Tackley Local History Group

A Tackley House Through Time

You can now download recordings of Sue Ashton’s talks about 5 Nethercote Road for our Houses Through Time project:

For more than 50 years, members of Tackley Local History Group have been exploring the history of this Oxfordshire village and the people who lived and worked in and around it from 12000 BC to the 20th century.

We have published several books, and our exhibition Tackley Through Time can be seen in St Nicholas’ Church. We have carried out excavations at the church and at Gibraltar Point, undertaken archaeological investigations, and built up a collection of archives which is kept in the village hall. We run several additional archaeological and historical projects, and organise an annual series of talks from September to April.

New members are always welcome, whether from Tackley or further afield. The subscription is £12 per year. Please contact the secretary Sue Ashton at 10 St Nicholas Road, on 01869 331325, or at tackleyhistory@gmail.com. There are more than 500 members in our Facebook group.

Stone monument with a brass bell and a plaque, surrounded by grass on a rocky shoreline.

The Wreck of the Cataraqui

Forty-two impoverished migrants from Tackley lost their lives off the coast of Tasmania in 1845.

Aerial view of a partially unearthed mosaic floor showing its reddish brown pattern.

Street Farm Roman Villa & Mosaic

Excavations for a housing development uncovered a large villa complex with mosaic floor.

A trench dug in a field, about a metre deep, viewed from one end. Seven people look into it.

Digging Tackley’s Past: The Gibraltar Point Site

A grant enabled us to carry out an excavation at this local archaeological site.

Glazed ceramic pot inscribed: A present from E Humphres to Miss Sharp, Tackley, March 2nd, 1898.

Stories From Our Past

Articles about events and objects from Tackley’s history.

Large snail on damp soil. Its shell is light brown or orange.

Tackley History Mysteries

The unexpected or unusual in Tackley’s past.

About 30 people of all ages stand around tables working with clay.

Pottery Days

Local potter Jane Bowen helped us make and fire pottery using Tackley clay and ancient techniques.

Terraced stone cottages reflected in a puddle on tarmac.

Recording Tackley

Residents’ memories will feature alongside photographs in our forthcoming book.

Programme

23 September 2024 – Mark Davies: James Sadler, a Pastry Chef from Oxford Who Was the First Englishman to Fly in a Hot Air Balloon
28 October 2024 – Sue Ashton: A Tackley House Through Time: 5 Nethercote Road, part 2
25 November 2024 – Neil Wilson: Transport and Tackley – Travellers Tales – Journeying to Tackley Through the Ages, from Medieval Times to the Early Days of the Motor Car
27 January 2025 – Charmian Knight: Frideswide of White Hill: A Search for Tackley’s Medieval Neighbours
24 February 2025 – Liz Woolley: Felicia Skene: Prison Reformer and Friend of the Poor in Victorian Oxford
24 March 2025 – John Harwood DL: The History of the Role of Lord Lieutenancy. John was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in 2001 and was Vice Lord Lieutenant until 2019.
28 April 2025 – Anni Byard: Tackley: The Dig at Gibraltar Point

We meet in Tackley Village Memorial Hall. Join us for tea and coffee at 7:15 pm before the talk starts at 7:30 pm. Annual membership is £12, and non-members are welcome for £5.