Editing Iffley (section)

==History==
[[File:IffleyLockFromTowpath.jpg|thumb|The lock at Iffley village]]
{{quote|"In the chronicles of [[Abingdon Abbey]] (941 – 946) the place is called ''Gifteleia''. The [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 it is ''Givetelei''. [[Merton College, Oxford|Merton College]] records in the 1290s call it ''Iftele'' and ''Yiftele''; it is ''Yeftley'' to the civil servants writing up the Domesday of Inclosures, in Latin, in 1517 – 18; [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]] accounts, written less formally and in English, have ''Ifley'' by 1543, and it is ''Iffley'' or ''Iflie'' during the [[English Civil War|Civil War]] 1642 – 46. Clearly, the sound of the name — at a time when spoken forms were dominant — was fixed by then. Afterwards the Y survived in occasional use, but only lawyers bothered with the T..."<ref name=IHS3>[http://www.iffleyhistory.org.uk/History/History3.htm The Iffley History Society]</ref>}}

The ending of the name of this village near [[Oxford]], means "cleared ground": the [[Old English]] term for that was "ley" — just up the road from modern Iffley, the town of [[Cowley, Oxfordshire|Cowley]] also preserves the Old English ending and meaning in its name. No records of the foundation of Iffley have been found, but the reason for its founding is clear from the location: Iffley has a little hill, and so is the first place downriver from Oxford from which traffic on the [[Thames]] might be surveyed, and controlled — and where people might be safe from floods:

{{quote|"It is likely that the hill, running to 295 ft, now known as [[Rose Hill, Oxfordshire|Rose Hill]] and Iffley, was a desirable place to live, safe from any floods. Many other villages, above and below, are set back from the river to cater for floods."<ref name=IHS3/>}}

During the 12th century [[Oxford]] townsmen built a [[watermill]] at Iffley, which was bought by [[Lincoln College, Oxford]] in 1445: the mill burned in 1908, having survived for nearly 800 years. Products ground at the Iffley mill included malt, barley, corn and other cereals — for a brief time during the 15th century it was a [[fulling]] mill. The mill,

{{quote|"…was notorious for its arguments between bargees and millers, who being in possession of the lock, whether it was a flash or [[pound lock]], could preserve their head of water, and not let it flow down river, by opening the gates, as long as they wished."<ref name=IHS3/>}}

In 1156 Iffley was among the holdings of the [[Normans|Norman]] family of [[St. Remy]], until about 1200. They established Iffley as a parish, and built the [[parish church]], "in size and decorative splendour out of all proportion to the place".<ref name=IHS3/> The manor was owned by many, thereafter. The [[Archdeacon]]s of Oxford were given the right to appoint the parish priest in 1279: they held this until 1965, when the power was given to the Dean and Chapter of [[Christ Church, Oxford]].
[[File:IffleyVillageMap.png|thumb|Map of Iffley village]]
[[File:Fritillaries at Iffley Meadows.JPG|thumb|Fritillaries at Iffley Meadows]]

In 1921 the [[civil parish]] had a population of 405.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10333532/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Iffley CP/AP through time|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=6 April 2024}}</ref> On 1 April 1929 the parish was abolished and merged with [[St Giles and St John]] and [[Littlemore]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10333532|title=Relationships and changes Iffley CP/AP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=6 April 2024}}</ref>