Brize Norton

The village of Brize Norton is a quiet settlement 15 miles West of Oxford, close to Didcot and Swindon. The most significant landmark is the RAF base which has operated there since 1935 and has affected the village population and local schools. Families of employees at the base regularly come and go in the village community but this does not disrupt the active village community and spirit. The surrounding villages of Carterton, Burford and Bampton (in-the-bush) offer sports and leisure activities such as horse-riding and swimming. Visitors and residents must travel further a field to Witney, Swindon or Oxford for a cinema or nightclubs. Before the construction of the airbase, the village was of purely arable interest and five working farms stand testament to that fact.

Attractions

[http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbrizenorton/ RAF Brize Norton] Air travel enthusiasts may like to visit the airbase, this may be possible with prior booking through the Media and Communications Office although only half of the annual 400 applications are accepted with priority going to those with an investment or professional interest and to local residents.

Witney and District Museum Located on the High Street in Witney, four miles away, this quaint museum has information about the industries and ethological histories of the surrounding area. There is a small gallery above the museum with a bookshop. The museum is closed from the end of October to April.

St Britius Church The Church is a Norman building with additions being made in the thirteenth century and then a Victorian restoration. It is a Grade II listed building with interesting Norman doorways and other carvings. The church lies at the centre of the village and sees many local events each year.

Shopping

Despite its small size and the downsizing of the post office to two three-hour sessions a week in the village hall, the shopping is reason enough to visit Brize Norton. The [http://www.foxburyfarm.co.uk/ Foxbury Farm Shop] on Burford Road, has won accreditation from the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association and sells pork, lamb and poultry from the farm in addition to some ready-meals made from the farm's own and other local produce. Those wishing to carry out a larger grocery shop will have to make the small trip to Witney, which also has some high street outlets, although Oxford or Swindon would be more fruitful if you wish to buy clothes or more expensive goods. Nearby Carterton is the nearest option for banks and similar services, including a full post office.

Nightlife and Eating Out

Food is available at the Chequers. Carterton has two Indian restaurants and one home delivery which serves excellent food from an industrial estate. Witney has good Thai and Italian options and the [http://www.vinesblackbourton.co.uk Vines] restaurant and hotel at Black Bourton near Bampton serves some of the best food in the Cotswolds.

The nightlife is as you'd expect from a village this size with just two pubs and a local theatre company being the main entertainment. The Chequers serves food and has decent outdoor seating and The Mason's Arms sees regular games of Aunt Sally, a game popular in beer gardens across Oxfordshire that involves knocking a ball off a stick with another stick.

Tourist Information

There is not an official information centre in the village, although asking someone on the street or a pub will probably help you find out what you want to know fairly quickly. There are two official centres nearby at Burford and Witney.

Burford Tourist Information CentreThe BrewerySheep StreetBurfordOX18 4LP

• Telephone: 01993 823 558

Witney Tourist Information Centre51A Market SquareWitneyOX8 6AG

• Telephone: 01993 775 802

Airport

Only RAF employees and family are likely to arrive at the airport at RAF Brize Norton and so most visitors should use Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Heathrow is approximately one and a half hour?s drive from Brize Norton, Gatwick taking just over two. Regular bus services run from Oxford, buses to which leave the village every thirty minutes.