Tackley Heath is designated as a Local Wildlife Site. As a result of its
status as former common heathland which has never been farmed, it is also an
important site for biodiversity in the parish — containing a wide range of
plant, fungal and animal species consistent with ancient woodland.
Consequently, the heath has been a focus for the parish council’s recent
efforts to fulfil its legal duty to actively ‘conserve and enhance’
biodiversity in the areas for which it is responsible, in accordance with
the Environment Act 2021.
Tackley Parish Council is currently in the process of submitting a grant
application to the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment – see
trustforoxfordshire.org.uk – for funds to restore the pond on the heath.
Many won’t know that there are ponds on the heath, but there is a large one
at the north end and two seasonal ponds further south.
The main pond is fairly inaccessible these days, and has become overgrown
with willow scrub to the point where it is overshaded. The restriction of
sunlight reaching the pond has resulted in a reduction of biodiversity over
time. Surveys done by ecologists from Thames Valley Environmental Records
Centre over the last 20 years show a steady decline in the state of the
pond because of this overgrowth. Without restoration, the pond will continue
to ‘terrestrialise’ – fill in with silt, sediment and soil – and eventually
not exist; replacing a formerly rich, diverse habitat with one of much lower
biodiversity value.
In August 2025 we commissioned Adam Bows from Fresh Water Habitats Trust
(FWHT) and OxEcology to write a preliminary report with a view to restoring
the pond. He and his colleague David Morris (FWHT and Botanical Society of
Britain and Ireland vice county recorder for Oxfordshire as Senior Plant
Ecologist) conducted a thorough survey of the state of the pond to see what
plant life is currently there. Adam then looked through previous records and
information on the pond to come up with a restoration plan.
Phase one would be to remove the willow from the pond, and coppice or
pollard the willow around the pond to let in light. Creating more open water
will provide habitat for a wider range of aquatic plants and specialist
invertebrates, including Odonata — dragonflies and damselflies. The oaks
around the pond would be left alone.
Phase two would be to remove the silt in the pond – a build-up over many
years of leaf litter – which would reduce the phosphate levels and expose
the true clay bottom of the pond, and hopefully with it the seed bank of
plants that used to flourish there. The willow and silt removed can be used
to create habitat for amphibians, insects and birds around the pond.
Common darter dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) by Charles J.
Sharp on Wikimedia Commons
Pond restoration work looks pretty brutal and messy at first, but Adam and
David are experts in this field and will undertake the work as sensitively
as possible. The recovery phase is expected to be fast and will bring long
term benefits.
Ponds are not just useful for wildlife, either. They play a significant
role in the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to Mike
Jeffries, an ecologist at Northumbria University, although “small ponds
occupy a tiny proportion of the UK’s land area — scarcely 0.0006%”, they
capture about half as much carbon “as the vastly greater expanse of
grassland”. Mike found that ponds at Hauxley nature reserve near Newcastle
‘bury’ an average of 142 grams of carbon per square metre per year,
compared to just 2–5 grams in the surrounding woodland.
They also act like natural sponges. During heavy rain they store water that
otherwise would run off — always helpful in a place like Tackley, built in a
bowl with high land all around. The other seasonal ponds, along with the
sponge-like ground all over the heath, also help to hold water up the hill
and slow its flow into the village. In times of drought they also hold on to
water longer for plants and animals.
If successful, the work will likely go ahead between September 2026 and
February 2027. Late summer – when the ground and pond will be driest, and
after bird nesting season and after amphibians have left the pond – is the
best time to do the work. If we have an especially wet summer or autumn, the
silt removal may have to wait until September 2027; but hopefully it will
all be done this season so the pond and surrounding area can start to
regenerate.
We will also be conducting some small-scale works by hand around the
seasonal ponds. If you’d like to be involved, please get in touch:
cllr.liz.marshall@tackley-pc.gov.uk.
