Lower Heyford

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Heyford means the hay ford, as in a ford used mainly at hay-making time. The 'lower' differentiates this ford from the one at Upper Heyford, a short distance downstream. Lower Heyford, with its peaceful lanes lined with thatched cottages and shady trees and situated next to the Oxford Canal, is deceptively quiet. During the summer the village is busy with life, with Heyford Wharf a favourite among tourists arriving to hire canal boats for holidays and daytrips. The wharf was established 1790, when the canal was built. The route quickly became busy and trade was dealt with from the wharf manager’s office, now known as Canal Cottage. But when the railway was built trade began to slow down and the wharf ceased trading in the 1960s. Church Lane, in the village centre, is surrounded by thatched cottages and the ever-popular Bell Inn, a beautiful family-friendly pub serving drinks and food. Nearby stands the Mary Dew school, which was established by the Church of England in 1867. Casting shadows over the buildings is an oak tree, planted in honour of Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee in 1887. Around the trunk is a stone seat, built to commemorate the new millennium.