Bed and breakfast availability
Bampton b&b, guesthouse and hotel accommodation

Visit Bampton and the surrounding villages and stay in bed & breakfast accommodation:

Bampton, Oxfordshire. This quiet little market town was once known as Bampton-in-the-Bush owing to its difficulty of access in the 17^th century. Although it is on the busy A4095 south of Witney towards Faringdon, it lies in flat sleepy country, on the upper reaches of the Thames Valley. It comes to life at least twice a year. The Horse Fair in August dates from Edward I's time and though there is little horse dealing done today, the merriment is maintained. At the Whit Monday fete the spectator may see genuine English Morris dancing at its best and in its most classical form. There is a traditional fool known as “The Squire”, and a “Sword-bearer” who holds a cake on his sword and distributes it to bystanders. A piece of cake is considered lucky, and recipients are expected to contribute to the “Squire's treasury”. The little town hail stands in the centre of the market place surrounded by some good Georgian-fronted shops. The parish church is surmounted by a l3^th-century buttressed spire rising 170 ft from its massive part-Norman tower. Each buttress is pinnacled at its base by an apostle in flowing drapery. The remarkable steeple was once the only way the traveller could find his way into Bampton. In the early Middle Ages it must have had quite an importance. The Empress Matilda built a fortress here and Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, erected an impressive castle of which only a doorway remains, now incorporated into an old farm-house, Ham Court. Just west of the church is a fine Tudor manor considerably restored in Georgian times, known as the Deanery, which was once the summer residence of the Deans of Exeter, who still hold the living. The Grammar School is one of the oldest in the county. This Hampton should not be confused with its namesake in Devon, which also has a famous horse fair.

Nearby towns: Burford, Faringdon, Witney

Nearby villages: Aston, Black Bourton, Brighthampton, Brize Norton, Carterton, Lew, Radcot, Weald

Have you decided to visit Bampton or the surrounding villages? Please look above for somewhere to stay in:

• a Bampton bed and breakfast (a Bampton B&B or Bampton b and b)
• a Bampton guesthouse
• a Bampton hotel (or motel)
• a Bampton self-catering establishment, or
• other Bampton accommodation