Brize Norton

Around the time of Domesday Book in 1086 the village's toponym was Norton, being the north tun (Old English for village) of Bampton.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}} In 1235, the form Suthnorton ("South Norton") was recorded, evidently to distinguish it from other Nortons further north in Oxfordshire such as Chipping Norton.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}} By the 1260s, the form Norton Brun was in use, referring to the Brun or Brown family who were the parish's manorial lords.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}} Further variants included Brunesnorton in 1297, Brimes Norton in 1303 and Brynes Norton in 1376, but the Norton Brun form outlived them and was still in use early in the 17th century.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}} The form Brysenorton had appeared by 1523, and by the middle of the 17th century it had become the usual form of the name.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}} However, Norton Brun had evolved into Norton Broyne and remained in use in church records until early in the 19th century.{{sfn|Colvin|Cragoe|Ortenberg|Peberdy|2006|pp=205–218}}

The Church of England parish church of Saint Britius is Norman. The south doorway with its decorative tympanum, a doorway in the south wall of the chancel and the font date from this time.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=487}} The porch is in the Transitional style from Norman to Early English Gothic,{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=487}} suggesting it was added slightly later. Early in the 13th century, the north aisle was added, with a four-bay Early English Gothic arcade linking it with the nave.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=488}} In the second half of the 13th century, the bell tower was added at the west end of the north aisle, and the present east window three lancets was inserted in the chancel.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=488}} A chapel forms an eastward continuation of the north aisle.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=488}} Two of its windows are original 13th-century lancets; two square-headed windows were added in the 14th century and the east window of the chapel is modern.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=488}}

The Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street restored the building in 1868.{{sfn|Sherwood|Pevsner|1974|p=488}} The tower has a ring of six bells but they are now unusable.{{cite web |url= http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=Brize+Norton&numPerPage=10&Submit=Go&searchAmount=%3D&searchMetric=cwt&sortBy=Place&sortDir=Asc&DoveID=BRIZE+NORT |title=Brize Norton S Britius |last=Davies |first=Peter |date=12 December 2006 |work=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers |access-date=12 January 2011}} The tenor bell was cast by Edward Neale of Burford{{cite web |url= http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/founders.php |title=Bell Founders |author=Dovemaster |date=25 June 2010 |work=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers |access-date=12 January 2011}} in 1679. Three more were cast by Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1873. The two youngest bells were cast by John Warner and Sons of Cripplegate in London: one in 1881 and the present treble bell in 1884. St. Britius also has a service bell cast by Naylor, Vickers and Company of Sheffield in 1860. Brize Norton's former Primitive Methodist chapel,[http://www.oxfordshirechurches.info/BrizeNorton.htm Oxfordshire Churches & Chapels: Brize Norton] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112061525/http://www.oxfordshirechurches.info/BrizeNorton.htm |date=12 November 2009 }} built in 1908, is now a private house.

In 1861, the East Gloucestershire Railway was built through the parish from {{rws|Witney}} to {{rws|Fairford}}. The company provided a railway station {{convert|1|mi}} south of the village on the road to Bampton, and called it Bampton station despite it being much nearer Brize Norton than Bampton. RAF Brize Norton was established in 1937. In 1944, the Great Western Railway renamed the station {{rws|Brize Norton and Bampton}} to reflect the increasing importance of the RAF station. British Railways closed the line and station in 1962. The site of the station is now a small industrial estate.

Brize Norton has two public houses: The Chequers and The Masons Arms. Brize Norton has a women's Football Club[http://www.brizenortonladiesfc.co.uk/ Brize Norton Ladies Football Club]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and a Women's Institute.[http://www.oxfordshirechurches.info/BrizeNorton.htm Oxfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112061525/http://www.oxfordshirechurches.info/BrizeNorton.htm |date=12 November 2009 }} Brize Norton has a village recreational ground, with football and cricket ground surrounded by the Elderbank Village Hall and Sports Pavilion. The Sports Pavilion opens as Humble Bumble Cafe - a unique community facility for this Domesday Book listed village, as well as an 'after match' sports bar. Brize Norton has a primary school which serves children both from the village and from nearby Carterton.{{Cite web |url=http://brizeprimary.org/ |title=Brize Norton Primary School |access-date=15 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117042851/http://www.brizeprimary.org/ |archive-date=17 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}

