD. Placed in Ashmolean Museum.
Rev. W. Littlechild retired ~ replaced by Rev. G. Jager.
School demolished. School Lane, Manor Close and Church Lane development. (PCM)

1969   "Littleworth Cottages" in the Main Road were derelict and had to be demolished. (PCM)
Abingdon Bypass - East or West route controversy. Council and most residents in favour of Western route which was adopted. Was this the first "West is Best" campaign?
Grace Fidler the post woman retired. Her daughter, Iris Harris took over her duties until 1972.
Mr Fozzard gave up Post Office, which was taken over by Mr and Mrs J Margetts.

1970   Barnard's 15th century chapel demolished.
Appleford Meadows built at the end of School Lane.

1971   Proposal for Council Housing on allotment site - opposed by Parish meeting. (PCM)

1972   Construction of Oxford phase of M40 - proposed route through village for heavy lorries. String opposition - scheme abandoned.

1974   Tree at Bridge Farm blown down in February gale and squashed bus (GJO 628F) on approach to railway bridge. Mercifully it was half term so no school children were on the bus.

1975   Rev. George Jager retired - succeeded by Rev. Freddie Denman. Parishes of Sutton Courtenay, Appleford and Culham temporarily combined. Priest in charge resident in Culham.

1976   Margetts family gave up Post Office and moved away from village. Temporary loss of Post Office and Shop. Freddie Denman became vicar.
WI formed. Original WI had lapsed many years ago.

1977   A dispute over plans for the recreation area divided the village. The issues were finally resolved with a referendum. Rebuilding of Village Hall - completed.

1978   Rev. C.G. Clarke was appointed vicar.

1979   Queen's Silver Jubilee. Exhibition of Appleford history in the Church organised in part by the WI.
Mrs Paul opened Post Office (Main Road site).
Loss of nearly all public transport to Abingdon. Buses to/from Abingdon are now routed via the new Power Station road, however there were 14 stopping trains per day to/from Didcot. This is a reversal of the situation in the 60's and early 70's when train services declined and for a time there was a reasonable bus service to Abingdon.
Amey excavations came ever nearer to the village. Rubbish tipping into the pits caused problems. Appleford plagued with flies - residents collect bags full and dumped them on Council. Some villagers claimed sickness caused by flies. Months before problem solved Mr and Mrs Paul gave up Post Office and moved away from the village.

1985   Rev. John Walker was installed as vicar.

1987   (June) Final closure of the post Office and Shop. Brenda Jones remained a resident.

1989   Neighbourhood Watch Scheme set up in the village.

1990   Rev. A. Leighton Thomas became vicar. Widespread gales in the south east affected Appleford. Tress blown down, some structural damage to properties, electricity failure through the village, some properties without power for days.

1991   New electric lighting installed in the Church.

1993   New service of two buses a week. Trains cut again, no Sunday service. Suggestions for Conservation Area within the village.

1997   Fire at the side of the railway by the old pumping station burned for days - pumping station demolished and also the shrubbery at the back.
Barn restoration and conversion to a house and erection of two new houses at Manor Farm.

1998   Land on either side of the Carpenter's Arms sold and two houses built thereon. Refurbishment of the Carpenter's Arms.

1999   New threat to the village. One of the two alternatives for the Didcot expansion would bring development up to Appleford's boundary. Much opposition in the local villages. A campaign was launched with the slogan "West is Best".

2000   New village signs erected changing the name of the village to "Appleford on Thames."
Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the first Traction Engine Rally which took place in Appleford.
30 mph speed limit imposed through the village.

By Brian Seyer