Radley is a parish of about 3000 inhabitants (pop. 2290 in 1991) located by the River Thames on the north-east edge of Abingdon about five miles south of Oxford. It is within the Hormer Ward served by the Vale of the White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

Adjacent parishes are Sunningwell to the west and Kennington to the north. The River Thames forms the eastern and southern boundaries of the parish and separates it from Sandford-on-Thames to the north-east, Nuneham Courtenay to the east and Culham to the south.

Radley is traversed by two major transport routes, the A34 dual carriageway, which connects the M40 London-to-Birmingham motorway to the south coast port of Southampton, and a mainline railway, with direct services to Oxford, Didcot, Reading and London as well as links to routes to Swindon, Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham and the Cotswolds.

From this page you can explore the history, traditions and natural history of the village, browse our own very special map or go on a virtual tour.

Radley is a place of great diversity of landscape and neighbourhood. There are areas of dense woodland in the north contrasting with open flood plain and gravel pits in the south. The old farmhouses and thatched cottages of Lower Radley contrast with the predominantly post-war housing of the main village, and the tranquility of the river is very different from the busy A34.

The parish divides roughly into

• The central area
• Radley Park and Radley College
• The Northern tip: the A34, Sugworth Lane and the mobile home parks
• Gooseacre, Thrupp Lane and Wick Hall
• Lower Radley
• Thames embankment

Visit these places on the virtual tour or find them on the map.

 

Map of the Parish

Tour of the Parish

History

Traditions

Natural History