St Mary Magdalene, Oxford

St Giles, Oxford

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

St Mary the Virgin, Oxford

St Giles, Wendlebury

St Birinus Catholic Church (RC), Dorchester-on-Thames

Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames

St Lawrence, North Hinksey

St Lawrence lies at the end of the village, next to the modern offices of the Diocese of Oxford. The largely 12th century church has a pretty wooded churchyard with a much-weathered 14th century cross.

History

The church guide claims that the oldest part of the church is chancel and suggests a possible pre-Conquest date: however, the earliest surviving details point to a foundation around 1100, with the tower added in in the 13th century and the porch in the 17th century.

A restoration by John Macduff Derick in the 19th century replaced a much earlier and very narrow chancel arch with the present arch with flanking squints in the Norman style, which complement the south door.

The Church

The church consists of nave, chancel, porch and tower, with exterior walls are of rubble with ashlar dressings. The tower has a simple pyramidal cap, and all is roofed with stone slates. The best architectural feature is the very fine 12th century south doorway, now inside the porch: this features elaborate zig-zag carving, scalloped capitals, red stone flanking columns and animal-head stops.

Inside, the interior has a peculiar pale coloured limewash, which emphasises the white-washed chancel arch. The nave and chancel have an interesting collection of windows, covering the 12th to 16th centuries, including simple round-headed arches, Early English lancets, a 15th century east window with cinquefoil tracery and an unusual late 13th century window with lozenge tracery. There is a staircase in the north wall of the nave to a long-vanished rood screen.

The furnishings include a lovely 15th century octagonal font, with different tracery designs on each face, and some nice monuments. The north-west nave window contains stained glass fragments brought from Ypres after the First World War.

The church is open during the day in summer and there is a regular Sunday morning service.

St Lawrence, North Hinksey Lane, North Hinksey, Oxford OX2 0LZ

St Peter ad Vincula, South Newington

South Newington is to-day a small village, just off the A361, the few houses unfortunate enough to be on the main road giving no hint of the more substantial (and rather attractive) Cotswold village behind.

The village has been existence since at least Saxon times. There was a probably a church here then, but the present building dates from the late Norman period, around 1150. It was extensively remodelled in Early Decorated style around 1290-1300, with an enlarged nave, tower, south and north aisles. The Perpendicular period (1450) added a clerestory to the nave and a fine pinnacled porch. The whole composition is delightful, and executed in the rich golden hues of the local ironstone.

Little of this prepares the casual visitor for the interior, however, which contains a superb collection of late mediaeval wall paintings. On the north wall of the nave, homely but crude frescoes show various scenes from the passion of Christ, and are unusual in their state of preservation and clarity: they depict the Entry into Jerusalem, the Garden at Gethsemane, a gruesome flagellation, Christ carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Yet even these pale (almost literally) in comparison with those on the north aisle wall. These were executed, unusually, in oil on plaster, giving them both a range of colours and vividness unusual in wall paintings, and their quality both of preservation and of execution is outstanding. The first shows the martyrdom of St Thomas a Becket. It is gruesome in its reality, a sword splitting his head as he prays before the altar, although the details of the soldiers are less distinct. Rarely, the face of Becket has survived, as the painting appears to have been covered over in the mediaeval period (Henry VIII ordered images of Becket to be defaced, as he considered it a portrayal of resistance against the Crown).

Next to this scene is another unique survivor, a portrayal of the murder of Thomas of Lancaster. He led the resistance to Edward II and was accused of murdering Piers Gaveston. For a period, his followers venerated him as a Saint and miracles were attributed to him. Further along the wall, the windows contain fine examples of mediaeval stained glass, depicting armorial devices and mythical beasts.

The next wall painting is regarded by some as the finest in Britain of its type. First, on the side of the window is a panel recording the Annunciation, above another panel showing St James with a donor, identified by his heraldry as Thomas Gifford. The next panel is the climax: an exquisite rendering of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, framed in a Decorated Gothic canopy, with the two donors (Gifford and his wife Margaret) praying alongside. Mary’s robes are a beautiful green and red, and she holds a fleur-de-lys, while Jesus holds an apple – an ancient symbol of his acceptance of the sins of the world. Below is a pedestal with the Gifford coat of arms and a richly decorated lozenge-pattern border. Further along, another well preserved painting shows St Margaret killing a beast – the choice of subject possibly referring to the donor’s name.

