Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal. It is roughly 5 miles (8 kilometres) north of Oxford and 7.5 miles (12 km) southwest of Bicester. The settlement detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086 evolved from an ancient village adjacent to the church. Before the Enclosure acts of 1818, a sizeable part south of the village was unenclosed common land, and the village was generally referred to as Kidlington-on-the-Green. In accordance with the 2011 Census, the village has a permanent resident population of 13723. This makes it a significant contender for the largest village in England. Kidlington locals have continually withstood proposals to become a town, although it receives such status against any requirements. Following a peremptory adjustment by the Parish Council to Town status, the adjustment was voted down in a ballot of the local electorate by 98 percent, and therefore reversed. There are various options to engage in social, cultural and leisure activities in the town. Kidlington is the home of 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 seven pubs, 2 cafes, and 4 restaurants. The public houses are concentrated along the dual carriageway that runs through the village, which include the Highwayman Hotel, the Black Horse, the Black Bull, the Red Lion, alongside the King's Arms in the Moors, and the 6 Bells in Mill Street. The Squire Bassett was turned into a Nepalese restaurant and renamed the Gurkha Village in 2012. For all your home upgrades, make sure to make use of reputable experts in Kidlington to make certain of quality.