In 1900 the house and fields of Rock Farm were bought by the developer William Carter; he sold off the land in small parcels, each large enough to build a house and grow vegetables. The land cost £20 per acre, ‘payable by easy instalments’.
The settlement grew very rapidly, and in 1977 it became officially recognized as the town of Carterton.
Today, Carterton is a thriving, busy community of 18,000 people, the second largest town in West Oxfordshire. It is some five miles west of Witney, and its rapid development is largely due to its proximity to the RAF base of Brize Norton.
It has a town centre with shops, churches, supermarkets and offices, a library and two medical centres, a weekly market, and a sports and leisure centre, and several football clubs.
There are five primary schools, and a secondary school with a thriving Community Centre.
Its housing is expanding to fulfill its growing demands. Great emphasis has been laid on keeping this new town full of trees and green spaces. In this modern, lively community the Church of St Joseph reminds us of its origin as Rock Farm.