TETSWORTH PAST & PRESENT
A Brief History The name Tetsworth has Anglo Saxon origins. It is believed to be made up of a person's name, 'Taetel', and the common Anglo Saxon place name ending 'worth' meaning enclosure. It certainly existed as a settled community at the time of the Domesday Book, although it was not mentioned in it.
Tetsworth’s position at the crossroads of the main London-Oxford route and a north-south roadway from Thame to Wallingford was recognised in the earliest known printing of a map of England in 1382. Until the late 16th century, the land comprising Tetsworth was controlled by either the church or crown in turn.
Tetsworth's early association with important roads was emphasised by the act of Richard Quartermain in setting up the Guild of St Christopher at Thame in 1447 and by the existence of the Swan Inn in the village from as early as 1482. Both royalist and parliamentary troops transited the village during the Civil War and the creation of the London-Oxford turnpike in 1718 cemented Tetsworth’s position as a well-used coaching stage.
The village’s growth and prosperity has always been heavily dependent on agricultural employment. As a result, there was a great deal of poverty in the early 19th century, but comparative wealth and population growth to more than 500 by 1851. In part due to the spread of railways elsewhere and fewer agricultural or other local employment opportunities, the 1931 census recorded fewer than 300 Tetsworth residents and only about 100 households.
The benevolence and foresight of John W Peers, the vicar of Tetsworth from 1841 – 1876, saw the building of the current St Giles church, the establishment of a village school and laying of the network of cobble village footpaths. His legacy is still with us today.
Tetsworth Today At the 2011 census (data available here), Tetsworth had a population of just under 700 people, nearly a quarter of whom were under 20 years old, with another quarter older than 60. Compared with the rest of the district, this age profile reveals a lower proportion of younger residents, but the older quartile is broadly in line with the wider community. The village supports 278 households, over three-quarters of which live in privately owned properties with or without a mortgage, while the remainder rely on the social or private rental sector.
Nearly half of the local housing stock is detached houses or bungalows, approximately a third is semi-detached dwellings with the remainder split between terraced homes and flats/apartments – although the latter category has recently been reduced as a result of the demolition of the Sunnymede sheltered apartments. Approximately 6% of houses were unoccupied at the time of the census probably reflecting the level of turnover in the local property market. Once established in Tetsworth, families tend to stay here for a long time.
Above average car ownership, at 2 cars per household, is a reflection of the paucity of public transport services and local employment opportunities – together with ready access to a well-developed road network connecting with more active centres of business and employment. Local unemployment has remained low, but the proportion of self-employed residents amongst the economically active is much higher than district and national levels.
Significant local business ventures include the Zioxi educational furniture plant, the Swan antiques centre and a number of neighbouring equestrian and agricultural enterprises. A proportion of residents also operate a range of home-based domestic and professional service businesses. However, most of those in employment commute out of the village to work.
Tetsworth no longer enjoys the services of a village post office or a broad range of retail outlets, but continues to support those pillars of a village community – its church, primary school, village hall, sports on the village green, and village pub and restaurant.
A Brief History The name Tetsworth has Anglo Saxon origins. It is believed to be made up of a person's name, 'Taetel', and the common Anglo Saxon place name ending 'worth' meaning enclosure. It certainly existed as a settled community at the time of the Domesday Book, although it was not mentioned in it.
Tetsworth’s position at the crossroads of the main London-Oxford route and a north-south roadway from Thame to Wallingford was recognised in the earliest known printing of a map of England in 1382. Until the late 16th century, the land comprising Tetsworth was controlled by either the church or crown in turn.
Tetsworth's early association with important roads was emphasised by the act of Richard Quartermain in setting up the Guild of St Christopher at Thame in 1447 and by the existence of the Swan Inn in the village from as early as 1482. Both royalist and parliamentary troops transited the village during the Civil War and the creation of the London-Oxford turnpike in 1718 cemented Tetsworth’s position as a well-used coaching stage.
The village’s growth and prosperity has always been heavily dependent on agricultural employment. As a result, there was a great deal of poverty in the early 19th century, but comparative wealth and population growth to more than 500 by 1851. In part due to the spread of railways elsewhere and fewer agricultural or other local employment opportunities, the 1931 census recorded fewer than 300 Tetsworth residents and only about 100 households.
The benevolence and foresight of John W Peers, the vicar of Tetsworth from 1841 – 1876, saw the building of the current St Giles church, the establishment of a village school and laying of the network of cobble village footpaths. His legacy is still with us today.
Tetsworth Today At the 2011 census (data available here), Tetsworth had a population of just under 700 people, nearly a quarter of whom were under 20 years old, with another quarter older than 60. Compared with the rest of the district, this age profile reveals a lower proportion of younger residents, but the older quartile is broadly in line with the wider community. The village supports 278 households, over three-quarters of which live in privately owned properties with or without a mortgage, while the remainder rely on the social or private rental sector.
Nearly half of the local housing stock is detached houses or bungalows, approximately a third is semi-detached dwellings with the remainder split between terraced homes and flats/apartments – although the latter category has recently been reduced as a result of the demolition of the Sunnymede sheltered apartments. Approximately 6% of houses were unoccupied at the time of the census probably reflecting the level of turnover in the local property market. Once established in Tetsworth, families tend to stay here for a long time.
Above average car ownership, at 2 cars per household, is a reflection of the paucity of public transport services and local employment opportunities – together with ready access to a well-developed road network connecting with more active centres of business and employment. Local unemployment has remained low, but the proportion of self-employed residents amongst the economically active is much higher than district and national levels.
Significant local business ventures include the Zioxi educational furniture plant, the Swan antiques centre and a number of neighbouring equestrian and agricultural enterprises. A proportion of residents also operate a range of home-based domestic and professional service businesses. However, most of those in employment commute out of the village to work.
Tetsworth no longer enjoys the services of a village post office or a broad range of retail outlets, but continues to support those pillars of a village community – its church, primary school, village hall, sports on the village green, and village pub and restaurant.