Whats on in Woodford Halse

Few villages tell such an unusual story as Woodford Halse. It is two historical villages rolled into one (Woodford Halse itself and Hinton), while its decades as a railway town in miniature live on in memory. In recent years it has become a popular commuter community, with large housing estates built to serve this need. Its convenient location between the M1 and the M40 makes it attractive to those whose work involves travel.

The parish of Woodford-cum-Membris, with a population of about 3,600, comprises Woodford Halse, Hinton and the separate hamlet of West Farndon. Until the late 19th century, Woodford Halse was a typical agricultural village like those around such as Preston Capes and Eydon. Hinton, down the hill and across the infant River Cherwell, was probably always the smaller place. For example, in 1791 Woodford was said to have 61 houses and Hinton 35 (West Farndon 16). The parish as a whole had a population of 766 in 1821, which by 1891 had dropped to 527. And then came the railway...

The Great Central Railway was the brainchild of Sir Edward Watkin. He decided to create a brand-new main line into London from the North by linking two railways that he controlled as chairman: the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire and the Metropolitan (now part of London Underground).