North Aston is typical North Oxfordshire Cotswold village standing on the heights above the Cherwell Valley some 8 miles (13 km) south of Banbury and 12 miles (17 km) north of Oxford. At the heart of North Aston stands a traditional Village Green, dominated by ancient oak, sycamore and sweet chestnut trees, and highlighted by a stone drinking fountain originally installed in 1863 by William Foster-Melliar, "Lord" of North Aston Manor in the mid-Victorian period. Most of the buildings are of medieval or Victorian origin, although a small number of new homes have appeared in the last thirty years or so. Even these are largely build of the local ferruginous limestone, sourced either within the parish, or from nearby Great Tew and Hornton. The village boasts a handsome medieval parish church, St Mary's, which includes one of the country's finest 15th century alabaster effigy tombs, dedicated to Sir John Anne (c.1486) and his wife. Standing directly beside the church, and separated by just a few feet, is the Jacobean revival North Aston Hall. There is also an imposing Manor House, based around the original late-Norman/medieval building, and a recently (and very sympathetically) restored Georgian vicarage. North Aston remains a tight-knit community, with almost half the properties still tied to the original manorial estate. Many residents can still trace their ancestry back many generations within the parish, but there exists a vibrant and flourishing sense of community, and there are exciting plans for a new Village Hall. Most of the surrounding land is managed by North Aston Farms. Under the guidance of Jeremy Taylor (whose family purchased North Aston in its entirety in 1907) North Aston became one of Britain's first fully-organic farms, accredited by the Soil Association. His inspiration subsequently led to other developments along similar lines, and North Aston now supports an organic vegetable supplier (North Aston Organics) and an organic dairy. The latter supplies high quality milk (and occasionally cheese) to North Aston and the surrounding villages. The community’s largest employer is Nicholsons Nurseries, one of the UK’s foremost growers and suppliers of native woodland trees and hedging plants. Nicholsons also has an award-winning Landscape Design studio, earning accolades from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and other major horticultural shows and events across the country. Every July North Aston stages a Village Fête, which has gained a widely acknowledged reputation for being one of the most traditional country fêtes in Oxfordshire. A mix of classic attractions is blended with a range of uniquely innovative games and stalls to create an event that encompasses all the finest qualities of the archetypal “English Village Fête”. The 2012 North Aston Fête (21st July) will be opened by Martin Clunes. North Aston stands on several popular tourist routes, both for cyclists and walkers, and the Oxford Canal forms the eastern boundary of the parish.
