Living in Oxford County’s smaller towns & villages: Ingersoll, Tavistock, Norwich, Embro, Thamesford & Princeton

Ingersoll

An incorporated town of about 13,700 (2021 Census) on Highway 401, roughly 40 km east of London and about 15 km west of Woodstock. It is a genuine manufacturing town — home to the CAMI Assembly plant — and one of the few communities here with a VIA Rail stop on the Toronto–Windsor corridor. It also carries a well-known cheese-making heritage. (What the CAMI plant builds has shifted over the years, so treat any present-tense claim about its output as time-sensitive.)

Tavistock

A village in the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock, in the county’s northeast corner (the township had about 7,800 residents in 2021). It sits near where Oxford, Perth, and Waterloo meet, giving it practical commuting reach toward Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford as well as Woodstock — the natural choice if you work in the KW area.

Norwich

The main village of the Township of Norwich, south of Woodstock, and the most distinctly agricultural of these communities — corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy, with deep cheese-making roots. Norwich Township is also home to a well-established Old Order Amish and Mennonite community, one of the larger such settlements in Canada.

Embro

A village in the Township of Zorra, northwest of Woodstock, defined by its Scottish heritage — the area was settled by Highland Scots beginning in 1829. Embro hosts the Embro Highland Games, billed as Ontario’s oldest Highland Games, held each July 1 with pipe bands, Highland dancing, and heavy events.

Thamesford

A village in the Township of Zorra on a branch of the Thames River, along Highway 2 between Woodstock and London. Its position on the main road toward London gives it clear commuter appeal for people working in London while living in a smaller Oxford County community.

Princeton

A small rural community in the Township of Blandford-Blenheim in the eastern part of the county, along Highway 2 toward Paris and Brantford. The township markets its proximity to both Highways 401 and 403 as a key draw for commuters heading east toward Brantford and Hamilton.

Which one fits you

Buyers often choose these communities for value and space, though how they compare in price to Woodstock varies by home type and month — worth checking against current listings. Because Team Beckett sells across all of Oxford County, we can compare specific streets and current homes for you side by side.

• Working in London: Thamesford (on Highway 2 toward London) or Ingersoll (on the 401, plus VIA Rail).
• Working in Kitchener-Waterloo or Stratford: Tavistock, closest to both.
• Wanting the most rural, agricultural setting: Norwich.
• Commuting east toward Brantford or Hamilton: Princeton, near the 401/403.