Other wall paintings over the chancel arch and on the east end of the nave are less well preserved, although there are plans to restore them. I hope they succeed.

South Newington, Oxfordshire, OX15 4JF

St Mary, Bloxham

St Mary’s is a distinctive landmark on the A361 from Chipping Norton to Banbury, its 198ft spire dominating the landscape for miles around.

It has always been an important church, benefitting from Royal patronage from its earliest days. There was probably a church here in Saxon times, but the first written record is when William I granted it to Westminster Abbey in 1067. King Stephen endowed a chantry here, and Henry II made a gift of its endowments to Godstow Abbey, an act clearly important enough for Westminster Abbey to appeal – unsuccessfully, as it turned out – to the Pope.

So much for its history. The building we see to-day is a text-book of mediaeval church architecture: it has some remnants from the Norman period, a 12-13th Century Early English nave and porch, a 14th Century Decorated Gothic tower and chancel, with some spectacular Perpendicular Gothic additions from the 15th century.

The first thing that strikes you on entering the church is the size of the building: in the 14th century, the aisles were doubled in size to the width of the nave, giving the church a spacious square floor-plan. The first furnishing of note is the font, a fine and rare example in the perpendicular style of the 15th century. Above, the roof is supported on corbels in the shape of human heads, in the shape of Kings, Queens, Bishops and a lady with a fine 15th century horned head-dress. Across in the north aisle is a remnant of a wall painting of St Christopher, separating the aisle from the north transept, an elegant pillar with an incredible capital carved with the heads of knights and ladies with linked arms.

The other feature of the nave is the rood screen, a gift from Cardinal Wolsey in the 15th century. Despite subsequent defacing by iconoclasts, it still retains its painted panels, although some of the remains are very faint. The pictures represent saints and the doctors of the early church. The chancel has a fine Norman door-head from the period of King Stephen, with fish-scale, foliage and lozenge patterns. Opposite, the decorated windows have re-used some of the earlier Norman arches, with more zig-zag patterns.

But the most dramatic addition is the large Milcombe Chapel, a bold exercise in 15th-century perpendicular. Huge panel windows fill every side. On one wall is a vivid and colourful 15th Century wall-painting depicting the life of a martyr, with different episodes all shown in the one picture. The chapel’s west wall is dominated by the confident memorial to Sir John Thorneycroft (d. 1725). When built, this was sited against the Chapel’s East window, effectively blocking it, much to the ire of the congregation. It was moved to its present, more appropriate, location during the 19th century restoration by G E Street.

The exterior of the church is easily a match for the interior. The Milcombe Chapel sports huge and well-preserved gargoyles, but it is the spire, west door and north wall for which the church is renowned: here, in 1340, a series of elaborate decorative carvings was added, around the door and the base of the spire, and along the cornice of the north wall. The West Door scheme depicts the Last Judgement, but the those on the tower and wall carry more whimsical themes, and include two monkeys riding a cat, a main whistling, two men sword fighting and dogs looking at a rabbit in a thicket. Piety can indeed have a sense of humour.

The graveyard is pleasantly wooded, with some attractive 18th-century tombstones. The effect is spoiled only by the roar of traffic from the adjacent road. How many passing motorists realise the glory that they are passing at speed?

Church Street, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4PY

St Mary, Swinbrook

Situated in a classic small Cotswold village, St Mary is a charming, small church with some remarkable family monuments.

The church itself dates from around 1200, with a transitional nave arcade of round columns supporting Early Gothic arches. The arcades lean precariously, and the chancel arch is off-centre. The windows are mostly Perpendicular, from the 15th century. The oddest addition is the tower, built in 6 weeks in 1822. It has two supporting buttresses on the outside, which result in the west window being framed in an odd, tall arch.

But it is the contents which deserve the attention. First and foremost are the memorials of the wonderfully-named Fettiplace family. There are two sets of them, each with three reclining figures in an unusual tiered arrangement. The first, located in the chancel, was ordered by Sir Edmund Fettiplace (d 1613), for himself, his father and grandfather. Carved by a local mason, they are highly stylised (and rather stiff), and lie in full late Tudor-style armour, reclining on one arm, one above the other.

