iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Much enjoyed taking part in Chipping Norton's excellent heritage day today, with 2 morning VCH talks (each given twice to a packed and enthusiastic room!): the market place from the town's medieval origins, and the Bliss tweed mill and the infamous 1913-14 strike. More in VCH Oxon XXI !!

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Reposted by VCH Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire History Centre @oxhistcentre.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This coming weekend is Oxford's big Open Doors weekend 🎉 On Saturday (12th) from 11am-3pm come along to the Museum of Oxford to view some of the thousands of building plans of Oxford dating from the 1880s-1930s. Your house may even be one of them... Be there or be square (like a building plan).

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Page proofs!! Our forthcoming Vol.22 on W Oxon places from Chastleton to Enstone, due out next spring - medieval settlement to Team Enstone Formula One, via C18 landscaped parks, Roman Catholic recusancy, and much more. (Now just the minor task of proofreading and indexing 400 pages... 🙄)

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

See below for news of our *first online drafts* for VCH Oxon XXIII, which will look at the W Oxon mkt town of Burford and half a dozen surrounding rural parishes. First up is Swinbrook, lying N of river Windrush on the fringes of Wychwood Forest. (Meanwhile page proofs of Vol XXII expected v soon!)

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Oxfordshire History Centre @oxhistcentre.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

This year is the 200th anniversary of the Warneford Hospital, a mental health hospital in Oxford This new online exhibition about it's history, compiled by Oxfordshire Health Archives showcases some of their fascinating records held here at the History Centre sway.cloud.microsoft/EhoSAEX9Jd56...

sway.cloud.microsoft

A celebration of 200 years of mental health provision at the Warneford Hospital in Oxfordshire

The Warneford Hospital has been providing mental health care to the people of Oxfordshire (and beyond) for 200 years 1826 - 2026, and is still in operation today

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Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Are you studying, researching or teaching a history topic and not sure where to start? Try a search using the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) buff.ly/yD11954 @brepols.net

buff.ly

Using BBIH online: a help pack for students and lecturers

For the academic year, we've a help pack offering guides to BBIH in undergraduate and graduate teaching and research. With embeddable content for VLEs.

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

A big thanks to the wonderful earthtrust.org.uk for so nobly arranging #eclipse parking around Wittenham Clumps - spectacular enough anyway, and seeing it all from next to a spectacular iron-age hillfort and nature reserve seemed oddly appropriate! (Plus it is the only hill for miles around..! 😂)

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

For international #cat day 2026, here's a shot of our occasional research assistant. The two of us are expecting page proofs of the next VCH Oxon volume (on the Chadlington/Enstone area of West Oxon) within a few weeks, so watch this space for (less frivolous!) updates 🐈‍⬛️

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

For more on this see VCH Oxon. XX (2021) (not yet online but available in libraries and @oxhistcentre.bsky.social) - at 368 ft deep it took 7-15 mins to wind up a full bucket. Water supply on the Chiltern chalk uplands was a chronic problem, with many early settlements focused on clay-lined ponds.

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Hear hear! Without @oxhistcentre.bsky.social we couldn't do what we do, and it's been a pleasure to work with Mark Priddey in our various changing roles over those 38 years (having both started in 1987!) Have a long and fantastic retirement Mark, and look in from time to time!

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

An intriguing quarter sessions case from our colleagues @oxhistcentre.bsky.social! For wig-making possibly?? Any suggestions out there?

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Victoria County History @vch-home.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Join us as we host church stonemason Andrew Ziminski, for our VCH Lecture on 14 May at 6pm. 'Church Going - Hidden Missives from within God's Acre' will show how church fabric, particularly from before the Reformation, offers a key to the past that unlocks understandings of our shared history.🗃️

history.ac.uk

Church Going - Hidden Missives from within God's Acre

Victoria County History Lecture 2026

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

VCH Oxon XIX on the Wychwood Forest area (published 2019) is now available in digital form at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol19 (thanks to @bho.bsky.social) - covering the forest itself and surrounding settlements. (Print version still available from boydellandbrewer.com + public libraries!)

Wychwood Forest painting by William Bowly courtesy of Charlbury Museum.

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

We all know that a lot goes on in archives behind the scenes - but this is particularly wonderful! 😅

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Only 5 more days to have your say on the proposals for local govt reorganization in Oxfordshire. Not for us to push a particular view, tho we do deal with the historic county and use county-wide archive, archaeology, and heritage services... (Just saying! 😜) www.gov.uk/government/c...

gov.uk

Proposals for local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire

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Oxfordshire History Centre @oxhistcentre.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

A reminder that this vacancy is closing on Monday. Please forward to anyone who might be interested!

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Oxfordshire History Centre @oxhistcentre.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Our 2026 stocktake is already a week in. Wonder what we're up to? So far we’ve had a box delivery, taken over the search room with various projects, completed Incident Plan and Collections Handling refresher training, tidied the strongrooms, re-boxed Estate collections and had many meetings! Phew!