Bins
Residents of the village may have noticed that bins are getting full more
regularly. This has been reported back to the council via the people who
empty them. The wooden bins around the playing field are particularly an
issue; it has been reported that they are often full of whole sealed bags of
household waste. These bins are specifically for ad hoc waste as and when
needed, and provided in an effort to reduce litter. We ask residents not to
fill the bins with waste from homes and businesses. While the council is
investigating more regular emptying of bins, this is expensive and
ultimately not the answer in the long term.
Drainage Work
We have been in contact with the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) flood
risk team for a while now about various problem areas around the
village.
One is the area of flooding between The Green and The Gardiner Arms. There
were a couple of blockages in the culvert that takes water from that area to
the stream alongside the playing field. One was cleared a couple of months
ago, and the final blockage is due to be cleared this week (at the time of
writing). The first clearance seemed to help when there was heavy rain this
winter, so hopefully this final work will prevent flooding in that area in
the future.
The parish council would like to thank OCC for funding and completing this
work, but also to the landowners for their continued help over the last year
and for granting access for the contractors.
Local Plan & Area U
Several sites in the village were mentioned in West Oxfordshire District
Council’s Preferred Spatial Options consultation. Area U is being taken
forward for consideration in the Local Plan as a potential housing
development site. This is the field to the left of Rousham Road as you exit
the village, which is owned by OCC. Tackley Parish Council put forward a
robust rejection of Area U as a housing development site. This
rejection will be taken into account as the district council looks to
release an official draft of the Local Plan in May or June.
A preferred alternative to a housing development in Area U would be to
protect this site as a recognised nature recovery area. The parish council
believes the land could play a valuable role in strengthening the green
corridor around the village and supporting biodiversity recovery. Protecting
it would help connect existing habitats across Tackley Heath, surrounding
woodland and farmland. It would also support the parish council’s wider work
on biodiversity under the Environment Act 2021. We will continue to work
with the district council and other partners to promote this approach as the
Local Plan develops. Residents will be kept informed as the next stage of
consultation is announced.
One option the parish council is investigating is the creation of a scrape
— a shallow hollow in the ground designed to collect rainwater and form a
small seasonal wetland. These areas can provide valuable habitat for
wildlife like frogs, newts, insects and wetland plants, as well as birds
that feed along the muddy edges. Although they are simple features, scrapes
are widely used in nature conservation because they can quickly become rich
and diverse habitats for many species.
Tackley Parish Council has been approached by Bluestone Planning on behalf
of OCC. They are keen to involve our village in a conversation regarding the
future of this piece of land. So far, however, this has been limited to
sharing images with the council of what housing developments could look
like. Without even a draft of the Local Plan in place, the council felt this
was assumption and disingenuous; and have informed Bluestone Planning of
this impression.
Email and Website
The council is shifting to a new email system that standardises parish
council contact across regions. The new clerk’s email address is
clerk@tackley-pc.gov.uk and all
councillors’ emails will be updated on our web pages. A new dedicated parish
council website is also coming, so watch this space!
Our pupils have had an exciting fourth term, with many enriching
activities. Our youngest learners in Nursery and Reception enjoyed a trip to
the Cotswold Wildlife Park, where they explored nature and learned about
animal habitats. Years 1 and 2 visited Oxford Castle, immersing
themselves in local history. Years 3 and 4 focused on the Romans,
gaining insights into this significant period at The Oxfordshire Museum. And
the highlight for Years 5 and 6 was their residential trip to Devon,
where they participated in outdoor education and team-building
activities.
These hands-on experiences are invaluable as they allow students to apply
their classroom learning in real-world contexts. Additionally, our Easter
church service and participation in Red Nose Day have reinforced the
importance of community involvement and social responsibility, teaching our
children about empathy and giving back.
