Church Of St Britius

BRIZE NORTON STATION ROAD SP20NE, SP3007 (West side) 5/40, 17/40 Church of St. Britius 12/09/55

GV II*

Church. Late C12; early C13 north aisle and chapel, and late C13 west tower; restored in 1868 by G.E. Street. Walls, mostly replaced by Street, of coursed limestone rubble; gabled stone slate roof. Chancel, nave with north aisle and chapel, and west tower. Geometrical 3-light east window, to south of similar mid C19 window. 4-bay north wall has, from east, a Norman window, early C14 three-light window, early C13 lancet flanked by worn corbel heads, early C13 pointed chamfered doorway with hood and another early C14 three-light window: early C14 3-light west window with reticulated tracery. South side of chancel has plain Norman doorway with chamfered hood flanked by mid C19 three-light C13-style window and plain C14 transomed window in blocked C13 opening (C13 rere-arch). Nave has early C13 lancet and mid C19 lancet window flanking late C12 Transitional south porch with round double-chamfered arch on shafts with moulded capitals. Fine late C12 Norman south door: arch has roll moulding and 3 bands of chevron decoration, the outer one carried on shafts with cushion capitals - one with carving of 2 birds; the tympanum has a symbol of the Tree of Life carved in the centre of a chequer pattern. Mid/late C13 three-stage tower with string courses: has lancets and 2 corbels to left; 2-light belfry openings of plate tracery; corbel table of stars and carved heads has billet decoration also. Nave roof has sanctus bellcote. Interior: C13 cusped rere-arch over south-east window, sill of which is dropped to form sedilia with carved stone arm-rests. On north wall of chancel is part of Norman string course and 2 paired blocked Norman windows under dogtooth-carved hood; early C13 double-chamfered pointed arch to north-east chapel. C13 double-chamfered chancel arch with head corbels. C15 rood screen, with moulded nuntins and traceried heads to open panels, has mid C19 brattished cornice and painted decoration. Nave has painted mid C19 pulpit and lectern; late C12 Norman font with blind arcading and laid/late C19 base; late C13 hollow-chamfered archway to tower; early C13 four-bay north arcade has double-chamfered arches set on heavy round piers with moulded capitals and square bases. Mid C19 roofs and fittings. Monuments: C17 and early C18 ledger stones in chancel. In north-east chapel is shallow arch over stone effigy of knight John Daubyngy, d.1346, in a sunken tomb: carved head and shoulders, and crossed feet, are sunk into tomb with shield and crest set over solid stone "blanket" in middle. This is the only church in England dedicated to St. Britius, a C5 French saint. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.487-8; Bodleian Library, Topographical Drawings, has many C19 views of church including exterior and interior drawings of 1821 by J.C. Buckler (M.S. Top. Oxon; National Monuments Record).

Listing NGR: SP2999607596