Witney

Known across the world for blanket making, especially in North America where the Witney Point Blanket was traded in exchange for furs, the town owes its prosperity to the wool trade. 

Witney is the largest of the market towns in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and much of the architecture reflects the past prosperity of the woollen trade, including the 17th century Butter Cross, the fine tree-bordered green and church of St Mary the Virgin with its 150ft spire, also Mount House, where you’ll discover the remains of the Palace of the Bishop of Winchester.

A long attractive high street runs from the Butter Cross and features the 18th century town hall, the Blanket Hall and the Victorian Corn Exchange. The town is the main retail centre in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and has a bustling atmosphere with a good range of independent specialist shops , supermarkets, a twice weekly market and amonthly farmers' market, which is held in the new Marriotts Walk shopping centre. More information on the town's retail offer can be found on the Witney Shopping website.

There is a wide range of places to eat in Witney and the town has a lively calendar of events including the annual Witney Carnival and Witney Feast. and this year a free PlayDay.

There are a number of attractions and many types of accommodation in and around Witney.

FREE PARKING - all the towns in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds offer free car parking.

Witney has an excellent bus service to Oxford and the Witney Shuttle offers a shared minibus service from Witney to London Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Witney downloads include:

• Witney Wool & Blanket Trail (pdf 884k) - a walk looking at some of the sites associated with the town's wool trade
• Windrush Path - Witney to Standlake  (pdf 1.36Mb)
• Witney Lake & Meadows (pdf 1.23Mb) - a guide to the recreation area on the edge of Witney
• The Windrush Valley Cycle Route (pdf 1.64Mb), a waymarked 17 cycle ride between Witney and Northleach
• Witney-Kingham (pdf 158k), a 27 mile circular cycle route
• Witney-Bourton on the Water (pdf 209k), a 41 mile circular cycle route

Witney is twinned with: Le Touquet (France) and Unterhaching (Germany)

Further information on Witney including accommodation, attractions, places to eat and specialist shops