Wheatley is a large village situated midway between Oxford and Thame, with a population of around 4,300 people (18% of whom are under 18; 58% are between 18-64; and 25% are over 65; Census 2021). The village has a vibrant and active community, with excellent local services including schools, a GP practice, pharmacy, dentist, shops, takeaways, three pubs also serving food, a coffee shop, restaurant, a library and post office, so acts as a ‘hub’ to a number of small surrounding villages, especially the closely adjoining communities of Littleworth and Holton. There is a Leisure Centre on Holton Park and the Shotover Country Park between Wheatley and Oxford provides nearly 300 acres of open-access woodland.
The village is expanding, with 50 new homes recently built and a new development of 500 residences planned in Holton. Most of the housing in the village is owner occupied and prices are relatively high, making it difficult for young families to afford to buy a home here. There is some social housing, a small park homes site, sheltered accommodation, and two care homes. The population is predominantly white and although the number of ethnic minorities has slowly increased, they represent less than 10% of the population. Since 2022, the village has welcomed several families from Ukraine and the church, with others, has played an important part in the welcome.
There are good local bus services through Wheatley to Oxford and the surrounding area. Thornhill Park & Ride car park (3 miles) provides express bus services to central London and the London Airports, as well as Oxford City Centre. Rail services can be conveniently accessed from Haddenham & Thame and Didcot Parkway stations as well as Oxford. The M40 on the edge of the village gives access to London, Birmingham and the north.
There are a number of small businesses within the village, located on two business parks. The surrounding area is rural with several farms as well as the local Shotover Estate. Unemployment is low with a significant proportion of the population either working in Oxford, especially in the universities and hospitals, or commuting to London.
Wheatley and Holton serve as hubs for both mainstream and special needs education. The primary school (Wheatley C of E Primary Academy) has around 300 pupils, with its own nursery that takes children from 2 years of age. Wheatley Park Secondary school (11-18), based in Holton Park, has over 1,100 students, with around 650 of these coming into the school each day from surrounding villages, and from Barton in East Oxford. Wheatley / Holton is also a centre for special needs education, and the community special John Watson School provides education and support for children between the ages of 2 and 19 years. There is also an independent specialist day school nearby, for children with complex needs (Chilworth House, 5-12).
In addition to the URC, the village has an Anglican Parish Church (St Mary’s) a Roman Catholic Church (Our Lady of Lourdes) which is a subsidiary of a larger church in Oxford, and a Community Church which meets in the primary school. The adjacent village of Holton also has a small Anglican Church (St Bartholomew’s).
In addition to the URC, the village has an Anglican Parish Church (St Mary’s) a Roman Catholic Church (Our Lady of Lourdes) which is a subsidiary of a larger church in Oxford, and a Community Church which meets in the primary school. The adjacent village of Holton also has a small Anglican Church (St Bartholomew’s).
We are committed to ecumenical relationships and work with other Christians in the village wherever possible and the churches have a Memorandum of Understanding that affirms the willingness of each church to work together.
Wheatley Area Churches (WAC) includes all the above churches who work jointly together on specific occasions seeking opportunities for joint witness and outreach. The URC has a critical role to play in this, as it is located in the centre of the village and is the only church with separate hall facilities.