Stonesfield

Extract from Discovering Wychwood by Charles Keighley

5 km (3 miles) south-east of Charlbury. From the Old English, 'stunt's field', meaning stunted, or possibly fool's, field.

Cotswold stone tiles, known in Oxfordshire as Stonesfield slates, were quarried and mined here from 16th until the beginning of the 20th century.

• St James, at the centre of the village, is a small Early English church. Unfortunately, its north aisle was rebuilt in the 19th century to make room for a larger area to accomodate a gallery (since removed) to raise funds, by means of pew rents, for building the village school.
• Small village lock-up by churchyard gate.
• White Horse and Black Head public houses.
• Village store, and small post office near church.
• Stonesfield is on the oolitic limestone above the Evenlode. Except in a dry valley to the south-west of the village, fields are large and arable, with gappy hedgerows and walls.
• Parts of the valley are wooded and there are plantations to the north of the parish.
• Some ancient woodland, limestone grassland and scrub in the valley are important habitats, and the old slate quarries contain exceptional fossils.
• Walks south across the Evenlode valley, north-west along the Oxfordshire Way to Charlbury and north-east along a footpath following Roman Akeman Street to Blenheim Park.