Situated adjacent in the tiny sanctuary, a similar arrangement commemorates Sir Edmund Fettiplace II (d. 1686) for his uncle, father and himself. These were carved by William Bird of Oxford, and are both more modern and more naturalistic, although again they recline in full armour. Opposite, the Neo-classical marble bust of Sir George Fettiplace (d.1743), the last direct male in his line, looks across at his ancestors. Their Manor at Swinbrook was reputedly the finest Tudor house in Oxfordshire, but was sadly destroyed in 1806.

Also in the chancel is a set of 4 misericords, dating from the 15th century and thought to have come from Burford priory. These depict a lion, a rather ugly woman spinning wool, a man weaving, and a thistle. In the arms between the seats, are more whimsical images of people and what appears to be a dead frog. Back at the west end of the north aisle, is a benefactor board recording the benevolence of yet more Fettiplaces, among others. There is a fascinating entry for the last named benefactor, in 1748: ‘Mrs Susannah Warren of Swinbrook, who gave £10 the Interest of which to be given to the Poor. This money is now lost’. Doubtless, thereby hangs a tale...

Across in the south aisle is a window containing fragments of mediaeval glass, recovered by the Vicar after they were blown out of the east Window by a stray World War II bomb. Outside in the churchyard are the graves of Nancy Mitford and her sister Unity. My favourite item is the poem on the chancel wall to the first Sir Edmund Fettiplace, erected by his wife :

“Read and record rare Edmund Fettiplace:
A knight right worthy of his rank and race:
Whose prudent manege in two happie raignes,
Whose publique service and whose private paines,
Whose zeal to God and towards ill severitie:
Whose temperance, whose justice, whose sinceritie:
Whose native mildness towards great and small:
Whose faith & love, towards friends, wife, children, all:
In life and death made him beloved and deer
To God and Menn; and ever famous heer:
Blessed in Soul, in bodie, Goods, and name,
In plentieous plants by a most virtuous dame,
Who with his heire as to his worth still debter
Built him this tomb, but in her heart a better”

Who says memorials have to be dull?

Pebble Court, Swinbrook, Oxfordshire, OX18 4DY

St Oswald, Widford

Widford is worth visiting for its setting alone. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries for a settlement which has long since disappeared, it sits on a rise above the river Windrush in a sublime rural location. There is no road to the church, just a track alongside the river. It is tranquillity itself.

The church was built by (or for) the monks of St Oswald’s priory in Gloucester, on the floor of a Roman villa. The parish belonged to the priory between 1086 until the dissolution in 1545, and parts of the building may date back this far. The floor of the chancel covers the remains of a Roman tessellated pavement, sadly now hidden again to preserve it. But the church contains a simple 13th century tub-shaped font, a 15th century pulpit and charming late 18th/early 19th century box pews.

The most notable feature, however, is the wall paintings, thought to date from the mid-14th century. The one in the nave features a badly defaced St Christopher, with his staff the most clearly visible feature. In the chancel is a rather better preserved cautionary tale of the Kings and the spectres: the church guide explains the saying: ‘As you are, so were we: and as we are, so will you be’. The chancel also has undecipherable fragments of other images.

The church has regular, if infrequent, services. Alternatively, there are lovely walks along the valley if you just want to pay a casual visit.

Widford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4DX

St John the Baptist, Burford

Yet another charming Cotswold town, Burford is attractively located on the River Windrush, and thankfully by-passed by the busy A40 road.

Its church, tucked away down a street adjacent to the river, is one of the Cotswold’s most remarkable and interesting churches, and is definitely worth a detour on any visit to the area. As well as rich and interesting furnishings, it encompasses the full range of mediaeval building styles from Norman through to Perpendicular. This is immediately apparent from the exterior: a Norman tower (with later spire) sits astride a Decorated Gothic transept and adjacent chapel, but the entrance porch and Lady Chapel windows are pure Perpendicular.

