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 a farmers' market. There are also two shopping centres: the Woolgate and the Marriotts Walk shopping centre.
There is a wide range of places for food and drink in Witney and the town has a lively calendar of events including the annual Witney Carnival and Witney Feast.
There are a number of attractions and many types of accommodation in Witney.
FREE PARKING - all the towns in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, including Witney, 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 airport.
Witney downloads include:
Witney Wool & Blanket Trail (pdf 1Mb) - a walk looking at some of the sites associated with the town's wool trade
Windrush Path - Witney to Hardwick (pdf 1.36Mb)
Witney Lake & Meadows (pdf 1.23Mb) - a guide to the recreation area on the edge of Witney
Windrush Valley Cycle Route (pdf 1.64Mb), a waymarked 17 mile 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
Green Witney Travel map (pdf 917k) - showing bus, cycle and footpath routes within Witney
Witney is twinned with: Le Touquet (France) and Unterhaching (Germany)
Useful links:
Witney Shopping
Witney Blanket Story
What's Nearby
Wychwood Brewery Tours
Tours :
Wednesdays - 6.30pm
Thursdays - 7pm
Fridays - 3pm
Saturdays - 11am, 11.30am, 2pm, 2…
0.13 miles away
Windrush Leisure Centre
With a full programme of swimming, a host of dry activities and a café with pool viewing area…
0.18 miles away
Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre
Marriotts Walk is in the centre of Witney, just off Welch Way, and offers High Street named shops…
0.22 miles away
Witney - St Mary's Church
Standing at one end of Church Green, the imposing 156ft spire and impressive size of St Mary’s…
0.22 miles away
Bishop's Palace
The remains of the ‘Bishop’s Palace’ are situated in the grounds of Mount House, just east of St…
0.24 miles away
Cineworld (Witney)
Modern five screen multiplex cinema set in the Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre in Witney.
Rated…
0.27 miles away
Witney Museum
The large ground floor gallery houses a long term exhibition, showing the history of Witney and the…
0.28 miles away
Cogges - St Mary's Church
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0.34 miles away
Cogges
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0.4 miles away
Kinderkids
Bring your children to have fun in an interactive soft play experience. Let their imaginations come…
0.73 miles away
Undiscovered Cotswolds
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1.1 miles away
Ducklington - St Bartholomew's Church
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1.27 miles away
Hailey - St John the Evangelist Church
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1.84 miles away
The Spa at Witney Lakes Resort
The Spa at Witney Lakes Resort provides you with the chance to taste the exotics as well as adding…
2.04 miles away
Witney Lakes Resort Golf
Located on the edge of the Cotswolds, the Witney Lakes Golf Club is a stunning 6,500yds, par 71…2.04 miles away
Rushy Common Nature Reserve
Rushy Common and neighbouring Tar Lakes is a 30 hectare site with three lakes, left after gravel…
2.13 miles away
Minster Lovell Hall and Dovecote
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2.23 miles away
Minster Lovell - St Kenelm's Church
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2.27 miles away
South Leigh - St James the Great Church
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2.38 miles away
North Leigh - St Mary's Church
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3.18 miles away
Wilcote - St Peter's Church
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3.65 miles away
Brize Norton - St Britius Church
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The…
3.69 miles away
Hardwick Parks Watersports Park
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3.75 miles away
Leafield - St Michael and All Angels Church
Designed in 1859 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, St Michael and All Angels was consecrated in 1860,…
4.25 miles away
Crocodiles of the World
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4.27 miles away
Aston Pottery
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All the…
4.28 miles away
Finstock - Holy Trinity Church
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4.28 miles away
North Leigh Roman Villa
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4.4 miles away
Asthall - St Nicholas Church
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4.41 miles away
Stanton Harcourt - St Michael's Church
St Michael’s church is cruciform in shape, Norman, Early English and Perpendicular in architecture.…
4.5 miles away
Carterton Leisure Centre
Facilities include: 25m six lane swimming pool; separate toddler pool; aerobics studio; fitness…
4.52 miles away
Standlake - St Giles Church
Like so many churches, St Giles Church is medieval in origin but has had many alterations and…
4.51 miles away
Bartholomew Sports Centre
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4.58 miles away
Kilkenny Lane Country Park
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4.73 miles away
Bampton - St Mary's Church
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Church Hanborough - St Peter & St Paul Church
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4.77 miles away
Bampton Community Archive
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Carterton - St John the Evangelist Church
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4.95 miles away
Swinbrook - St Mary's Church
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