Prayer Walk : Lark Rise

THE writer Flora Thompson (1876-1947) was born and grew up in a tiny house in an isolated hamlet in north-east Oxfordshire, Juniper Hill. The eldest of ten children, she went to school in neighbouring Cottisford and worked in the post office further down the road at Fringford.

Today, long after her death, she is remembered for her semi-autobiographical trilogy about growing up in the English countryside, Lark Rise to Candleford. Her work, which documents a disappearing world, has come to a new audience in the last couple of years through the popular BBC series, first aired in January 2008, loosely based on the trilogy.
The walk begins at Fringford, which Flora Thompson turned into Candleford Green in the books. (Candleford itself is based on an amalgamation of Banbury, Bicester and Buckingham.) You may like to visit the Butchers Arms (01869 277363) (1) before you set off.

Passing the cricket ground on your right, you’ll see the houses of Fringford clustered around a pretty, traditional village green. On the right is Fringford C of E Primary School (2), which has just over 100 pupils on its roll. (The original school, now a private house, is not far away on the other side of the road.) You may like to pause here and pray for the pupils and staff. The Church has a long track record in the field of education. Pray for the future direction of church schools. Think about all those involved in education in your own community.

Flora Thompson’s experience at school was not a particularly happy one. The level of her education (she left school in her early teens) makes it all the more extraordinary that she produced such lasting work. Fortunately, she was inspired by her first employer, Mrs Kezia Whitton (Dorcas Lane in the books) who, she wrote, “had more influence than anyone in shaping the outward course of my life”, by allowing her to read from her library. You may like to reflect for a moment on those who have had a great impact on your life. Who, in turn, do you – or could you – help inspire in some way?

Carry on through the village towards the church and you will pass the 18th century Old Forge (3) on your right. Now a private house, in Flora Thompson’s day it was both the Forge and post office run by Mrs Whitton where Flora (Laura in the books) went to work as an assistant. The Old Forge has an original AA sign from the 1920s.

Here you might like to think about all those young people seeking work today, especially in the countryside where many traditional forms of employment have vanished. Pray for those who are struggling to find jobs and are feeling anxious or disillusioned. Pray for families where unemployment is a source of great stress and unhappiness. Are there ways our church communities can help by offering support or practical work experience?

St Michael and All Angels (4), one of the ten that make up the Shelswell Benefice, dates from the early 12th century. You may like to pause for a moment’s quiet in the church (open in daylight hours).
As you leave, turn right and walk through the churchyard to the corner. You come out into Church Lane. Follow this and then turn into Rectory Lane. You’ll see the old village pump outside Pump Cottage which used to supply water to the properties in Rectory Lane and the Old School. You may like to stop here and give thanks for the free and easy access to clean drinking water we enjoy in Britain. Pray for those in other parts of the world where this is a daily battle. Remember those who die of easily preventable illnesses due to dirty water.

When you reach the pond, you’ll see the Old Bakehouse over to the right. Next to it there is a footpath out of the village. Take this towards Hethe. You will briefly walk on the road, but you are following a straight line to Hethe. When you reach Hethe (5), either divert into the village, or cross the lane and carry straight on towards Cottisford (6).

In Cottisford (Fordlow in the books) you can visit St Mary’s church (open in daylight hours), Flora’s “little squat church” where she sat through services that were not designed with children in mind. There is a brass war memorial and you can find her favourite brother Edwin (Edmund in the books) listed there. He died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916; her younger son Peter was lost at sea in the Second World War. She was devastated by these losses. You may like to stop and pray for those who are fighting today in Afghanistan. Remember the bereaved; the families at home, waiting anxiously for news.

Before you reach the church, you will see Cottisford House. Flora delivered letters to large houses such as these. One of her particular contributions as a social historian was the fact that she uniquely documented the lives of ordinary people in rural society, who were often extremely poor. You may like to reflect on the differences in rich and poor today. Pray for those who are squeezed by poverty in our society.

After Cottisford, you may like to continue to Juniper Hill where Flora Thompson grew up in the End House, now called Lark Rise Cottage. You can see the house from the end of the drive, but please respect the privacy of the owners and their neighbours in Juniper Hill.

For further information about the history of this area, see The Real Lark Rise Parish by Ted and Joan Flaxman (ISBN 787-0954898632; email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ); In Flora’s Footsteps by Martin Greenwood (ISBN 978-1902279374; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ); The World of Flora Thompson Revisited by Christine Bloxham (ISBN 978-0752443485) and Flora Thompson’s Country by David Watts and Christine Bloxham (ISBN 978-1899536962).

Fringford is four miles north of Bicester. Buses are available from Bicester to both Fringford and Cottisford.

Listen to Judith Harvey reflecting on living in Flora Thompson’s house with the Revd Sally Welch.