My Oxton

St Peter and St Paul Church. Built mainly of Mansfield stone during the 11th century, the church has gone through several phases of architectural change. Excavations of the foundations have dated the earliest phase of the church to the Saxon period, with the chancel and nave being added during the Norman period of the 12th century. The last major work to be undertaken within the church was the adding of two new bells in 1986, bringing the total to six.

Village Hall. More than 80 years ago a temporary hall was erected by public subscription on ground purchased by the Parish Council. The current Village Hall was opened in 1964 after 5 years of fund raising, to be used “for the inhabitants of Oxton and the neighbourhood.. without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions and in particular for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants”.

Oxton Cricket Club. Oxton’s Cricket Club may have originally begun as early as the 1850s, although there is only any real evidence that cricket was being played here from the 1870s onwards. Wilfred Flowers, a member of the Nottinghamshire Eleven who played the first Australian team to tour England in 1878, used to bring a professional team to Oxton each July during the 1930s.

The Old Forge. The old forge and workshop that is situated in the centre of the village has been a working blacksmiths since the late 1870s. Both the workshop buildings and the pump are listed.

Wesley Cottage (The Old Chapel). Wesley Cottage was the first Weslyan chapel to be built in the village in 1790 and still stands on Chapel Lane. The building was converted into farm cottages when a new chapel was built in 1839.

Old Ox Camp. Situated about 1.5 miles north east of Oxton village is Old Ox, one of Nottinghamshire’s great remaining examples of ancient earthworks believed to date from the Iron Age. Old Ox camp extends over approximately 4 acres and is mostly surrounded by a double bank and single ditch, except for its eastern side which has a triple ditch and double ditch.

Robin Hood Hill. The large mound situated north of Old Ox is known locally as Robin Hood Hill. The barrow has never been fully excavated, but evidence from other barrows within the vicinity suggests that this barrow may have been a burial mound.

Chapel House. Chapel House was built as a Methodist chapel in 1839 at a cost of £562, with the porch being added later in 1889.

Memorial Hall. Many village activities were based in the Memorial Hall, which was built for the Chapel in 1933.

Quaker Grave. Tucked away in the corner of the old wood yard on Blind Lane is a large table tomb. The grave is an oddity in itself, simply because it stands alone in an unusual location within the village but it is also a curiosity because it belongs to a Sherbrooke, most of whom have their resting place in a vault under the village church. Rober Sherbrooke died in 1710 and was buried in the Quaker graveyard, which later became the woodyard of the estate. The grave is on private land but can be seen from the entrance to the Clock and Coach houses on Blind Lane.

One Hundred Acre Field. During the 19th century, it was considered a patriotic tribute to plant up land with trees to represent battle formations. One Hundred Acre Field was planted for that precise reason and the blocks of trees that can be clearly seen from Southwell Road are believed to represent the positioning of the English and french units during the 1815 Battle of waterloo.