The interior is a complex space: the nave is almost hidden amongst a warren of chapels, each containing notable tombs and furnishings. Largest of these is the Lady Chapel, built in 1200 as a separate Chapel for the Merchant Guild. It was later remodelled and joined to the Parish Church in the 15th century. It contains the memorials to the Sylvesters, one of the most powerful of the towns’ merchant families, and a beautiful altarpiece, with delicate stone carvings. Across the nave, in the north aisle, is a Norman Font, adorned with 14th century carvings and the graffiti of one Anthony Sedley, a member of the puritan ‘Leveller’ sect who was imprisoned here by Cromwell in 1649.

Further along the north wall is the historically important 16th Century memorial to Edward Harman, the barber/surgeon to Henry VIII. Carved in the renaissance style, it includes the first recorded images of American Natives in the British Isles, supposedly because Harman had trading interests in Brazil. The carvings look astonishingly modern in style, and contrast sharply with the more traditional carvings of mourners below (Harmann clearly had a large family – there are six girls and nine boys, along with his wife).

The crossing features heavy Norman arches, and in the north transept, we find a remarkable open-frame clock, dating from 1685, with its original mechanism still intact (and working). To the north of the chancel, another chapel is filled – almost literally – by the tomb of Sir Lawrence Tanfield, a Judge and Chancellor of the Exchequer to James I. Lady Elizabeth Tanfield was, by all accounts, highly unpopular and she was refused permission to erect a tomb in Westminster Abbey. The church in Burford also refused, but to no avail: she prevailed, and in 1628 erected a splendidly ornate neo-classical memorial in marble, with a tall canopy surmounted by pinnacles and their Coat of Arms. At their feet is the charming figure of their grandson, Lucius Cary, resplendent in green and gold armour. He was later killed, fighting on the Royalist cause in the Civil War.

Across the Chancel, remodelled in the 19th century, is yet another chapel, this time with a rare 16th-Century inscription from William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English. Finally, between the south transept and porch, is a chapel dedicated to St Thomas. Converted into the Corporation Pew after the dissolution, it contains a splendid decorated gothic tomb, with faint traces of its original colouring. Before you leave, the other furnishing worth finding is a slab high on the wall at the east end of the south aisle: dated to 160 AD, the ‘Epona Stone’ is the oldest artefact in the church, and is variously described as depicting the Celtic goddess Epona, or the flight from Egypt (possibly from a Saxon church – in which case the date must be rather later).

In all, this is a remarkable church in a lovely setting. Burford also has some good pubs and tea-rooms in which to refresh yourself with more earthly delights after your visit. If you have time, the nearby villages of Widford and Swinbrook also have contrasting churches worth a look.

Church Green, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4RY

St Mary the Virgin, Chipping Norton

The historic market town of Chipping Norton lies rather in the shadow of its more famous neighbours of Stow-on-the Wold and Chipping Camden. But that is to its benefit, as its attractive market square and neo-classical Town Hall are less overwhelmed by tourists, and it has plenty to offer the visitor by way of things to do and see.

Foremost among these is its church, a splendid example of ‘wool-gothic’ (referring to churches embellished by the merchants and nobility made wealthy by the late mediaeval wool trade). Nestling in an attractive hollow just off the High Street, the church is primarily a mixture of the Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic styles.

Entry is through a rare hexagonal porch, whose ceiling bosses include a splendid ‘green Man’ and a sheep apparently holding the head of a wolf. Once inside, the eye is drawn immediately to the nave. Rebuilt in the 15th Century, it is a text-book example of perpendicular architecture: delicate, clustered columns soar to an enormous clerestory of panelled windows which flood the church with light, and include a ‘Cotswold’ east window above the chancel arch. The pulpit is framed by three splendid niches, also in the Perpendicular style, but sadly devoid of their statues.

The rest of the church is predominantly in the Decorated Gothic style. The sanctuary has a well-preserved three-seat sedilia and piscina, but most notable is the east window of the south aisle, a magnificent example of decorated flamboyance. The furnishings are less remarkable: the Tudor tomb of Elizabeth Rickardes and her second husband Thomas Rickardes is a lovely work in alabaster marble, but is sadly tucked away in the corner. Charmingly, her feet rest on a dog – cleverly concealing their difference in height!

