Throughout the survey of its long history, Bensington or Benson was essentially a rural community. Together with its hamlets of Roke and Rokemarsh, Preston Crowmarsh and Crowmarsh Battle, it was a loose grouping of farms, large and small, linked by the thread of the High Street and Ewelme Brook. The inner nucleus was a cluster of inns and trading establishments which provided enough services to make the place largely self-sufficient, taking into account that Wallingford and its market, three miles away, was within the walking capacities of our more active ancestors.

 

For the less mobile there were the faithful carriers (SEE PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW) with their daily journey to Wallingford and the periodical extension of service to Oxford. There was no great house or manor but scattered on the perimeter of the village were a number of private residents, many living in houses with extensive gardens, some of whom kept their own horse and carriage which enabled them to maintain social contacts with Oxford and Henley.

 

EXTRACT FROM THE DITMAS HISTORY OF BENSON BY EDITH DITMAS