About Longworth

Longworth Parish and Village History

Longworth is a rural village and parish with a community population of around 570 people. The parish is located approximately seven miles west of Abingdon, a similar distance east of Faringdon, and just south of Witney. Surrounded by open countryside, Longworth retains a strong rural character and a close-knit community. Historically, the village formed part of the county of Berkshire, but in 1974 it became part of the Vale of White Horse district within Oxfordshire. The parish boundaries have evolved over time, with the most recent change occurring in July 2008 when the southern boundary was extended to meet the A420. Today, Longworth remains a peaceful rural parish with a rich local history and strong community identity.

History of Longworth

In Saxon times a charter outlined the boundaries of Longworth (the long homestead). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows Longworth belonging to Abingdon Abbey. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 the village ownership was gifted to the Lords of the Manor of Longworth and then was purchased by Henry Marten in 1618.

The Marten family were active in the civil war, calling for the deposition of King Charles and  Henry Marten the younger was imprisoned in the Tower of London. All his Longworth property was forfeited.

The industrial revolution had its impact on Longworth despite the village remaining rural and agricultural. In the days when the cost of moving bulky goods such as coal, corn, timber or stone was very expensive, settlements near the
Thames took advantage of cheap water transport provided by barges. In particular coal barges would arrive at a landing stage at the back of Harrowdown Hill where the coal would be transported up Tucks Lane by horse and cart and
then on to the neighbouring settlements.

From the mid-19th century, Longworth was known for its rose growing with the arrival of a group of nurserymen families of which the best known were the Prince and Drew family. It was said that one could smell the rose fields of Longworth long before the village was seen. Visit Longworth and District History Society