Bladon village
in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds
Bladon a Cotswolds village in Oxfordshire where Winston Churchill is buried. Here you will find information for the history of Bladon, village attractions, the pubs, hotels and restaurants of Bladon, shops, local services, public transport and what's on.
Transport
Long Hanborough
London Heathrow
M40
Map
Bladon Village
Bladon in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds is situated about 8 miles from Oxford, just south of the world heritage site of Blenheim Palace and
the Cotswolds town of Woodstock, lying close to one of the Cotswolds prettiest rivers, the River Evenlode.
The first written evidence of Bladon was recorded in 1086, but there is
archaeological evidence of much earlier
occupation in the area. There is an Iron Age settlement known as Round Castle located at Bladon Heath and a Roman villa
and farms in the immediate vicinity dating between the 1st and 4th centuries.
Bladon was a small Cotswolds estate village until after the second world war when the village began to attract commuters from Oxford
and London creating an explosion of growth in the population. Modern housing and estates were built during the period from
1950 up to the mid 1980's with a mixture of private and local authority housing being developed.
Many of the older houses in the village date from as early as the 15th century to the 18th and 19th centuries and tend to
be built of a rough looking rubble with slate roofs, and not the familiar honey-coloured stone of the Cotswolds.
The church of St Martins is built on the site of an earlier building which was demolished in the early years of the
1800's. The present church was built in 1804 and like many Cotswolds churches was heavily modernised by the Victorians in 1891 to the designs of Sir
Arthur Blomfield who left the church rather plain.
Winston Churchill
Bladon is a place of pilgrimage. It was January 1965 that the greatest Prime Minister in British history came back to the Cotswolds to be buried. Sir Winston Churchill was laid to rest, next to his parents and other members of the Spencer-Churchill families. in the small cemetery at St Martins.The village is located in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds between Witney and Woodstock.
Old Photographs
All images are reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection. All photographs can be purchased by clicking on the image
More old photographs of Bladon can be seen at the here.
Getting Here
The Cotswolds village of Bladon is off the A4095 between Witney and Woodstock.
The nearest rail station is at Long Hanborough on the Cotswolds line with services operated by First Great Western. Book your rail tickets here.
Bus services connecting Bladon are:
- 8 Bladon - Oxford RH Transport Service's
- 42 Witney - Woodstock Stagecoach Oxford
- 49 Brimfield - Oxford Heyfordian Travel
- 203 Bladon - Kidlington RH Transport Service's
- 242 Woodstock - Hanborough RH Transport Service's
Parking
If you wish to visit the Bladon or Sir Winston Churchill's grave, please do park with consideration.
Local Amenities
Pubs and Inns
- White House Inn