At the meeting of Council on 11th February a total sum of £172,000 was awarded to 12 churches. Four churches received grants exceeding £20,000 – two namely St Nicholas, Britwell Salome and St James the Great, West Hanney each being given a David Booth Award of £42,000. Five churches received grants under £15,000. Additionally, a sum of £11,000 was awarded in the form of three emergency and one supplementary grant.
St Nicholas, Britwell Salome (Grade II) received a David Booth Award of £42,000 for interior repairs and restoration.
A small church of 1867 designed by Charles Buckeridge (1832-73) incorporating fragments of its 12th century predecessor. It consists of a nave and chancel in flint with stone dressings. There is a bellcote at the west end. It is situated in an isolated location away from the village
St James the Great, West Hanney (Grade II) received a David Booth Award of £42,000 for the installation of a WC and kitchen as well as the creation of a usable room accessible directly from the church for children’s activities and other purposes.
The church is built on the foundations of an earlier Saxon church and considerably altered by the Victorians. The church contains many interesting interior furnishings, including the ancient Purbeck marble high altar, fine Jacobean altar rails and pulpit and a 15th century piscina.
St Mary, Barton-Headington received a grant of £30,000 for roof works
Built in 1958 to a design by N F Cachemaille-Day (1896-1976) who was considered by some to be the greatest parish church designer of the interwar period. It is the only example of his work in the diocese and is an example of utilitarian postwar mid-century design. It replaced the mission churches of St. Mary’s, Sandhills, and King Charles the Martyr, Headington.
St James the Great, Radley (Grade II*) received a grant of £20,000 for repairs to stonework
The church has 13th century origins and over the years has been added to and restored. The interior contains many interesting features including Renaissance stained glass and important Victorian heraldic glass. Historically the church had close connections with the Royalists during the Civil War. Outside the main door the much-weathered Cavaliers Tomb is thought to be the burial place of 2 Royalist officers.
All Saints, North Moreton (Grade I) received a grant of £12,000 for the restoration of medieval stained glass
The church has late 12th century origins and has been much altered over the years. The chantry chapel built in 1299 contains what is considered to be the most outstanding medieval glass in Oxfordshire. Our grant makes up the shortfall remaining after an impressive fundraising campaign by the church for this important major work
Holy Trinity, West Hendred (Grade I) received a grant £6,000 for repairs to the chancel roof
The current building replaced a 9th century wooden church, which is referred to in the Domesday. The church appears to have been entirely rebuilt in the 14th century. The chancel was rebuilt as it is today in around 1320, and the nave, aisles and, and western tower between 1390 and 1410. The southern porch was added in 15th century. Little alteration has been made in the structure since that date. The roof was partly renewed in the 17th and 18th century. A careful restoration was done in 1929.
St Mary, Black Bourton (Grade I) received a grant of £5,000 for repairs to the Porch
The earliest features are Norman including the chancel, font, and carved stone pulpit – the priest’s door may be even earlier, possibly Saxon. The highlight of the church is its 13th century wall paintings. Covered at the reformation, they were first uncovered when the church was restored in 1866 by E G Bruton (1826-99)
St Michael, Barford St Michael (Grade I) received a grant of £5,000 for roof and rainwater repairs.
The church was rebuilt in the 13th century, but it retains the earlier Norman bell tower and font. The North doorway of c.1150 is remarkable, having unusual proportions, tall and narrow, with a sharply arched head. The arch has mouldings decorated with beakheads and a zigzag pattern. The interior contains some interesting 15th century features, in particular the Georgian doors to the chancel screen, and the bench ends carved with fleur-de-lys poppyheads.
Holy Trinity, Henley on Thames (Grade I) received a grant of £1,500 for roof and rainwater goods, which was in addition to an earlier emergency advance of £3,000.
The church was built in 1848 and enlarged in 1891 to a design by W T Lowdell (1861-44) when the vestry, baptistry and aisles were added. The enlargement retained its decoration of flint and stone to match the original design of Benjamin Ferrey (1810-80).
The interior was re-ordered in 1987.
St Mary Magdalene Stoke Talmage (Grade II) received a grant of £1,500 for window repairs
With medieval origins this church was in a poor state for centuries, and was then rebuilt in 1758 in thin and insubstantial Churchwarden’s Gothic (Pevsner). In 1860 G G Scott consolidated and added the north aisle, south porch, and vestry.
St John the Baptist, South Moreton (Grade II) received an Emergency grant of £2,500 to facilitate the urgent removal of an unstable monument.
The building is 11th century in origin with 12th and 13th century additions. It was heavily restored in 1849 when the roof was raised, and the font, pulpit, vestry, and pews were installed. The church was originally built here as a chapel for pilgrims crossing the Berkshire Downs on their way to visit the shrine of St. Birinus at Dorchester Abbey.
St Andrew, Chinnor (Grade I) received an Emergency grant of £1,500 for the replacement of an oil tank.
The present structure is 14th century, however there are considerable remains of an earlier church on the site. It has been enlarged and remodelled over the centuries and there was a general restoration in 1858.