Drayton, Vale of White Horse

Drayton is a village and

The earliest known forms of Drayton's toponym are the Old English Drægtune and Draigtun from the 10th century. It evolved through Draitune in the 10th and 11th centuries, Draitun from the 11th to the 13th century and Drettun in the 12th century. The current spelling of the name has been used since the 13th century.^[6]

Manor

In 955 King Eadred granted 10 hides of land at Drayton to a thegn called Eadwold. Eadred's successors confirmed the grant. Eadwold left the estate to Abingdon Abbey but King Æthelred II, who was crowned in 978, seems to have held the manor, as in 983 he granted three hides of it to his butler, Wulfgar. In 1000 Æthelred granted the same three hides plus a watermill at Drayton to Abingdon Abbey. In the 11th century the land seems to have been divided into two manors: West and East Drayton.^[6] The oldest parts of Drayton's current Manor House are 15th century. A wing was added in the 18th century and the front is early 20th century. The house is a Grade II* listed building.^[7]

Churches

Church of England

The oldest parts of the

A Baptist chapel was built in 1834 and is now Drayton Baptist Church.^[6] A Wesleyan chapel was built in 1870^[6] but is no longer used for worship.^[11]

Economic and social history

Drayton had a watermill by 1000, when Wulfgar granted it in fee to

Since 2000 Drayton has been twinned with Lesparre-Médoc, a commune in the French département of Gironde.^[21]

Gallery

• 
  Drayton Manor House. The wing on the left is 18th century. The range on the right is 15th century, behind an early 20th century front.
• 
  Drayton Baptist Church
• 
  69 High Street, a thatched 15th century cruck cottage
• 
  Ruined chamber of Drayton Lock on the abandoned Wilts & Berks Canal
• 
  Red Lion
• 
  Wheatsheaf
• 
  Church Lane in spring, with Aubrieta and Forsythia in bloom
• 
  44 High Street, a timber-framed 17th century farmhouse^[22]

References

Sources

• Dalby, L.J. (2000) [1971]. The Wilts and Berks Canal (3rd ed.). Usk: Oakwood Press.
  ISBN 0-85361-562-4
  .
• Fletcher, John (1968). "Crucks In the West Berkshire and Oxford Region" (PDF).
  Oxoniensia. XXXIII. Oxford Architectural and Historical Society
  : 86.
• Hinton, David A (1970). "Two Late Saxon Swords" (PDF). Oxoniensia. XXXV. Oxford Architectural and Historical Society: 1–5.
• Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1924). A History of the County of Berkshire. Victoria County History
  . Vol. 4. assisted by John Hautenville Cope. London: The St Katherine Press. pp. 341–344.
• Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). Berkshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 130.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Drayton, Vale of White Horse.

• Drayton Village