Category Archives: names

Nuffield in Abingdon and beyond


When William Morris, the founder of Morris Motors and MG cars, became a Viscount, he took the name Lord Nuffield from the village of Nuffield, where he lived. (I took the picture of the vase at Nuffield Place, his old home and now an interesting National Trust property. It is 15 miles from Abingdon.)

Lord Nuffield was known as a great philanthropist. He used his wealth to establish several charitable institutions, including the Nuffield Foundation, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, a hospital in Oxford, and Nuffield College, Oxford.

The name Nuffield is also used in Abingdon. Nuffield Way was begun in 1977 as part of the Ashville Trading Estate and is close to the former MG Car works, which closed in 1980.

The Nuffield Press, previously called the Morris Oxford Press, operated from Nuffield Way between 1994 and 2011.

Nuffield Way has expanded, and there is now also Nuffield Centrum and Nuffield Trade Park.

Wantage House, Faringdon Road, Abingdon – A Special Address


The large house formerly used as a Nursery in Faringdon Road has new signs to make it more obvious that it is Wantage House.

Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon are the three Market Towns in the Vale of White Horse District. Having all three town names in one address is something special. But I don’t know who will be operating from Wantage House and has put up those signs.