Cogges Manor Farm at Cotswolds edge celebrates 1,000 years

Visitors flocked to Witney over the bank holiday weekend for the farm’s Spring Back in Time History Day.

It was a day packed with immersive and hands-on fun, which celebrated the 1,000 years of history at Cogges.

Families enjoyed the mighty 18th-century steam engines and dancing from the 17th-century dance and music group, Vale Islanders.

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Over 1,000 years of history celebrated at Cogges Manor Farm. (Image: Cereta Drewett)

Family-based group Hwitmearum brought to life the medieval period on the Dairy Lawn, while there was ancient Candle Making and demos of 17th and 18th-century sail making.

Over in the Manor House, visitors were grinding grain and making bread, taking part in Victorian Wash Day, and seeing how butter was made hundreds of years ago.

Guests also learnt to lay a table for dinner in Victorian times, took part in guided history tours, and learnt about the Bayeux Tapestry and its connection to Cogges.

The day brought together the local community and visitors to Witney from other parts of the UK and from across the globe.

General manager Guy Reed said: “Spring Back in Time brought to life the fascinating 1,000 years of history here at Cogges Manor Farm.

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Over 1,000 years of history celebrated at Cogges Manor Farm. (Image: Cereta Drewett)

“We love bringing the community together, and it’s events like these that help us as an independent heritage charity to keep going.”

The historic farmstead and manor house on the edge of Witney runs as a family‑friendly heritage attraction with animals, gardens and seasonal events.

Listed in the Domesday Book and with a rich history, Cogges was turned into a farm museum by Oxfordshire County Council in the 1970s.

It has been operated by an independent charitable trust since its reopening in 2011.