Church Street , Chipping Norton , Oxfordshire , OX7 5NT

St Nicholas, Islip

Islip is another of those ancient Oxfordshire towns: there was an Anglo- Saxon settlement here, probably including the royal hunting lodge of King Ethelred (the Unready), which became the birthplace of the subsequent King (and Saint) Edward the Confessor in 1004. Edward is alleged to have given the land and buildings of his birthplace to his newly-established abbey at Westminster in 1065. The Dean and Chapter of the Abbey still retain the right to nominate Islip’s Rector.

Although there must have been a church here in Saxon times, the present building dates to the end of the 12th century. It was substantially rebuilt in the 14th century, and all that remains from the earlier church is the impressive transitional arcade between the nave and north aisles, and the small round-headed window in the south aisle. The impressive pinnacled tower was added in the 15th century. The chancel was burned down during fighting in the Civil War in 1645, and rebuilt by the Rector, Robert South, at his own expense.

The church suffered from a rather severe restoration in 1861, which swept away many of the fittings of interest, as well as covering up some interesting mediaeval wall paintings. Today, the most interesting items include a 15th century octagonal font, some attractive 18th century memorials and, above the arch containing the painting of St Edward, a death mask reputed to be that of Richard Busby, the headmaster of Westminister School, for whom the Reverend South acted as executor.

Another famous rector was William Buckland (1846-56), the first professor of geology at Oxford, who discovered the fossilised bones of a giant reptile which he named Megalosaurus (“great lizard”) and wrote the first full account of what we now know as a dinosaur. He is buried in the churchyard.

Church Lane, Islip, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 2SD Website

St Thomas of Canterbury, Elsfield

Elsfield is a charming little village just north of Oxford, perhaps best known as the final resting place of John Buchan, former Governor of Canada and author of The 39 Steps, who died in 1940. The village is picture-postcard pretty, and runs along a little lane from the Marston junction on the A40. Quickly, you leave the dual carriageway behind and find yourself in wooded, rolling countryside, with cottages, farms and the odd barn conversion along the way.

The church was built around 1160-80 but rebuilt in the 13th century, when it was dedicated to Thomas a Becket, following his martyrdom in Canterbury Cathedral. A century later, the beautiful east window was inserted, in a delicate and flowing Decorated Gothic style. A chapel was constructed on the north side of the nave around the same period, but nothing of this now survives (traces of filled in arches were visible until 1837). Thereafter, the church remained relatively untouched until a fairly thorough Victorian restoration in the mid 19th century.

Today, the church has an attractive setting, surrounded by cottages and with the handsome old Rectory next door, sitting amidst a well-kept graveyard. After this gentle beginning, the interior comes as something of a shock, owing to the recent installation of a “parish room” at the west end of the nave. This is a clean, bright space, separated by modern glazed wood panels with echoes of a mediaeval rood-screen. Whilst this is an excellent use of the space (and, overall, is to be applauded) the brightness does contrast rather strongly with the rest of the interior.

Turning east, the main architectural feature of the interior is the chancel arch, which retains the bases, pillars and capitals from its original building around 1160-80. This is surmounted by a rather later arch which probably dates from the 13th century rebuilding, around 1250. Inside the chancel, there are fragmentary remains of wall paintings behind the altar, most likely dating from the 15th century. These frame a rather bright mosaic of the Last Supper, installed in 1860 and the work of Antonio Salviati (who also made the reredos at Westminster Abbey). Other furnishings of note include the altar rails (1627), a Jacobean pulpit and the ancient font of c. 1200. This last was one of the reasons for our visit here, as one of my partner’s ancestors was baptised here in 1718.

The graveyard contains some 17th century tombs, but is most visited for the circular memorial of John Buchan, on the upper section, from which there are beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.

Elsfield, Oxford, OX3 9UH Website

St Andrew, Old Headington, Oxford

There is little evidence today that Old Headington was once the site of a great Anglo-Saxon royal manor. It predated Oxford, which was carved out from its lands. Modern Oxford has since bitten back, engulfing the settlement and turning it into a suburb, albeit it one with a charming village centre. But it was a seat of royalty for much of the Anglo-Saxon period and into the Norman era: King Ethelred is though to have been born here, and Henry I resided for a time in the parish.

