Idbury

Archaeology

About 1/3 mi west of the village is a hillfort, Idbury Camp. It was used in the Iron Age, Roman occupation and Saxon era, and possibly earlier. The village's toponym is derived from the Old English for "Ida's burh", further attesting to the fort's continued use in the Saxon era. The remains of its rampart are about 33 ft wide, up to 16 in high and enclose an area of about 9 acre. The fort is a scheduled monument.

Parish church

The Church of England parish church of St Nicholas was originally Norman, but little survives from this period except the ornate north doorway. Early in the 14th century the bell-turret, north aisle, south porch and south doorway were added, new windows were inserted in the chancel and the chancel arch was altered. The east window is Decorated Gothic. The bell tower was added shortly afterwards. Later a clerestory was added to the nave and other windows were added to the nave and north aisle, all of them Perpendicular Gothic. The church is a Grade I listed building.

The tower has three bells, two of which are medieval. The second and tenor bells were cast in about 1420 by an unknown bellfounder, and the treble was cast in 1749 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester. There is also a Sanctus bell that was cast in about 1320

Social history

Idbury had a Church of England school from 1845 until 1966. The building is now a private house. The engineer Sir Benjamin Baker, noted for his work on the Forth Bridge, London Victoria station and the first Aswan Dam, is buried in the churchyard.

''The Countryman''

J. W. Robertson Scott moved to Idbury Manor in 1922 and founded The Countryman magazine there in 1927. In 1924 the novelist Sylvia Townsend Warner rented a cottage in Idbury from Robertson Scott. In 1934 the Canadian poet Frank Prewett moved to Idbury where he briefly worked as assistant editor of The Countryman. In 1949 Robertson Scott retired and the magazine moved to Burford, Oxfordshire. Apart from a short period in a London office, the magazine remained at Burford until 2003, when publication moved to Broughton Hall, North Yorkshire.

Notable people

Idbury is the home of psychologist and psychotherapist Oliver James.

References

Sources

References

1. "Area: Idbury (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". [[Office for National Statistics]].
2. {{NHLE
3. {{NHLE
4. Davies, Peter. (22 December 2011). "Idbury S Nicholas". [[Central Council of Church Bell Ringers]].
5. Archbishops' Council. (2015). "Benefice of Shipton-under-Wychwood with Milton-under Wychwood, Fifield and Idbury". [[Church of England]].
6. "Idbury school". Idbury.
7. John William Robertson Scott (1866–1962); author of ''England's Green & Pleasant Land'' and other works
8. [http://www.countrymanmagazine.co.uk/ The Countryman Magazine]
9. "J. W. Robertson Scott and the Countryman Magazine". Idbury.
10. "Sylvia Townsend Warner in Idbury". Idbury.
11. "Frank Prewett in Idbury and Fifield". Idbury.
12. "Countryman profile". Countryman Publications Ltd.
13. "IDBURY ARTS FESTIVAL | idbury".
14. (12 September 2008). "New take on tackling dementia".