Little Coxwell

Little Coxwell is situated about 2 miles south of Faringdon on the road to Fernham. It is on the opposite side of the A420 to Great Coxwell. The 2001 Census recorded the parish’s population as just 132. The village lies at the source of the River Ock, which drains into the Thames at Abingdon and is the river system that created the Vale of the White Horse. See the sister village, Great Coxwell for a possible derivation of the village name.

Little Coxwell 1920s
Early 1920s. Looking up from the old A420 link road towards the Eagle pub, which is just out of shot. The cottages were pulled down when Mr Jeffrey Berners bought the Grove estate to build modern houses for the workers.
Little Coxwell Hunt 1942
1942. A wartime meet of the Hunt. Jack Pickford, huntsman, leading the hounds down into the village. The main road is in the distance.

Little Coxwell ChurchLittle Coxwell Graveyard 2021Little Coxwell Church 2021

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Little Coxwell is linked to All Saints in Faringdon. The Church is a 12th Century Chapel of Ease, built by the Monks of Beaulieu Abbey. It contains a number of features of historical and architectural interest.

Little Coxwell Headmaster 1940s
1940s. Mr and Mrs P.J. Smith, a headmaster who was evacuated with his school from London to this area during WWII.
Little Coxwell Pupils 1947
A Little Coxwell School group in 1947. The class teacher is Miss Vera Knapp.
Little Coxwell
This might be looking towards the junction with Fernham Road. If so then there is a track to the church at the end of the row of thatched cottages, which are still there. If not then the houses have now been demolished.

Reference:

  1. Photos and text scanned directly from The Changing Faces of Faringdon and Surrounding Villages – Book 1 p105-106 by Rosemary Church, Jim Brown, Millie Bryan and Beryl Newman. Robert Boyd Publications 1999 – now out of print.