St Mary's Church, Adderbury

St Mary's stands on Mill Lane in Adderbury, south of Banbury. It is an early thirteenth-century cruciform church, enlarged in the fourteenth century, with a chancel of 1408 to 1419 by Richard Winchcombe for New College, Oxford. Historic England lists it Grade I. The Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust calls it arguably the finest parish church in the county.

The story of St Mary's

Adderbury's church owes its grandeur to a rich landlord and then a rich college. The Bishops of Winchester held the manor from before the Conquest, and in 1381 William of Wykeham, then bishop, gave the rectory to the college he had founded. New College paid for the new chancel.

The body of the church came first. In the fourteenth century the aisles were widened and a west tower and spire added. Then Richard Winchcombe built the chancel, with its stepped buttresses, pinnacles and tall windows, in the years around 1410. The listing gives 1409 to 1419 and the Historic Churches Trust 1408 to 1419.

The Victorians restored it twice over: J. C. Buckler restored the chancel in about 1831, and Sir George Gilbert Scott the nave in about 1866, followed by his son J. O. Scott in 1886. Masonry repairs in 2018 and 2019, helped by a Heritage Lottery grant, cost about £300,000 and were commended in the Natural Stone Awards in 2020. Simon Smith carved two new gargoyles for the tower at that time.

What to look for

Walk the outside before going in, because the carvings are the church's main claim. The fourteenth-century friezes along the aisles show grotesque faces, animals and a group of medieval musicians, carved in the same vigorous manner as those at nearby Bloxham. Then look for these:

• A long-tailed, growling dragon among the figures, picked out by the Historic Churches Trust
• A head of William of Wykeham and the arms of New College above the east window
• The octagonal limestone spire, with traceried lucarnes, over a pierced parapet
• Carved corbels of bishops and kings in the chancel
• The brass to Jane Smith, who died in 1508, and the painted wooden memorial to Thomas More, who died in 1586
• The fifteenth-century rood screen, which Scott restored and gave a new loft

Visiting St Mary's

The church's A Church Near You page says the building is open every day from 9.30am to 5pm, and visitors are welcome to drop in. Other listings give slightly different hours, so ring the vicar on 01295 810159 if your plans depend on it. There is no charge. The same page lists a ramp, an accessible toilet, baby changing and guidebooks, and says guided tours can be arranged. The Sunday service is at 10.30am, so come later that day if you want a quiet look round.

Chipping Norton Theatre uses the church as one of its off-site venues, and concerts are held here, so an evening event is another way to see it.

Getting there

St Mary's is on Mill Lane, OX17 3LP, in the village, and the church's page says parking is available. See our guide to the buses around Banbury for the way without a car.

Nearby

The Bell Inn and The Red Lion are both in Adderbury. Our guide to Adderbury covers the rest of the village. To compare the work of New College's money, go on to Swalcliffe Barn, and for the opposite of medieval church building, see Cockerell's St Mary's in Banbury.