A NEW BOOK by a well-known Witney historian has revealed the changing face of the West Oxfordshire market town.

Witney Through Time by Stanley Jenkins, shows how the town has changed over the years through old and new pictures of the same locations.

It explains how some areas have changed dramatically, such as Welch Way, while others have largely remained the same, such as Church Green.

Mr Jenkins, 60, was born in London but moved to Witney, where he still lives, in 1956 and attended Witney Grammar School, now Henry Box.

He went on to study history at the universities of Lancaster and Leicester and, after graduating with a masters, applied to become a teacher.

Mr Jenkins, who also wrote Witney: A History, has written about 35 books on local transport and military history, and towns including Hunstanton, Falmouth and Penzance.

He said: “I have always been interested in history, even as a very young child.

“Many children only live for now and they cannot see the past or the future, but I was always aware of the idea people had been there before.”

He said his latest book, which has been published by Amberley, complements his previous work.

Mr Jenkins said: “Certain themes in the new book were not covered to a great extent in the more textual version.

“I also tried to look at Witney’s nooks and crannies because so much has already been published on the main streets in Witney.

“Most people are not aware these little alleyways exist and that is where a lot of people lived and where industrial activity was based.

“Where you see large windows it may have had a hand loom at one stage to give light to the weaver.”

Mr Jenkins said some of the more interesting stories in the latest book include the Cook & Boggis Fire in 1964 and Collier’s Factory fire in 1937.

The book also shows how Witney Train Station turned into Station Lane industrial estate, how Crown Lane was knocked through to form Langdale Gate and how Tarrant’s Corner was replaced with a “slab-sided structure of almost unbelievable ugliness”, which is nightclub Izi.

Mr Jenkins said he would continue to research the town and was keen to do more on Collier, Smiths and Walkers of Muirfield mills, which have hardly been written about.

He added: “There are always new things coming up. There is still a lot more to do.”

Mr Jenkins will be signing copies of his latest book at Waterstones in Witney on Saturday, July 28, from 11am.