This website has been created to preserve the history, stories and shared knowledge of Somerton, Oxfordshire. Much of it was first brought together on the village's original history website, somerton.oxon.co.uk.
Over time, that site became more than a collection of pages. It grew into a place where information gathered naturally: memories were shared, details were added, and fragments of the village's past were gradually pieced together. Some of it came from records and documents, but much of it came from people, from what they remembered, what they had been told, and what they felt was worth keeping.
When the original website went offline, the material it held was not lost. It was gathered together again, and has now been rebuilt as this website: reshaped so that it is easier to read and explore, but with the same purpose. The research has carried on too. New findings are added as they are checked, and you will find them marked "New Research" on the pages they belong to.
The information here has come from many contributors over time. In particular, it reflects the hard work, memories and knowledge shared by Rosemary Arnold and Alice Bowmaker, whose contributions have been central in preserving the story of the village. Without that effort, much of what is included here would not exist in any recorded form.
The editorial group responsible for the original project consisted of Rosemary Arnold, Alice Bowmaker, Basil Eastwood and Della Paviour. Together they built something intended, in the words of the project introduction, "to compile a non-specialist history of the village": accessible, human, and grounded in real evidence.
This website is offered especially to Rosemary Arnold, in recognition of her contribution, and as a way of returning the material in a form that reflects its value.
It is hoped that what follows feels familiar: not a copy of the old website, but something closer to the village itself, layered, continuous, and shaped by the people who have known it. And it is still growing. If you have a memory, a photograph or a correction, please use the form at the bottom of any page.
Did you grow up in Somerton, or does this article bring back a memory? Do you spot something that needs correcting or adding? Rosemary Arnold and Della Paviour would love to hear from you.