Goring-on-Thames
Goring-on-Thames | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | READING | |
Postcode district | RG8 | |
Dialling code | 01491 | |
Police | Thames Valley | |
Fire | Oxfordshire | |
Ambulance | South Central | |
UK Parliament | ||
Website | Goring Parish Council | |
Goring-on-Thames (or Goring) is a village and
Most land is farmland, with woodland on the Goring Gap outcrop of the Chiltern Hills. Its riverside plain encloses the residential area, including a high street with shops, pubs and restaurants. Goring & Streatley railway station lies on the Great Western Main Line, providing trains between London and Oxford.
The village church is dedicated to St Thomas Becket with a nave that was built within 50 years of the saint's death, in the early 13th century, along with a later bell tower. Goring faces the smaller Streatley across the Thames; the two are linked by Goring and Streatley Bridge.
Geography
Goring is on the left bank of the
Transport
The
The local bus service between Goring and Wallingford is run by a Goring-based community interest company, Going Forward Buses, which was established in December 2016.[4]
Early history
The name Goring first appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Garinges, then as Garingies in a charter once held in the British Museum. It translates as "Gara's people".[5]
Religious sites
The
The Anglican Churches of Goring, Streatley and South Stoke form a united
Goring Free Church belongs to the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. The congregation was founded in 1788 and its first chapel built in 1793.[12] At its centenary in 1893, a new church building was added[9] and the original chapel converted into a church hall.[12] It holds two Sunday services.[13]
The
Amenities
Goring United
Goring-on-Thames' Decorative and Fine Arts Society, founded in 1987, belongs to the
Awards
Oxfordshire Village of the Year 2009
On 10 July 2009, Goring was named
Calor success
Goring-on-Thames was the winner in the Sustainability and Communications category and the Overall Regional Winner of the 2011 Calor Village of the Year regional heat for South England.[24]
Britain in Bloom
Goring was a finalist in the small towns category of the Britain in Bloom contest in 2019.[citation needed]
Notable residents
In the summer of 1893, Oscar Wilde stayed at Ferry House in Goring with Lord Alfred Douglas. While there, Wilde began writing his play An Ideal Husband, which includes a main character named Lord Goring.
An enlarged Ferry Cottage became the retirement home of Sir Arthur Harris, wartime leader of RAF Bomber Command, from 1953 until his death in 1984.[25] He was buried in Burntwood Cemetery in Goring.[26]
In order of birth:
- Sir John Soane (1753–1837), architect, was born in Goring.
- Thomas Rome (1838–1916), Australian politician, died in Goring.
- Digby Willoughby (1845–1901), military mercenary, died in Goring.
- Aubrey Strahan (1852–1928), geologist, retired to Goring.
- Noel Denholm Davis (1876–1950), portrait painter, died in Goring.
- Thomas Miller (1883–1962), first-class cricketer, died in Goring.
- C. H. Dodd (1884–1973), theologian who directed the translation of the New English Bible, died in Goring.
- Henry Harwood (1888–1950), World War II admiral
- Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet(1892–1984), World War II RAF air marshal
- William Allmond Codrington Goode (1907–1986), first head of stateof Singapore, died in Goring.
- Ken Walker (1922–1989), first-class cricketer, died in Goring.
- Anton Rogers(1933–2007), actor
- Sir John Thomson (1941–1994), RAF Air Chief Marshal
- Jon Lord (1941–2012), composer, pianist and rock/classical pioneer, lived in Goring in later life.
- Pete Townshend (born 1945), musician (the Who)
- Pete de Freitas (1961-1989), musician (Echo & the Bunnymen), ashes buried in Goring.[27]
- George Michael (1963–2016), musician, vocalist and producer.[28] Michael lived at Mill Cottage close to the river in his later years. He was found dead there at the age of 53 in the early hours of 25 December 2016.[29]
Freedom of the parish
The privilege of Freedom of the Parish of Goring on Thames has been awarded to:
- Stephanie Bridle, 16 October 2017, for work as a parish councillor[30]
- Janet Hurst: 12 April 2020, for work on the Britain in Bloom competition and Goring Gap Local History Society[31]
Nearby places
Twin towns
- Bellême France since 1979
- Stühlingen Germany
References
- ^ Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005
- ^ City Population. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Train Times". Great Western Railway. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Stops in Goring". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p. 201.
- ^ a b c Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, p. 614.
- ^ The Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers, Reading Branch: Goring-on-Thames Archived 6 September 2012 at archive.today
- ^ Christopher Winn: I Never Knew That about the Thames (London: Ebury Press, 2010), p. 77.
- ^ a b c d Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, p. 615.
- ^ Services. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Page, 1907, pp. 103–104.
- ^ a b "Goring Free Church: Our History".
- ^ Service times. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Our Lady & St John in Goring-on-Thames and of Christ the King in Woodcote". ourladyandstjohngoring.org.uk.
- ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1059528)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 November 2014. Flint House – Grade II listing.
- ^ "Goring United Football Club: Saturday 1st team – Division 1". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ^ "GardinersWorld: Our History". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009.
- ^ "Berkshire Cricket League Resources and Information". www.berkshirecricketleague.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
- ^ "Goring Tennis Club". Goring Tennis Club.
- ^ Goring on Thames Decorative and Fine Arts Society
- ^ "Oxfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes". Archived from the original on 7 September 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ^ "Goring named Village of the Year". 10 July 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Goring & Streatley Sustainability Group.
- ^ Goring on Thames Celebrates Regional Success. Village wins through for South England in national competition Archived 3 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Christopher Winn: I Never Knew..., p. 78.
- ^ "Grave Sir Arthur Harris - Goring - TracesOfWar.com". www.tracesofwar.com.
- ISBN 9781453522677.
- ^ Wadey, Toby (25 December 2017). "George Michael's Goring neighbours share memories one year on". BBC News Oxford. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Ex-Wham singer George Michael dies". BBC News. 25 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Freedom of village given to award-winning bloom chief". Henley Standard.
- ^ "Woman awarded freedom of village for contribution". Henley Standard.
Sources
- Page, William, ed. (1907). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 2. pp. 103–104.
- Sherwood, Jennifer; ISBN 0-14-071045-0.