The sense of community at Tackley is heartwarming, and the collaborative
spirit enriches our environment. The recent generous donation from the
village shop has provided us with new PE equipment, which will enhance our
students’ physical education experiences after the Easter break. You may
have noticed our students already beginning to use their new netball hoops;
we look forward to seeing the positive impact this equipment will have on
their physical development and teamwork skills. Thank you to all involved
who made this happen.
The annual Tackley Horse Show takes place on Sunday, 26 April and is
open to all. This year we have even more fun dog classes to enter (on the
day) as well as our food tent and bar. Please do come along and support the
event. All of the proceeds go to charity.
We always need helpers. Could you spare a few hours on the day to help in
the catering tent? Or maybe you could bake a cake or two. If you can help,
or have any questions, please do get in touch.
We also have trade stands. Please contact us if you’d like to book a
pitch.
The show starts at 9 am. We look forward to seeing you there!
During March we saw the weather begin to warm up. There were even days when
I could venture outside without a coat! Another of the wonderful signs of
spring has been the plethora of flowers, especially the bright yellow
daffodils.
During winter the weather is grey and dull, and there are times when life
can be like that too. The wonderful burst of colour that comes with all the
new growth in spring brings us joy, brightening our lives.
There are times when we feel we’re living under a cloud; that our world –
our personal life – is grey and dull. On Easter Sunday morning, when Jesus
rose from the grave, he gave us the gift of new life — washing away all the
dirt, grime and greyness and revealing the beauty of what was hidden
underneath in glorious technicolour.
Years ago, as we were furnishing a student house, we went to an auction to
buy a table. There was a lovely pine table we decided we would bid for, but
unsurprisingly it ended up selling for far more than we’d been wanting to
pay for it. However, earlier in the auction, there was another table. The
auctioneer started at £20, dropped it to £10, then £5 and eventually £2 — at
which point mum put in a bid. It had been hidden under a pile of chairs, and
was so scruffy and marked that we had dismissed it. Once home, as we cleaned
it up – sanding it down and varnishing it – we discovered how well it was
made. That it could be extended (from four to 10 at a squeeze). We have
since shared so many wonderful meals and celebrations around that table. It
is part of our family’s history, and is still our dining table today.
Thanks to what Jesus did at Easter, dying on Good Friday and rising again
on Easter Sunday, we have life! Life in vibrant colour. We don’t need to be
ashamed of our scratches and marks, because God has washed them away and
made us whole again, giving us new life.
As we celebrate this Easter, I pray we may all know the gift of life in
full colour — vibrant and joyful.
At the beginning of 2017, the Diocese of Oxford published new regulations
governing how we manage our churchyards.
First, may I thank all our village families for the care and compassion
with which they help look after our churchyards. They are places of great
beauty, and mean an enormous amount to so many people. Thank you for the
part you play in keeping them so special.
I would, however, like to remind everyone of the regulations; and ask for
your help in keeping our rural churchyards special. The revised guidelines
reflect changes and habits that are affecting the civic cemeteries. The
Diocese’s desire is that rural churchyards retain their distinctive feel —
and I know that this is appreciated locally, especially as we aim to protect
the natural environment.
The guidelines forbid artificial flowers or any kinds of toys or solar
lights being placed in churchyards. An exception is that poppies are allowed
at Remembrance time for those who have served in the forces. Also, please do
not plant shrubs or the like on graves. Bulbs, however, are always welcome —
bringing traditional flowers to the churchyard in the right season. It’s
lovely to see so many daffodils following the snowdrops in the early
spring.
When placing flowers on family graves, please put them only on the
headstone’s plinth, to enable safe and easy mowing of the whole
churchyard.
Please forgive me passing on this information. The full regulations can be
found on the Oxford Diocese website or via
tackley.link/111.
We have new volunteers offering to help mow the churchyard, and we’d like
to make their job as easy as possible by tidying it up a little. Therefore
any inappropriate items remaining in the churchyard at the end of April will
be carefully moved to by the south porch where they may be collected
later.
We all love the quiet beauty of our churchyard. Thank you for all your help
in keeping it a special space for everyone.
