THE VILLAGE OF BLEWBURY - in 1978

From “This is no ordinary village” BBC 1978.

Blewbury lies at the foot of the Berkshire Downs, halfway between Oxford and Reading. Unless visitors leave the main road they will not see the real Blewbury, most of which lies off the London Road which skirts it to the south. This is a unique village of footpaths winding between ancient thatched walls, of streams fed by springs of water from the Downs, and of picturesque old timber-framed houses. Blewbury — already described as ‘venerable’ in AD 944 — needs to be visited on foot. Most parts of the village are accessible by car but there are no street names and many of the internal roads bear the sign ‘No through road’.

St. Michael’s Church, originally Norman, stands among trees in the centre of the village. On the Downs to the south lies Churn Knob where traditionally St. Birinus, who founded Dorchester Abbey 13 centuries ago, preached the gospel to the people of Blewbury. A mile to the east of the village are the grass-covered ramparts of Blewburton Hills Iron Age camp and through the southern extremity of the parish runs the ancient track of the Ridgeway, possibly the oldest road in Europe.

In 1871, at about the time our photographic record begins, the population was 659. At that time Blewbury was a largely agricultural community and the census return for that year shows that there were 16 farmers, 121 agricultural labourers, 12 shepherds, 2 millers, 4 blacksmiths, 7 carpenters, 3 wheelwrights, 2 cordwainers, a harness maker, 4 boot and shoemakers, 3 bootbinders, 5 publicans, 2 grooms as well as many grocers, drapers and other shopkeepers, 2 basket makers, a chairmaker, a maltster, 2 needleworkers, a watercress grower, a glazier and two schoolteachers. Now, in 1979 the spectrum of occupations is very different and the population has grown to about 1400. There are more schoolteachers, who teach in Blewbury and the surrounding towns and villages. The nearby Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell has provided an influx of new residents, and work for some of the older ones. In the latter part of the 19th century Blewbury was ‘discovered’ by the painters and writers. It was, and still is, a good place for them to practise their art: close enough to the main railway line at Didcot for London yet providing the right surroundings for their work. Blewbury still has its agricultural community although requiring many fewer workers because of the introduction of mechanisation The horse racing community is also well represented and, 40 years ago, Blewbury was the home of Steve Donoghue. The racing stables are still thriving.

In spite of the high proportion of people who earn their living elsewhere, Blewbury is no dormitory village, and to those who live there, it is a very special place. The community spirit is as strong as ever.

Every two years Blewbury holds a village Festival with various cultural and sporting activities which involve most of the villagers. Other ‘traditional’ activities are the Mummers on Christmas Eve, a Boxing Day Walk around the village pubs and, more seriously, a Service on Churn Knob each winter to celebrate the coming of Christianity. Each year the Blewbury Players stage a Shakespearean or other play in the garden of one of the houses and the church, too, is often the setting for operas and other dramatic performances. On the lighter side, Victorian Music Halls are also performed from time to time by the villagers.