A font with 16 carved panels is a notable cultural and historical feature of Oxhill. Local points of interest range from St Lawrence’s Church and Myrtilla’s tomb to archaeological interpretations of Oxhill Roman Villa and observations of the landscape.
Church, Art and Remembrance
St Lawrence’s Church has a 12th-century font. Its 16 panels feature carvings of Adam and Eve, as well as trees, flowers and decorative patterns. The motifs make the font a distinct topic alongside the church’s general architectural history: the focus here is on a specific work featuring clearly identified figures and ornaments.
Another chapter in the history of remembrance connects Oxhill with the history of Africa and England. Myrtilla’s tomb is among the earliest known tombs in England erected in memory of a person of African origin. Together, these two details—the font and the tomb—show different aspects of local history: religious visual art on the one hand, and the commemoration of a person on the other.
Oxhill Wake is also part of the village’s festival tradition. It was a small popular festival and an important village celebration, traditionally associated with the feast day of St Lawrence, the church’s patron saint.
Archaeological Traces and Different Periods
At the site of Oxhill Roman Villa, pottery sherds, mortaria and box flue tiles point to a high-status villa. A magnetometry survey also revealed a large L-shaped building there.
The villa is dated to the period from AD 43 to 409; one assessment places its date closer to AD 400. The survey also found evidence of a possible Bronze Age village. This Bronze Age evidence relates to a settlement phase considerably earlier than the later-dated Roman villa.
Landscape, Ponds and Paths
A small stream runs along the eastern edge of Oxhill. For the village’s ponds, a 2014 parish plan lists toads, frogs and smooth newts, as well as apparently a large number of great crested newts. The populations may vary seasonally.
A historical description of the village mentions a long meadow behind the church and a footpath to Tysoe. Before setting out, check the path’s current condition and the applicable rights of way. Muntjac deer, fallow deer and roe deer were repeatedly spotted in the meadow in the past.
Putting Travel Information in Context
A timetable from September 2011 lists bus route 270 between Banbury, Shenington, Oxhill, Kineton, Ettington and Stratford-upon-Avon. For that period, six journeys are listed from Monday to Saturday. If you plan to travel by bus today, check the current timetable before setting off.
Discover more destinations: Ratley, Bedworth, Lower Quinton, Southam, Wormleighton, Curdworth, Baginton, Leamington Spa.
For the broader travel overview: Warwickshire.
