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One of the most pleasing of Oxfordshire’s market towns, Witney is a town of around 23,000 inhabitants and the economic and commercial centre of the West Oxfordshire district. It is situated between Oxford and the Gloucestershire border, is served by the A40 main road and, although rail-less nowadays, it is within quick and easy reach of the M4, M5 and M40 motorways. It is, too, on the banks of the lovely Windrush River and is set between that river’s tranquil lowlands and the broad sweep of the Cotswolds.

For centuries Witney was linked with the making of woollen cloth and, especially, with the famous blankets that carried its name around the world. This industry, however, has been in decline now for several decades and 2002 saw the closure of the last blanket mill and its removal elsewhere. However, the town continues to flourish with modern and highly technological industries sited on the outskirts of the town.

Witney is an ideal town both as a place of residence and as a holiday centre from which to explore some of the most beautiful countryside in all England. The town has several modern well-planned housing estates which are suited to the needs of younger families as well as those of retired people. A good range of schools, both county-run and independent, provide sound education for local children.

The town also has an excellent shopping centre with, lining the tree-lined thoroughfares of the old town, numerous individual and specialist shops. There are also several supermarkets and other nationally known stores including Woolworths, Somerfield, Sainsburys and Waitrose and locally farmed food, craft and clothes shops. Market days draw crowds into the town and the shopping streets are thronged with people from far and wide. Car parking is free, subject to the observance of time limits in short stay areas.

The Town Council not only provides sporting facilities and an excellent country park but also provides entertainment and social activities at local halls and owns the building currently used as a cinema. The Visitor Information Centre situated within the Town Centre shop at Welch Way gladly answers queries about the town and what it has to offer.
In its other role as a holiday centre, Witney is set in beautiful country with the old town of Burford not far along the Cheltenham road and the beautiful stone villages of the Cotswolds within very easy reach. Oxford, too, is within easy distance as are the upper reaches of the Thames. Good hotels and guest houses abound and, providing for the discerning traveller, are some of the finest real ale pubs in England.

In short, Witney is a town to be savoured - whether for a few days stay or for a lifetime’s residence.