VCH Oxfordshire
@vch-oxon.bsky.social
Researching and publishing the history of Oxfordshire places as part of @vchlondon.bsky.social - landscape, settlement, buildings, economy, religion, society and more: www.history.ac.uk/research/victoria-county-history/counties-z/oxfordshire
Reposted by VCH Oxfordshire
The first theme in this year’s Explore Your Archive campaign is #EYAConservation. Conservators are vital in helping to look after collections, including preserving and repairing material so that it remains accessible. And we’re delighted to have welcomed a new Conservator to our staff this week!
November 29, 2025 at 5:44 PM
The first theme in this year’s Explore Your Archive campaign is #EYAConservation. Conservators are vital in helping to look after collections, including preserving and repairing material so that it remains accessible. And we’re delighted to have welcomed a new Conservator to our staff this week!
Art historian and gallery owner Philip Mould giving a superb lecture in support of VCH Oxon at Ditchley Park Fri 10 Oct, exploring the paintings of Winston Churchill and the difficulties of attribution. Warm thanks to Philip, all at Ditchley, and the 80-odd people who attended - a memorable event.
October 12, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Art historian and gallery owner Philip Mould giving a superb lecture in support of VCH Oxon at Ditchley Park Fri 10 Oct, exploring the paintings of Winston Churchill and the difficulties of attribution. Warm thanks to Philip, all at Ditchley, and the 80-odd people who attended - a memorable event.
Reposted by VCH Oxfordshire
An important milestone - the complete draft of this volume is the latest of the VCH production line. The last - for the historic county, but not *the last* - will be on the area around Burford, but come back in a year or so for that.
Why not *the last*? Well, watch this space... #Skystorians
Why not *the last*? Well, watch this space... #Skystorians
New *draft* text from @vch-oxon.bsky.social, which completes the draft for their 22nd (and penultimate, for the historic county) volume which covers the area around #Chadlington.
The new drafts are for #Chilson, with Shorthampton and Walcot.
All comments, corrections, etc., gratefully received. 🗃️
The new drafts are for #Chilson, with Shorthampton and Walcot.
All comments, corrections, etc., gratefully received. 🗃️
Oxfordshire vol. XXII - Chadlington and Area
This volume will cover a swathe of west Oxfordshire rural parishes from Chastleton on the west through to Spelsbury, Enstone, and Kiddington on the east
www.history.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 8:47 AM
An important milestone - the complete draft of this volume is the latest of the VCH production line. The last - for the historic county, but not *the last* - will be on the area around Burford, but come back in a year or so for that.
Why not *the last*? Well, watch this space... #Skystorians
Why not *the last*? Well, watch this space... #Skystorians
Chilson: the final draft for our forthcoming West Oxon Chadlington area vol! - and an interesting one too. A chapelry and township of Charlbury until C19, but with early links to the vast Shipton-under-Wychwood royal estate and with Wychwood Forest. Plus a DMV and gt church wall paintings..!
October 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Chilson: the final draft for our forthcoming West Oxon Chadlington area vol! - and an interesting one too. A chapelry and township of Charlbury until C19, but with early links to the vast Shipton-under-Wychwood royal estate and with Wychwood Forest. Plus a DMV and gt church wall paintings..!
Tomorrow! - a celebration of the publication of the VCH's 250th Big Red Book volume nationwide! - Westmorland Volume I (from Cumbria County History Trust). Plus a look back at 126 years of VCH and how the modern project is still evolving and developing: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Celebrating Local and Place-Based History: Westmorland and the 250th VCH ‘Big Red Book’
www.history.ac.uk
September 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Tomorrow! - a celebration of the publication of the VCH's 250th Big Red Book volume nationwide! - Westmorland Volume I (from Cumbria County History Trust). Plus a look back at 126 years of VCH and how the modern project is still evolving and developing: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
A reminder that tickets are on sale for a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill (Ditchley Park: Friday 10 Oct 6 pm): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/philip-mou....
Philip Mould: Discovering Churchill - a lecture at Ditchley Park
A lecture in support of VCH OXFORDSHIRE by art historian and dealer Philip Mould, presenter of BBC 1's award-winning series Fake or Fortune?
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 1, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A reminder that tickets are on sale for a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill (Ditchley Park: Friday 10 Oct 6 pm): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/philip-mou....
Sad to hear of the death (at 97!) of the great Barbara Harvey (www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/barbara...), whose early work on Islip introduced her to the Westminster abbey archives, and also spawned a VCH Oxon parish history. Coincidentally, she also examined the current VCH Oxon Editor's doctoral thesis!
Barbara Harvey CBE FBA (1928-2025) - Somerville College Oxford
Barbara Harvey, CBE, FBA, Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History, 1955-1993, has died at the age of 97. She had also been an undergraduate and graduate student at Somerville between 1946 and 1951, befor...
www.some.ox.ac.uk
August 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Sad to hear of the death (at 97!) of the great Barbara Harvey (www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/barbara...), whose early work on Islip introduced her to the Westminster abbey archives, and also spawned a VCH Oxon parish history. Coincidentally, she also examined the current VCH Oxon Editor's doctoral thesis!
Be great if this can stay in Oxfordshire! - www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2532105... (Even if its discovery came a little late for inclusion in our 2011 account of Rotherfield Peppard parish in VCH Oxon XVI - which, incidentally, you can read at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol...)
Metal detectorist's hoard could be bought for public display
An iron age hoard discovered by a metal detector user in Oxfordshire in 2020 could be bought by a museum. It features a stunning horse brooch.
www.oxfordmail.co.uk
July 18, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Be great if this can stay in Oxfordshire! - www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2532105... (Even if its discovery came a little late for inclusion in our 2011 account of Rotherfield Peppard parish in VCH Oxon XVI - which, incidentally, you can read at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol...)
Interesting piece on a (sanitised) Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry preserved in Reading Museum: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign.... (Images online at www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/...)
Never mind the Norman bollocks: Reading’s replica Bayeux tapestry is a prudish triumph!
It may not be completely anatomically accurate, but the Victorian copy of the Bayeux tapestry is as much an emblem of its time as the 11th-century original
www.theguardian.com
July 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Interesting piece on a (sanitised) Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry preserved in Reading Museum: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign.... (Images online at www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/...)
Thanks for your kind words! (We couldn't possibly comment...! 😂)
Victoria County History of Oxfordshire (an impressive blend of academic excellence and community-focused local history, producing a rich, seemingly complete county history through a major publishing initiative) moves to Bluesky (646 followers on X)
Bluesky: @vch-oxon.bsky.social
Bluesky: @vch-oxon.bsky.social
July 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Thanks for your kind words! (We couldn't possibly comment...! 😂)
The signature (bttm rt on his 1635 marriage settlement) of Peter Browne, heir to the Kiddington estate, who 10 yrs later was mortally wounded at Naseby - leaving his widow Mgt to oversee the estate while bringing up a young family. As Royalists and Catholics the family suffered doubly in the 1650s.
July 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The signature (bttm rt on his 1635 marriage settlement) of Peter Browne, heir to the Kiddington estate, who 10 yrs later was mortally wounded at Naseby - leaving his widow Mgt to oversee the estate while bringing up a young family. As Royalists and Catholics the family suffered doubly in the 1650s.
And thanks to all those who've followed, reposted, and liked over the past 24 hours ... what a civilized place this is! 😊
July 8, 2025 at 8:26 PM
And thanks to all those who've followed, reposted, and liked over the past 24 hours ... what a civilized place this is! 😊
On sale now! Discovering Churchill, a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring the rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill - Friday 10 Oct 6pm in the splendid surroundings of Ditchley Park!
July 8, 2025 at 8:04 PM
On sale now! Discovering Churchill, a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring the rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill - Friday 10 Oct 6pm in the splendid surroundings of Ditchley Park!
Hello Bluesky! Like many of you in recent months we're moving here from a different platform and need to rebuild our profile - so if you've any interest in @vchlondon.bsky.social and local history in its many guises, please follow us and repost!
July 7, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Hello Bluesky! Like many of you in recent months we're moving here from a different platform and need to rebuild our profile - so if you've any interest in @vchlondon.bsky.social and local history in its many guises, please follow us and repost!