Bell Tower Open
Dawn Chambers
Tackley’s bell ringers will again be holding an open tower on Easter
Monday, 6 April from 2 until 5 pm, providing an opportunity to see
the tower, clock, bells, and the magnificent views from the top. Access is
via ladders – some steep – as well as trap doors and a stone spiral stair
case. Due to insurance, children must be over eight years and accompanied by
an adult. Numbers need to be carefully controlled for reasons of health and
safety, so please be prepared for some waiting. The cost is £5, which will
include tea and cake.
On the same day, both Tackley Methodist Church and St Nicholas’ Church will
be having their ‘hunt the church mice’ competition. Please call in at the
Methodist Church on your way to St Nicholas’ to take part.
Do these badges, pictured with thanks to Vi Banbury, bring back anyone
else’s memories of the Girls’ Friendly Society?
Objects salvaged from the past can fire the imagination in a special way.
That was very much the effect of the gleaming glass bottles and seals from
Simon Somerscales’ collection, which were on display at the Tackley Local
History Group meeting Collections and Recollections in
February. These once-discarded fragments have survived as evidence of an era
when drinks were sold in lovely hand-crafted containers — so different from
those shelved in shops today.
Simon also shared his important collection of photographs – precious
evidence of Tackley’s past – some of which were shown on the big screen. And
there were some ancient items on display, reminding us that it was in the
19th century that Sir William Evetts started Tackley’s collecting habit, and
with it our knowledge of the long and rich history of this place.
For more than 50 years, the history group has also been collecting
documentary evidence so that it has become the curator of an important local
collection. Researchers – whether outsiders writing books about the region,
or descendants of local people finding out about their family roots – can
tap into this parish memory bank. Responding to their enquiries is a vital
part of our role.
At the open meeting in February, the items displayed varied from the
handwritten diary of Ada Honour – written in a Tackley farmhouse when the
20th century was new – to the original 1873 Enclosure Award. This huge bound
volume includes a map showing the ownership of land in Tackley at the moment
when the last medieval strips were enclosed, with all the details recorded
meticulously in exquisite copperplate handwriting.
On Monday, 27 April, Neil Wilson will present Bellringing and
Tackley’s Bells: The History and Craft of ‘Full Circle English Change
Ringing’. Join us in the village hall for a 7:30 pm start.
Admission is £5 for guests.
Tackley WI is looking forward to an interesting and varied spring programme
of meetings.
On Tuesday, 7 April we will be welcoming Russell Cherry, who will be
speaking about the Thames from its source — a journey through history.
On Tuesday, 5 May Professor Nick Hawes will be speaking to us about
robotics and AI. We are looking forward to learning about this fascinating
subject, and welcome the opportunity to ask lots of questions!
All women are warmly invited to come along and enjoy our evening meetings.
Visitors £5, including refreshments.
Tackley WI has a friendly and welcoming membership with a wide age range
and varied interests. Most months we hold a coffee morning for our members,
which provides an additional social opportunity.
We meet on the first Tuesday of the month, excluding January, at 7:30 for
7:45 pm in Tackley Village Memorial Hall.
We have two open meetings scheduled for later in 2026, where men are also
invited to attend. These will be clearly publicised nearer the time.
If you would like to find out more, please email us.
Tackley Wheelers a social cycling group. We do not wear Lycra but we do
take our time when riding, with stops as needed for regrouping so no one is
left behind.
We meet every Wednesday evening from April to mid September, cycling to
nearby villages and chatting in the pubs we visit. Early and late season
rides are short – e.g. Woodstock, Kirtlington – with longer routes when we
have more daylight. We leave at 6:45 pm from the car park by the
village hall.
We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces, young or not so
young. If you’d like to join us, simply turn up on a Wednesday evening with
your bicycle. Our first ride this year will be on Wednesday, 1 April,
hopefully to Woodstock.
