Whispers of a bygone era linger here at Woodeaton Folly. It isn’t a folly in the traditional sense a whimsical ruin. Woodeaton Manor was once a grand house. Its story begins long before its current state. Roman pagans and later Christians used a shrine on this very land. A small square temple stood here in the first century AD. It was replaced by a larger temple with impressive stonework and plaster. Bronze artifacts unearthed here now reside in the Ashmolean Museum. This land held significance for centuries.
The name Woodeaton itself evolved. It was Eatun in Old English. By the 12th century it became Woodeaton likely to distinguish it from nearby Water Eaton. The Domesday Book notes that in 1086 a Norman nobleman owned the manor. For centuries the manor changed hands. Eynsham Abbey held part of it. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538 it was bought and sold multiple times. Richard Taverner the translator of Taverner’s Bible purchased the manor in 1544. He retired here building a manor house in the 1550s. He is buried in the Holy Rood churchyard.
The Taverner family held the manor until 1604. The Nourse family acquired it between 1623 and 1625. John Nourse the last of his male line died in 1774. He left the manor to his daughter Elizabeth Weyland. In 1775 Weyland demolished the old house. The present Woodeaton Manor replaced it. Sir John Soane a renowned architect enhanced the interior in 1791. He added impressive features. These included marble chimneypieces an Ionic porch and an ornate hall. The Weyland family retained the manor until 1912. Captain Mark Weyland sold the house and land that year. Christ Church Oxford now owns most of the land. Since 1950 Woodeaton Manor has been a school for children with special needs. This is a fascinating legacy of Woodeaton’s past.
The nearby Holy Rood church has its own rich history. An 11th-century Saxon church stood here. It was destroyed by fire around 1080. The current church is Norman in origin. It dates from between 1070 and 1120. Over the centuries it was added to and rebuilt. The tower is unique. It’s built on columns inside the nave. The ground slopes down. This made conventional tower construction impossible. The church holds treasures. Remnants of a 14th-century crucifixion scene were uncovered during restoration. 15th-century carved bench ends and a wooden screen remain in the church. Woodeaton’s history is rich and complex a testament to the layers of time.
The village itself is small. It has no shop or pub. Woodeaton Wood lies nearby. A balloonist James Sadler landed here in 1784. He had just made the first English balloon flight from Christ Church Meadow. The site of Woodeaton Folly continues to speak of its past. It’s a place where history echoes through the centuries. This small village holds a remarkable story. The land’s past whispers to us today.