New boxes piled high in the search room during our box delivery

Plans laid out in the conservation studio

Our search room desks taken over with various collections projects

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

Much enjoyed speaking about VCH Oxon's coverage of small towns and urban buildings at this weekend's Vernacular Architecture Group winter conference - part of a stimulating and wide-ranging programme, amidst some august company!

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Many thanks to the 70-plus VCH supporters who came along to our annual VCH Oxon Xmas lecture and reception this week - and not _solely_ for the mulled wine and mince pies afterwards, we trust! (Though I'm sure that helped).

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Happy birthday @oxhistcentre.bsky.social 🎂 - where would we all be without you?! @vch-oxon.bsky.social hasn't been around _quite_as long as you (not counting one single vol in 1907) - but we've been constant users since well before your 1985 Golden Jubilee, and continue to be so! 😊

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Oxfordshire History Centre @oxhistcentre.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

The first theme in this year’s Explore Your Archive campaign is #EYAConservation. Conservators are vital in helping to look after collections, including preserving and repairing material so that it remains accessible. And we’re delighted to have welcomed a new Conservator to our staff this week!

Cleaning glass negatives prior to digitisation

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Art historian and gallery owner Philip Mould giving a superb lecture in support of VCH Oxon at Ditchley Park Fri 10 Oct, exploring the paintings of Winston Churchill and the difficulties of attribution. Warm thanks to Philip, all at Ditchley, and the 80-odd people who attended - a memorable event.

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Adam Chapman @adamchapman.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

An important milestone - the complete draft of this volume is the latest of the VCH production line. The last - for the historic county, but not *the last* - will be on the area around Burford, but come back in a year or so for that. Why not *the last*? Well, watch this space... #Skystorians

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Chilson: the final draft for our forthcoming West Oxon Chadlington area vol! - and an interesting one too. A chapelry and township of Charlbury until C19, but with early links to the vast Shipton-under-Wychwood royal estate and with Wychwood Forest. Plus a DMV and gt church wall paintings..!

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Tomorrow! - a celebration of the publication of the VCH's 250th Big Red Book volume nationwide! - Westmorland Volume I (from Cumbria County History Trust). Plus a look back at 126 years of VCH and how the modern project is still evolving and developing: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

history.ac.uk

Celebrating Local and Place-Based History: Westmorland and the 250th VCH ‘Big Red Book’

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

A reminder that tickets are on sale for a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill (Ditchley Park: Friday 10 Oct 6 pm): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/philip-mou....

eventbrite.co.uk

Philip Mould: Discovering Churchill - a lecture at Ditchley Park

A lecture in support of VCH OXFORDSHIRE by art historian and dealer Philip Mould, presenter of BBC 1's award-winning series Fake or Fortune?

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Sad to hear of the death (at 97!) of the great Barbara Harvey (www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/barbara...), whose early work on Islip introduced her to the Westminster abbey archives, and also spawned a VCH Oxon parish history. Coincidentally, she also examined the current VCH Oxon Editor's doctoral thesis!

some.ox.ac.uk

Barbara Harvey CBE FBA (1928-2025) - Somerville College Oxford

Barbara Harvey, CBE, FBA, Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History, 1955-1993, has died at the age of 97. She had also been an undergraduate and graduate student at Somerville between 1946 and 1951, befor...

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Be great if this can stay in Oxfordshire! - www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2532105... (Even if its discovery came a little late for inclusion in our 2011 account of Rotherfield Peppard parish in VCH Oxon XVI - which, incidentally, you can read at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol...)

oxfordmail.co.uk

Metal detectorist's hoard could be bought for public display

An iron age hoard discovered by a metal detector user in Oxfordshire in 2020 could be bought by a museum. It features a stunning horse brooch.

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Thanks for your kind words! (We couldn't possibly comment...! 😂)

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

The signature (bttm rt on his 1635 marriage settlement) of Peter Browne, heir to the Kiddington estate, who 10 yrs later was mortally wounded at Naseby - leaving his widow Mgt to oversee the estate while bringing up a young family. As Royalists and Catholics the family suffered doubly in the 1650s.

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

And thanks to all those who've followed, reposted, and liked over the past 24 hours ... what a civilized place this is! 😊

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

On sale now! Discovering Churchill, a lecture in support of VCH Oxfordshire by the art historian Philip Mould (of BBC Fake or Fortune fame), exploring the rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill - Friday 10 Oct 6pm in the splendid surroundings of Ditchley Park!

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VCH Oxfordshire @vch-oxon.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Hello Bluesky! Like many of you in recent months we're moving here from a different platform and need to rebuild our profile - so if you've any interest in @vchlondon.bsky.social and local history in its many guises, please follow us and repost!

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