{{short description|Village in Wiltshire}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox UK place |official_name= Oaksey |static_image_name= The Street, Oaksey - geograph.org.uk - 1111543.jpg |static_image_caption= The Street, Oaksey |label_position= bottom |coordinates = {{coord|51.642|-2.014|type:city(500)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} |os_grid_reference= ST991937 |population= 530 |population_ref= (2011 census)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127185&c=SN16+9TN&d=16&e=62&g=6475649&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1426356680601&enc=1|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Parish population|access-date=14 March 2015|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170924/https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127185&c=SN16+9TN&d=16&e=62&g=6475649&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1426356680601&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> |civil_parish= Oaksey |unitary_england= Wiltshire |lieutenancy_england= Wiltshire |region=South West England |country= England |constituency_westminster= South Cotswolds |post_town= Malmesbury |postcode_district= SN16 |postcode_area= SN |dial_code= 01666 |website= {{URL|https://www.oakseyvillage.org/|Village}} }}
'''Oaksey''' is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the county boundary with Gloucestershire. The village is about {{convert|6|km|mi}} northeast of the market town of Malmesbury and a similar distance south south west of the Gloucestershire market town of Cirencester.
The Swill Brook forms part of the northern boundary of the parish.
==History== A settlement of 28 households at ''Wochesie'' was recorded in Domesday Book of 1086.<ref>{{OpenDomesday|ST9993|oaksey|Oaksey}}</ref> There was a church at Oaksey in the 12th century, and in 1377 there were 86 poll tax payers.<ref name="Crowley" />
Norwood Castle is an earthwork about {{convert|0.6|mi|km}} north of the village at Dean Farm. It may be the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.<ref name="Crowley">{{cite web|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 14 pp176–186: Parishes: Oaksey|author-first1=A.P.|author-last1=Baggs|author-first2=Jane|author-last2=Freeman|author-first3=Janet H|author-last3=Stevenson|editor-first=D.A.|editor-last=Crowley|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol14/pp176-186|website=British History Online|publisher=University of London|year=1991|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref>
An early manor house, near the church, was in ruins by 1593. Oaksey Park House, a three-storey manor house, was built in the early 17th century, possibly for Sir Henry Poole. It was demolished in 1956.<ref name="Crowley" />
==Parish church== <!-- Church of All Saints, Oaksey, redirects here --> thumb|All Saints Church, Oaksey The Grade I listed<ref>{{NHLE|num=1022262|desc=Church of All Saints, Oaksey|access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref> Church of England parish church of All Saints<ref>{{cite web|title=Church of All Saints, Oaksey|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1241|website=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref> existed by the first half of the 12th century, and the nave walls of the current building may date from that time.<ref name=Crowley/> In the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and the three-bay south aisle was added, along with the south porch.<ref name=Crowley/> The Decorated Gothic<ref name=Pevsner362>Pevsner & Cherry, 1975, page 362</ref> north porch was added in the first half of the 14th century.<ref name=Crowley/> The five-bay Perpendicular Gothic<ref name=Pevsner362/> clerestory was added in the first half of the 15th century.<ref name=Crowley/> Further Perpendicular Gothic additions were made early in the 16th century: the south aisle was extended to form the south chapel, new windows were inserted in the north wall of the nave, the third stage of the tower was added.<ref name=Crowley/>
A number of wall paintings were painted in the church either in the 15th century<ref name=Marshall>{{cite web |url=http://www.paintedchurch.org/oaksey.htm |title=Warning to Sabbath Breakers: Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡Bristol) C.15 |author=Marshall, Anne |work=Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church |publisher=Anne Marshall |access-date=15 June 2010}}</ref> or early in the 16th century.<ref name=Crowley/> Those that survive today include a painting of Saint Christopher with a mermaid,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paintedchurch.org/oakschr.htm |title=St.Christopher, Oaksey, Wiltshire (‡ Bristol) C.15 |author=Marshall, Anne |work=Mediaeval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church |publisher=Anne Marshall |access-date=15 June 2010}}</ref> one of Christ surrounded by instruments of torture as a warning to Sabbath breakers<ref name=Marshall/> and a badly damaged one of Saint Edmund.<ref name=Marshall/>
In 1553 the tower had three bells, one of which had been cast at Worcester.<ref name=Crowley/> In 1773 these were replaced by a ring of six new bells cast by Thomas Rudhall of Gloucester.<ref name=Crowley/> In 1960 the ring was recast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough.<ref name=Crowley/>
==Amenities== Oaksey has a pub, the Wheatsheaf Inn.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Wheatsheaf|url=http://www.wheatsheafoaksey.co.uk/|access-date=28 September 2019}}</ref> A corrugated iron village hall was built in Oaksey in the 1920s<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/7399820.prince-agrees-to-open-village-hall/ |title=Prince agrees to open village hall |date=18 August 2000 |access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> and a replacement was opened in 2000 by Prince Charles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oakseyvillage.org/village-hall/ |title=Oaksey Village Hall |access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref> Oaksey has primary school, a shop and Post Office, a cricket club, a football club which plays in the Cirencester and District League and a branch of the Women's Institute.
Oaksey Park Airfield (ICAO code EGTW) has two grass runways<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oaksey Park Airfield|url=http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/Airfields/oaksey.html|website=Light Aircraft Association|access-date=2019-09-28|archive-date=28 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928143828/http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/Airfields/oaksey.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and is operated by Austen Aviation Services.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Austen broadens services at Oaksey|url=https://www.businessairnews.com/mag_story.html?ident=12936|date=4 May 2017|website=Business Air News|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>
The Cotswold Water Park extends into the eastern part of the parish.
==Railway== The Golden Valley Line between Swindon and Cheltenham was built across the parish in 1841. Between 1929 and 1964 there was a small station (Oaksey Halt) adjacent to the bridge carrying the road to Somerford Keynes over the line. The nearest station still in operation is Kemble, about 3 miles (4.8 km) distance by road.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources and further reading== *{{cite book |title=Victoria County History: A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 14: Malmesbury hundred |last1=Baggs |first1=A. P. |last2=Freeman |first2=Jane |last3=Stevenson |first3=Janet H. |year=1991 |editor-last=Crowley |editor-first=D. A. |pages=176–186}} *{{cite book |author=Pevsner, Nikolaus |author-link=Nikolaus Pevsner |editor=Cherry, Bridget |title=The Buildings of England: Wiltshire |year=1975 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=Harmondsworth |isbn=0-14-0710-26-4 |pages=362–363}}
==External links== * [https://www.oakseyvillage.org/ Oaksey village website] *{{cite web|title=Oaksey|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/175|website=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=22 March 2015}} {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://www.oakseyvillagehall.co.uk/ Oaksey Village Hall website]
{{authority control}}
Category:Villages in Wiltshire Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire