Ardley railway station

Ardley Castle was a castle to the southwest of the village of Ardley, Oxfordshire, England. At present only some of its ruins, most notably an oval enclosure one hundred yards (91 m) in diameter, with a shallow ditch with an average depth of three feet (0.91 m), a derelict moat and the earthworks remain.According to sources, the castle was a motte and bailey fortification erected in the 12th century during the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda at the site of Offa of Mercia's old encampment. It was initially a manor site raised to a small castle by Hugh of Avranches, Earl of Chester to protect his lands from the chaos of war. It may have been constructed without the consent and permission of the monarch, making it an adulterine castle. During the war between Stephen and Matilda the castle was occasionally used by Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester. In 1136 the castle was attacked, but the attackers were repulsed. After the death of Ranulf, it was decided in the Treaty of Wallingford in 1153 that all adulterine castles would be demolished. During Henry II's reign, the castle was either demolished by hand or was simply abandoned and fell into ruin. In 1823 it was reported that only the ruins of the castle remained. It was during this same year that the existence of certain subterranean tunnels connecting the manor house came to light.

Ardley Cutting and Quarry is a 40.1-hectare (99-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Bicester in Oxfordshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site and an area of 11 hectares (27 acres) is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust as Ardley Wood Quarry. The site contains a Scheduled Monument, Ardley Wood moated ringwork, a Norman defended enclosure.The quarry and railway cutting exposes rocks dating to the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic, about 167 million years ago. It is described by Natural England as of national importance for the understanding of the Jurassic Period in Britain as it allows correlation of rocks of the Oxford area to be correlated with those of the Midlands. The site has calcareous grassland with diverse vertebrates, including the internationally protected great crested newt.

Ardley is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Bicester. The parish includes the village of Fewcott, which is now contiguous with Ardley. The 2021 Census recorded the population of Ardley parish as 740.

Bicester Town Football Club is a football club based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, England.

Ardley United Football Club is a football club based in Ardley, near Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. They are members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North and play at the Playing Fields.

Ardley Trackways is a 63.6-hectare (157-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Bicester in Oxfordshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.This site is internationally important because it has trackways created by a herd of sauropod (herbivorous) dinosaurs, together with several carnivorous theropods, along a shoreline dating to the Middle Jurassic, around 165 million years ago. These are the only such trackways in England, and one of the few dating to the Middle Jurassic in the world. The tracks throw light on the behaviour and gait of the dinosaurs.The site is private land with no public access.

Cherwell Valley services is a motorway service station on the M40 motorway at Stoke Lyne, near Bicester, in Oxfordshire, England. The services include a Travelodge hotel.

Fritwell is a village and civil parish about 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 736.The parish's southern boundary is a stream that flows eastwards through Fewcott and past the villages of Fringford and Godington before entering Buckinghamshire where it becomes part of Padbury Brook, a tributary of the Great Ouse. The northeastern boundary of Fritwell parish is the main road between Bicester and Banbury. On other sides the parish is bounded by field boundaries. The Portway, a road that predates the Roman conquest of Britain, runs north–south parallel with the River Cherwell and passes through the western part of the parish. The village's toponym is derived from Fyrht-wielle or Fyrht-welle, which is Old English for a wishing well.

Fritwell Manor is a house in Fritwell, Oxfordshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Middleton Stoney is a village and civil parish about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) west of Bicester, Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 331.The parish measures about 2 miles (3 km) north–south and about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) east–west, and in 1959 its area was 1,853 acres (750 ha). Its eastern boundary is Gagle Brook, a tributary of the River Ray, and its western boundary is Aves ditch. It is bounded to the north and south by field boundaries.

Bucknell is a village and civil parish 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 260.

Cherwell ( CHER-wel) is a local government district in northern Oxfordshire, England. The district was created in 1974 and takes its name from the River Cherwell, which drains south through the region to flow into the River Thames at Oxford. Towns in Cherwell include Banbury and Bicester. Kidlington is a contender for largest village in England.