I spent most of the day today, from early morning until lunchtime taking a wander around the village of Clanfield. I had recently discovered a campervan service, repair and conversion business tucked away at the end of the long track-like road called Mill Lane. A fascinating find.
One might call it an industrial estate, though unlike any I have ever visited. At the end of the lane, and into the complex, I was met with the extraordinary sight of several beat-up, half-cannibalised cars, all, or mostly, of high-end branding - Mercedes, BMW and the like. And in a large covered area, a couple of Rolls Royces, including the classic 'Silver Cloud', in states of disrepair. Cars such as these were built to defy time, yet here they were, reflecting time's passing as old barns or weathered gravestones
My reason to visit was less exotically interesting - I was here to get a repair done on my campervan. The campervan business was across a small wooden bridge over the stream called Broadwell Brook, among other enterprises including upholstery, welding, guttering and the like - a busy place.
I was met by Paul, an engaging guy who filled me with every confidence that the pop-top roof repair on my van was nothing like the terminally problematic issue I had feared. After a quick check on some details, Paul gave me a 3 hour window of opportunity to take a wander back along Mill Lane to the main village of Clanfield, whilst he did the necessary work.
I enjoyed the 20 minute walk , and sought out the church, as is my wont when coming to any village. And as always with such church visits, St. Stephen's did not disappoint - it offered, as all churches do, the unusual and unique embedded in the familiar styles and layouts of these ancient buildings.
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| St. Stephen Statue, Clanfield Church |
I learned from her that she was just tidying up after a group of Zen Buddhists had enjoyed a night's sleep on the church floor - using carefully-arranged kneelers as mattresses. It seems this is not an unusual occurrence for such folk on their spiritual treks along the Thames path and environs.
Ros's parting gift to me apart from a gratis copy of an old leaflet describing the highlights of the church, was the recommendation to visit Blake's Kitchen in the village, and enjoy one of their signature cinnamon buns!
And so I wandered along to Blake's and enjoyed a coffee and bun as recommended. A fine place, with outdoor and indoor space, an on-site post office, and a friendly atmosphere. An excellent way to await the call from Paul, which duly came to let me know that the job was complete on my van. It was time to wander back along Mill Lane, check the job, grab the invoice and say my grateful goodbyes.
What to say about this visit? And why, really, have I narrated these details? In simple terms, I guess I might say the walk was a pilgrimage of sorts. This village, which yes, I've driven to through a few times, but which until this day I have never explored, was the birthplace of my father in August 1920.
He was the 7th child of my grandparents, who went on to produce 3 more offspring. My grandfather was a cowman/farmworker, and by all accounts did not settle for long in each place where he found employment. By serendipity, the campervan business was here in the village, and I was glad to be drawn here for an enforced couple of hours.
Here I was able to absorb the contrasts and a sense of a place known by the likes of William Tayler. Here was a place which had not substantially changed in the 100 years between his time in Grafton, and the time of itinerant farmworkers in the early 20th century. And I was able to reflect on how those workers' cottages have now become desirable Cotswolds residences for folk with leisure time to enjoy coffee and genteel socialising. And how Zen Buddhists and the grandson of one such worker are blessed with the time to wander free and comfortable among the pathways his ancestors trod in a whole other world.
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Postscript ( June 9th 2026)
A review of the 1921 Census tells me that in that year:
Edwin ( b. Hatherop, Glos ) worked at Northcourt Farm
The Farm manager was a Mr F Bowden
His co-workers were:
- Alfred Benfield b. Grafton
- George Shayler b. "Oxfordshire"
- William Temple b. Clanfield
- William Parrott b. Clanfield
Edwin lived at The Green in Clanfield. No house number/name is recorded.
He lived there with his wife Mary and children:
- Edwin Jesse b. 1910 "Oxfordshire"
- Pam b. 1911 Hampton Gay
- Rupert b. 1913 Hampton Gay
- Alice b. 1914 "Oxfordshire"
- Percy b. 1916 Kencot
- Hector b. 1919 Bampton
- Kenneth b. 1920 Clanfield
... and the story continues.
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| Restored workers' cottages 2026 , The Green , Clanfield |
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| The Green, Clanfield 2026 |
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| Northcourt Farm for Sale 2026: PDF Here (May 2026) |