Church of St Birinus is a Grade II* listed building in the South Oxfordshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 May 1986. Church. 4 related planning applications.

Church of St Birinus

WRENN ID
slow-cornice-yew
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
South Oxfordshire
Constituency
Henley and Thame MP: Freddie van Mierlo (LD)
Country
England
Date first listed
14 May 1986
Type
Church
Address
Church of St Birinus, Bridge End, Dorchester
OS grid reference
SU 579 939
Coordinates
51.64126, -1.16467
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: sale history · EPC · related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Roman Catholic Church of 1849, designed by William Wilkinson Wardell for John Davey of Overy. It is constructed of coursed squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, and has a stone-slate roof. The church comprises a nave, chancel, north vestry, and south porch, and is built in the Decorated style.

The one-bay chancel features a three-light traceried east window and cusped single lights in the side walls. The nave has three bays with two-light side windows featuring flowing tracery, and all windows have carved head stops to their hoods. The central south porch has a richly-moulded doorway below a canopied statue of the Virgin and Child. The west wall contains cusped single lights flanking a large canopied standing figure of St Birinus, supported by an angel corbel. The gable parapets are topped with apex crosses, and above the chancel arch is a tall bellcote with a traceried opening.

The interior retains contemporary fittings, including a painted and gilded panelled ceiling with an elaborate cornice, and elaborately-canopied recesses for the piscina and font in the south wall. A traceried wooden chancel screen displays carved rood figures, and the chancel arch has rich foliage capitals and a surrounding painted inscription. Contemporary glass in the chancel windows is by Ward and Nixon, while a later stained-glass window is present in the nave. The interior is notably rich and complete. Wardell, a friend of Pugin, subsequently designed the Roman Catholic cathedrals of Melbourne and Sydney.

Local climate

Church of St Birinus sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 720 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 81% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 72% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 62% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
  • Sale history — 2 transactions since 2017
  • Related listed building consents — 4 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Churchyard and Garden Wall to West of Church of St Birinus Grade II 19 m
  2. Former Chequers Public House Grade II 31 m
  3. Bridge House Grade II 53 m
  4. Stable and Front Garden Wall at No 24 Grade II 56 m
  5. Bridge End Close Grade II 73 m
  6. 4, Samian Way Grade II 80 m
  7. Mollymops Grade II 93 m
  8. 12, Bridge End Grade II 95 m
  9. Berins Moyleen Grade II 122 m
  10. K6 Telephone Kiosk, Bridge End Grade II 131 m