Evans Case
In the late 1950’s Steventon attracted the attention of the national media when a dispute arose regarding the existence of a footpath. The owner of Tudor House, Dr Eric Evans, maintained that there was no right of way in front of his house to reach the North Star. The villagers disagreed – vehemently!
First Dr Evans put poles and chains across the land. They disappeared. Saddlestones were concreted in. They were removed.
The doctor’s car was parked so that it blocked in a villagers car. The car was manhandled out of the way.
The police were called out from Abingdon at least 15 times and one villagers remembers ‘as kids we were told to climb the trees and spit on the Evans’ when they left their house. We didn’t need much telling!’
Eventually – in 1963 - the matter was taken to the High Court in London but pub owners, Morlands, stepped in to broker a settlement. The fighting fund raised by the villagers to pay for court costs was then used to found Steventon Friendly Association.