File:Brize Norton pub.jpg

AW Ship Management arranged for civilians to board RAF flights to and from Brize Norton to RAF Ascension Island. The company had a package deal where passengers could travel in one direction on the RAF flights and the other on the RMS St Helena, which travelled between Saint Helena and Cape Town, South Africa until the opening of St Helena Airport to passenger flights.{{cite web|url=https://rms-st-helena.com/manage/wp-content/uploads/RMS_St-Helena_Main_Brochure_MAR2015_web.pdf|title=RMS St Helena Brochure|publisher=AW Ship Management|page=18|access-date=2020-01-06|archive-date=13 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113105249/http://rms-st-helena.com/manage/wp-content/uploads/RMS_St-Helena_Main_Brochure_MAR2015_web.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://rms-st-helena.com/raf-flights/|title=RAF Flights Fly with the RAF and meet the RMS en route|publisher=AW Ship Management|access-date=2020-01-06|archive-date=26 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226091228/http://rms-st-helena.com/raf-flights/|url-status=dead}}

{{Weather box

| single line = yes

| metric first = yes

| width = auto

| location = Brize Norton ({{convert|97|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or|0}} asl, averages 1991–2020)

| source = Met Office{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/location-specific-long-term-averages/gcnyknk2h |title=Brize Norton (Oxfordshire) climate information |publisher=Met Office |access-date=8 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208194456/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/location-specific-long-term-averages/gcnyknk2h |archive-date=8 December 2024}}

| Jan high C = 7.68

| Feb high C = 8.28

| Mar high C = 10.86

| Apr high C = 13.93

| May high C = 17.11

| Jun high C = 20.09

| Jul high C = 22.46

| Aug high C = 21.92

| Sep high C = 19.04

| Oct high C = 14.79

| Nov high C = 10.62

| Dec high C = 7.98

| year high C = 14.6

| Jan low C = 1.7

| Feb low C = 1.64

| Mar low C = 3.02

| Apr low C = 4.77

| May low C = 7.62

| Jun low C = 10.53

| Jul low C = 12.56

| Aug low C = 12.51

| Sep low C = 10.29

| Oct low C = 7.54

| Nov low C = 4.17

| Dec low C = 1.99

| year low C = 6.56

| Jan rain mm = 66.23

| Feb rain mm = 48.13

| Mar rain mm = 46.42

| Apr rain mm = 49.18

| May rain mm = 60.12

| Jun rain mm = 49.8

| Jul rain mm = 55.09

| Aug rain mm = 58.62

| Sep rain mm = 54.21

| Oct rain mm = 70.86

| Nov rain mm = 73.17

| Dec rain mm = 74.21

| year rain mm = 706.04

| unit rain days = 1 mm

| Jan rain days = 12.33

| Feb rain days = 9.63

| Mar rain days = 9.33

| Apr rain days = 9.9

| May rain days = 9.53

| Jun rain days = 8.7

| Jul rain days = 8.37

| Aug rain days = 10.1

| Sep rain days = 8.93

| Oct rain days = 11.43

| Nov rain days = 12.8

| Dec rain days = 12.33

| year rain days = 123.38

| Jan sun = 62.62

| Feb sun = 81.32

| Mar sun = 123.15

| Apr sun = 171.88

| May sun = 206.09

| Jun sun = 209.36

| Jul sun = 214.73

| Aug sun = 193.44

| Sep sun = 151.5

| Oct sun = 111.63

| Nov sun = 70.78

| Dec sun = 55.51

| year sun = 1652.01

}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |editor-last1=Townley |editor-first1=Simon C. |last1=Colvin |first1=Christina |last2=Cragoe |first2=Carol |last3=Ortenberg |first3=Veronica |last4=Peberdy |first4=R.B. |last5=Selwyn |first5=Nesta |last6=Williamson |first6=Elizabeth |series=Victoria County History |title=A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 15: Bampton Hundred (Part Three) |year=2006 |pages=205–246 }}
• {{Cite book |last1=Sherwood |first1=Jennifer |last2=Pevsner |first2=Nikolaus |author-link2=Nikolaus Pevsner |series=The Buildings of England |title=Oxfordshire |year=1974 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=Harmondsworth |isbn=0-14-071045-0 |pages=487–488 }}

{{Commons category|Brize Norton}}

• [http://www.brizenortonparishcouncil.co.uk/ Brize Norton website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080511204853/http://www.brizenortonfc.co.uk/ Brize Norton FC Website]
• {{CCEd |type=location |id=1510 |name=Parish (Church): Brize Norton |accessed=5 February 2014 }}

{{West Oxfordshire}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Villages in Oxfordshire

Category:Civil parishes in Oxfordshire

Category:Carterton, Oxfordshire