Church Of St Swithin

The Church of St Swithin is a church dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, with substantial restoration undertaken between 1865 and 1872 by C. Buckeridge. It's constructed of limestone rubble, partly rendered, with ashlar dressings, and has lead and Welsh slate roofs. The church comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower, and south porch.

The chancel, rendered externally, features a large 3-light east window, originally from the 14th century but altered to incorporate a 4-centred arch and Perpendicular tracery. Three tall 2-light windows with transoms and Perpendicular tracery are located to the south, alongside a priest's door. The wide south aisle, with a moulded parapet, showcases a fine 3-light east window with flowing tracery. Further south are two early 14th-century windows of 2 lights, set beneath quatrefoils, and a 3-light Perpendicular window with a shallow triangular arch. The 14th-century porch has continuous moulding and shelters an elaborately moulded south door, below a 15th-century panel containing three image niches, mirroring a similar feature at Charlton-on-Otmoor. Re-set C14 2-light windows are found on the north side of the nave, following the demolition of a north aisle. The 13th-century tower, of three stages, incorporates a 15th-century panelled parapet, stepped clasping buttresses, lancets, and 2-light bell-chamber openings with Y-tracery.

Inside, the chancel's south side presents a fine 14th-century triple-sedilia and piscina with cusped ogee canopies and crocketted pinnacles, alongside a matching canopied recess to the north. An ogee-headed tomb recess with pierced cusping is also situated to the south. The carved roof corbels and the chancel arch feature matching 14th-century details. A 4-bay early 14th-century nave arcade has octagonal piers with round capitals and arches of 2 chamfered orders, terminating in head stops. A similar 3-bay arcade is integrated into the north wall. The 13th-century tower arch is of 2 unchamfered orders. The south aisle contains a 14th-century sedile and piscina, plus elaborate image niches flanking the east window with double-cusped canopies and a canopied holy water stoup by the south door. The 5-bay 15th-century nave roof has curved braces with traceried spandrels, short posts from tie-beams to moulded purlins, and a carved boss below each tie-beam. Fixed features include 17th-century bench pews, two 16th/17th-century communion tables, a 17th-century pedestal pulpit with carved arched panels, and a set of 17th-century stalls with elaborate poppyheads, originally from Exeter College Chapel and now located in the south aisle. A mahogany tower screen is derived from the Priory Church of St. John, Clerkenwell. A 12th-century tub font has a 17th-century cover. Significant monuments include a large marble wall monument to John Doyley (died 1593), featuring kneeling figures in a Renaissance arched recess, and a painted monument to Elizabeth Poole (died 1621), with Tuscan columns, obelisk finials and strapwork cresting. The chancel houses 17th- and 18th-century memorials, primarily ledgers, relating to the Harrington family, while the tower displays several late 17th- and early 18th-century wall monuments to members of the Vaughan family.