Church Of St Michael

The Church of St Michael is a church dating back to around 1200, with significant alterations made in the late 14th century, the chancel rebuilt in the early 17th century, and further additions in the early 14th century. It was restored in 1889 by J. Cossins. The church is constructed of ironstone ashlar, with steeply pitched stone slate roofs to the chancel and south porch. It comprises a chancel, a central tower, a nave, a south aisle, and a south porch.

The chancel has a 3-light lancet window on the east side and a 3-light stone mullion window on the south side. A doorway with a plain round arch leads into the south aisle, which contains two 3-light Perpendicular windows, restored in the 19th century, and a 2-light lancet window with a trefoiled head to the left of the porch. Diagonal and clasping buttresses are visible externally. The gabled south porch has a pointed arched doorway with a hood mould, stone bench seats, and a stoup. A plank door with wrought-iron hinges provides access. The nave has two 2-light Perpendicular windows on the ground floor and a clerestory on the north side. A pointed arched doorway is on the north side. Four similar late 14th century clerestory windows are on the south side, featuring an elaborately carved corbel table depicting beasts, grotesque figures, and musical instruments; a style characteristic of work by north Oxfordshire masons seen in Hanwell, Adderbury, and Bloxham.

The central tower has three stages and a crenellated parapet, with cusped lancets and a slit window to the staircase. Internally, the east arch leading to the chancel was re-cut in the 14th century. The north and south arches are round-headed; the north is blocked, while the south leads to an organ chamber added in 1889 by J. Cossins. The nave has a restored cambered tiebeam roof, partly original, supported on stone head corbels. A south arcade dating back to around 1200 features two chamfered orders, bell-shaped capitals, and a round pier opposite the entrance, decorated with trumpet-scallop motifs. A tub-shaped font from the 12th century sits on a 19th-century stone base. Within the chancel is an effigy of an unknown Knight. There are 18th-century memorials to the Pointer family, and memorials to Timothy Lydiat, pastor, who died in 1652/3, and to Hannah, wife of Richard Burden, pastor, who died in 1646/7. Also present are stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops.