In 2021, following the first phase of a roof repair of the North chapel, leaks at the west end of the church revealed that urgent further repairs were needed. Unless the nave and north and south aisle roofs were made good, including a complete recover of the nave roof lead, they were unlikely to survive another winter. A survey set out the extent of the work needed, revealing that what was needed was beyond the church’s fundraising capacity in the timeframe required. Accordingly grant applications were made, and through the generosity of the Trust (together with the National Churches Trust and the All Churches Trust), the work was put in hand and completed in the first part of 2022.
In October 2022 St Mary’s held a ‘Celebrate St Mary’s’ weekend, with roof tours, to give thanks for the generous giving and expertise that has made possible the continued flourishing of the ministry of St Mary’s Church to the people of Cogges.
St Mary’s Church, Cogges, Oxfordshire, sits at the heart of a medieval complex of manor-church-priory, is a twelfth-century building with later additions. These include a diagonally-set octagonal west tower, a fine four-centre-arched window with flowing tracery, and carvings in the north aisle and chapel showing animals with musical instruments and a frieze of grotesques.
