Witney History
From Witney Website - Maintained by the people of Witney
Witney was first recorded in AD 969. There is evidence of both Iron Age and Roman settlements in the area.
The name 'Witney' was probably derived from 'The Witan' which was the name of the Saxon King’s Council whom met here prior to the Norman Conquest.
The town started to grow as the result of development by the Bishops of Winchester who, some time between 1047 and 1070, built a Palace (on a site known as the Mount) at the far end of Church Green which was then used as a market place. The foundations of the Palace remain and, after excavations, are now open to the public on summer weekends.
In the Doomesday survey, Witney is recorded as having two mills, both for grinding corn, but by 1277 at least one cloth or fulling mill was established in the area. By the end of the Middle Ages Witney was a lively market town with a developing industry making blankets and gloves and by 1800 there were five working mills in and around Witney.
So for centuries Witney has been associated with blankets. And although the last blanket mill closed in 2002, the association will live in the minds of locals and visitors alike for many years. One of the most famous blanket makers in the town, if not the biggest, was Early's who were in business for more than 300 years.
In 1669, the Early family business was founded and in 1861 Charles Early opened a railway line from Yarnton to Witney which, in time, became part of the Great Western Railway. It was closed to passengers in 1962 and to freight in 1970.
In 1711 the Weavers formed a Guild and were granted a Charter by Queen Anne. They then built the blanket hall in the High Street. All blankets made in Witney had to be taken there to be measured and weighed, thus ensuring the very high quality of the blankets to be maintained.
The name Early's still survives in the form of the Early's of Witney factory shop in Wesley Walk.
The Cogges Manor Farm museum is home to displays reminding us that the Witney blanket market was once a global concern with blankets being exported to American Indians in exchange for furs.
Witney grew on the banks of the river Windrush, which helped the brewing industry, and its importance as a strategic location for travellers is reflected in the number of old inns that exist. The Angel is a perfect example. Looking out onto the Church Green, in the 17th Century it was known as The Greyhound. When The Angel was sold in the mid 1800's, both the seller and buyer were members of the Early family. Another example of how blankets, and the blanket making families are such an integral part of the history of Witney.
For many years, Witney had a brewery — Clinch and Co., which was later taken over by Courage, who closed down the brewing operation. However, in recent years, on the site of the old brewery, brewing was revived by the establishment of a micro brewery now known as the Wychwood Brewery, whose most well-known beer, Hobgoblin, stands alongside their other specialty ales which can be found across Europe.