So it is perhaps appropriate that a charter from Henry I in 1122 is the first record of a church on the site, although it seems likely there was an earlier Anglo-Saxon foundation.

History

The first stone chancel was built around 1140, and a century later the church was enlarged by the addition of a south aisle, with an arcade of two bays, along with the ground stage of the south tower. The chancel was rebuilt at the end of the 14th century, and around 1500 the upper perpendicular stages of the tower were added (rebuilt in 1679). The south porch was built in 1598. Two stages of building in the late 19th century added additional bays to the nave and the rather severe north aisle.

The church

The church now sits in an idyllic churchyard, full of 17th and 18th century tombs, many in a fine state of preservation, and a 15th century cross, much restored. On entering, you are immediately struck by the spaciousness of the church, largely thanks to the Victorian additions. There is little of interest in the north aisle, but the 13th century Lady Chapel in the south aisle has attractive lancet windows.

The piece de resistance is, however, the original chancel arch: a confident Norman work from the original building around 1140, it has abundant zig-zag carving on the arch, the shafts decorated with studded trellis and spiral patterns, below cushion capitals. Rather oddly, it sits beneath the outline of a pointed arch, thought to date from the 13th century rebuilding. Through this arch is the 14th century chancel, where the eye should be drawn up: the roof corbels have wonderful carvings of a bishop, two angels and a heavily bearded man.

The only fitting of real interest is a lamp, bestowed by Sir Hugh Pluggenait in 1142, and still burning today (albeit powered by electricity). Outside, many of the tombs are worth a look, but the most interesting is that of one John Young, who died, aged 100, in 1688. His grave has both a headstone and footstone, in the manner of a bed, both surmounted by skulls. The footstone bears the inscription:

Here lyeth John
Who to ye King did belong
He liv’d to be old
And yet dyed young

The church today is carefully looked after by its congregation, with worship following the Anglo-catholic tradition.

St Andrew's Road, Old Headington, OX3 9DL

St Giles, Noke, Oxfordshire

Noke is a little cul-de-sac of a village on the edge of Otmoor, north of Oxford. Recorded in the Domesday Book, it is named after the area’s oak trees – Noke means ‘by the Oak’. It is a quiet and peaceful place, strung out along its single lane and surrounded by rich farmland.

St Giles' church stands at the centre of the village, and is said to date from before Domesday, although the present building dates from around 1270; the list of rectors begins in 1272. The building consists of a small nave and chancel, and is essentially in the Early English Gothic style, but like so many small churches bears witness to repairs and alterations through the years.

The interior is absolutely charming: 'rustic and homely' is how Pevsner describes it, and I see no point in trying to better his description. The small nave has a heavily braced roof, probably rebuilt in Elizabethan times, and 14th century niches either side of the wide, low chancel arch, which, along with most of the rest of the fabric, is probably mid-13th century. There is a colourful painted organ at the west end, next to which is the font, which is said to have been given as a gift by Princess Gundreda, youngest daughter of William the Conqueror. Its lead lining is dated 1773. The single lancet west window contains attractive modern glass, depicting three poppies, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. At the chancel end, is a dark wood Jacobean pulpit, beneath an hour-glass stand – doubtless to time the length of sermons!

The chancel contains a brass dedicated to Joan Bradshaw, (d. 1598/9), depicting herself, her two husbands and eight children. There are also memorials to her grandson Benedict Winchcombe (d. 1623) and the remains of an effigy, originally part of Benedict’s monument, erected by his nephew, Benedict Hall. This stood in a mortuary chapel on the north side; allowed by Benedict Hall’s descendants to fall into disrepair, the chapel was pulled down in 1745 to prevent it endangering the chancel. Although the brass and memorial tablets were saved, the monument was not: the remains of his Uncle’s effigy (in Jacobean costume) was allegedly used by local children for target practice, throwing stones! It now sits in the niche formed by the former chapel door.

The church has services twice a month, and an excellent website giving more details of the church, as well as on-line access to its parish registers from 1574 – a much valued resource for family historians.

Noke, Oxfordshire, OX3 9TU