Kidlington is a large village and civil parish in between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal. It is about 5 miles (8 kilometres) north of Oxford and 7.5 miles (12 kilometres) southwest of Bicester. The settlement detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086 developed from an ancient village adjacent to the church. Prior to the Enclosure acts of 1818, a large section south of the village was unenclosed common land, and the village was generally referred to as Kidlington-on-the-Green. According to the 2011 Census, the village has a permanent resident population of 13723. This makes it a serious contestant for the largest village in England. Kidlington homeowners have actually consistently withstood proposals to become a town, although it receives such status against any requirements. Following a peremptory change by the Parish Council to Town status, the change was voted down in a ballot of the regional electorate by 98 per cent, and therefore reversed. There are numerous options to take part in social, cultural and leisure activities in the village. Kidlington is home to around 50 shops, both independent and commercial chain stores, banks and building societies, a public library, a substantial village hall and a weekly market. As well as this, there are 7 public houses, 2 coffee shops, and four restaurants. The public houses are concentrated along the dual carriageway that runs through the village, which consist of the Highwayman Hotel, the Black Horse, the Black Bull, the Red Lion, along with the King's Arms in the Moors, and the 6 Bells in Mill Street. The Squire Bassett was converted into a Nepalese eatery and renamed the Gurkha Village in 2012. For all your home upgrades, make sure to make use of credible professionals in Kidlington to make certain of quality.