Sandford St. Martin

Sandford St. Martin
240px St. Martin's parish church
Sandford St. Martin  Sandford St. Martin shown within Oxfordshire
Population	210 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SP4226
Civil parish	Sandford St. Martin
District	West Oxfordshire
Shire county	Oxfordshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Chipping Norton
Postcode district	OX7
Dialling code	01608
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Oxfordshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Banbury
List of places UK England Oxfordshire

Sandford St. Martin is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of Chipping Norton and about 9 miles (14 km) south of Banbury. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 209.

History and Geography

The village was called Sandford until about 1884, when the suffix "St. Martin" was added to distinguish it from Sandford-on-Thames elsewhere in Oxfordshire and Dry Sandford in what was then the neighbouring part of Berkshire. The village is centred on a former ford on Tyte brook, a tributary of the River Dorn.

It is a long, narrow parish, covering 2,292 a. (977 ha.) and containing two villages, Sandford St. Martin and Ledwell. Grove Ash, the northern end of the parish, contained a third village in the Middle Ages and for much of its history has been a separate township. The parish boundaries for the most part follow field boundaries, although the road from Deddington to Chipping Norton forms part of the short northern boundary, parts of the eastern boundary follow small streams, and part of the southern boundary follows the line of an old road from Great Tew to Wootton.

In the centre of the village is a small triangular green, on which is a medieval cross base and shaft which was restored and given a new head in 1856.

Nearby is Sandford Park, the most prominent house in the village. Sandford Park is an early 18th-century house to which additions were made on the west side later in the century. A north wing, added in the early 20th century, was demolished in 1954. Beside the River Dorn, but hidden from the village street by trees and by a steep fall in the ground, is Sandford Manor House. The manor house also dates from the 18th century.

Parish Church

The parish church, St Martin's, has 13th century features and a Perpendicular tower with battlements. The church contains a rare painting of the arms of Elizabeth I dating from 1602, prior to the unification of England and Scotland. It appears to have been overlooked by those destroying church paintings because of its semi-hidden position on the east side of the chancel arch.

The parish is part of the Dorn and Ridge Benefice, which was formed in March 2015 by the amalgamation of the benefice of Over Worton and Nether Worton with that of Westcote Barton, Steeple Barton, Duns Tew and Sandford St Martin.

People connected with Sandford St Martin

• Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine KB and Countess of Deloraine buried at Sandford St Martin Church.

Commanded a Regiment of Foot 1707; Brig General 1710; Capt, 2nd Troop of Horse Guards 1715–17; Col, 16th Regiment of Foot 1724–30; Maj General 1727; Col, 6th Dragoon Guards 1730; a Representative Peer for Scotland 1715–30; a Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales 1718–27 ; Knight of the Bath 1725; Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George I 1727–30

• Second surviving son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth (the illegitimate son of Charles II and Lucy Walter)