POSTCOMBE, ADWELL, STOKE TALMAGE AND SOUTH WESTON

Hamlets or villages? If a village is defined by its having a parish church then Adwell, Stoke Talmage and South Weston are definitely villages. But these villages, and Postcombe, are so tiny most people would probably be happy for them to be described as Hamlets.

Postcombe has a pub and an auto repair workshop and these are both located on the A40, although most of the hamlet in fact lies off the main road.

Adwell just consists of a handful of cottages and a parish church, St Mary's. Although the area of the parish has gradually been reduced over the years, it is thought that the village itself has never had more than about 15 cottages. The present church replaced a 12th century building which was demolished in the 19th century. The church has no tower, but a bell-cot with one bell. which dates from about 1350 and so may be from the old church building. For the history and full information about St. James' Church click here.

St. Mary's church has been used as a location in the TV series Midsomer Murders.
http://midsomermurders.org/adwellloc.htm

The manor house is Adwell House. There had been a 17th century house on this site, but it was rebuilt in either the late 18th or early 19th century.

There are times when a "Village only" road sign turns out to be truly disappointing, and when you investigate the village turns out to be almost non-existent. Stoke Talmage is one such village. It also has never been a large village but at one time it did have over 20 houses. Now it too has just a handful of houses and the church, the Church of St. Mary Magdalen. St. Mary's was also used as a location in the TV series Midsomer Murders. For the history and full information about the Church of St. Mary Magdalen click here.

The fourth of these hamlets is South Weston which is on the lane running between Adwell and Lewknor. Again it is a village that has never been large (24 houses at the end of the 18th century), but which did have a public house, Wesleyan chapel and a bakehouse as well as the parish church. On account of the decline in population many of the old houses have now gone. Apart from its church, the most important building is the manor-house, built of flint with brick quoins and window surrounds.

St. Lawrence's Church in South Weston comprises a chancel, nave, and south porch, and an open central turret with spirelet above. It was rebuilt of flint in 1860 in the Gothic style. Before its reconstruction however it was a very simple building with no tower. For the history and full information about St. Lawrence's Church click here.

Postcombe is on the A40 about 4 miles south of Thame and about 3.5 miles south-east of the village of Tetsworth, and a similar distance north of junction 6 of the M40 motorway. This stretch of the A40 runs close to and parallel with the motorway. Adwell, Stoke Talmage and South Weston are two to three miles from Postcombe on the other side of the motorway.