We have continued our walks throughout the winter, and have enjoyed some
glorious cold but sunny walks — having managed, by some fluke, to miss most
of the rainy days.
Our visit to Farmoor Reservoir in early January was particularly nice as it
included walking alongside the Thames and through a nature reserve as well
as round the reservoir itself.
Most of our walks are rural, but occasionally we explore more urban local
areas. These have included Christchurch Meadow – walking along the Cherwell,
through Iffley and back along the Thames, stopping at the Isis River
Farmhouse for refreshments – and the Headington area of Oxford, taking in
three lovely parks as well as some of the urban sights including the famous
shark.
A couple of our walks were affected by flooding. The planned snowdrop walk
out at Great and Little Tew proved impossible, and we substituted a lovely
walk from Steeple Barton church, through the grounds of Barton Abbey and
back via via Middle Barton. We still got to see swathes of lovely snowdrops.
And on a particularly wet Saturday our walk at Charlbury had to be
cancelled. We will try to revisit later in the year those walks we were
unable to complete or had to cancel.
The group arranges two walks each month. Walks on second Saturdays meet at
9:30 am and are about 5–8 miles, while those on fourth Wednesdays
meet at 2 pm and are about 3–5 miles. We meet at the village hall
beforehand to arrange car sharing, bus or train to the start. Most
walks are in North Oxfordshire, but we sometimes venture a bit further
afield. Some walks conclude with an optional lunch or refreshment at a local
pub or cafe. Routes are often suitable for dogs under close control. We
warmly welcome regular and new members to join us, as well as any
suggestions for routes.
Our programme is below and can also be found on the village website.
Further details of each route will be sent out via Tackley Notices.
Saturday, 11 April at 9:30 am: Cropredy battlefields, led by
Alison Matthews.
Wednesday, 29 April at 2 pm: Chipping Norton circular, led by
Linda Birch.
Our walks in May, June and July have yet to be arranged but will take place
on the following dates:
Saturday, 16 May at 9:30 am
Wednesday, 27 May at 2 pm
Saturday, 13 June at 9:30 am
Wednesday, 24 June at 2 pm
Saturday, 11 July at 9:30 am
Wednesday, 22 July at 2 pm
Walks are subject to change, and walkers take responsibility for their own
safety.
Features continues to show a variety of films each month: some old and some
new; some light-hearted and some more challenging. Our aim is to show a
balance of films that we think people will enjoy. Recent screenings have
included subjects as varied as a Christmas film about an overgrown Santa’s
helper and a subtle story of one man’s grief and love of music.
Our screenings are free, but we have a donations box. We are very grateful
to all who attend Features and have given so generously to the various
charities we have supported. We alternate between external charities and
Tackley Methodist Church, and are pleased to support smaller, local
charities as well as those that are better known. Recent donations have been
made to Mind and Thames Valley Air Ambulance, among others.
We have a variety of films planned for the next few months, including some
that have recently been in the cinema and some older titles that are
definitely worth another watch. We look forward to seeing you at the
Methodist Church for a cuppa and a film at 7 pm on Thursdays
23 April, 21 May, 18 June and 23 July.
Keep a look out for emails via Tackley Notices and posters on noticeboards
in the week before each film. Our licence means we are unable to externally
advertise the name of the films, hence the rather cryptic posters. You can,
however, have access to the programme by emailing us.
A special thanks to Sue and Peter Giles who after many years of delivering
the Tackley Newsletter have decided to have a well-earned rest. May I also
use this opportunity to thank Tony Wilson, as it was not possible to do so
when he retired.
Many may think that the Newsletter has been superseded by the Tackley
Notices email list and Spotted Tackley Facebook group, but some of our
tech-shy inhabitants still prefer a paper copy — and it reaches all
households. So please keep sending any articles of interest to Martin
Edwards, who gives up his free time to act as editor although he no longer
lives in the village. Visit the website at
tackleynewsletter.co.uk
and choose ‘Contribute’.
