Tuesday 17 November 2015

St Oswald’s Church in Farrow&Ballshire

A simple church gem: St Oswald's Widford


The other Friday I was out cycling with good chum Mike.

We peddled through Widford. Now a tiny hamlet, once a medieval village, the River Windrush hurries past it. We were a mile or so east of Burford in West Oxfordshire.
We set our bikes against an Oak and walked across the fields to the church of St. Oswald. This tiny single cell church is on the site or a Roman villa.  Until recently small area of Roman mosaic was visible in its chancel however this treasure has been carried off to Cirencester museum.
The church is a gem, it is the perfect counterpoint to the grand parish church of Burford. Inside all was delightfully gloomy on a dull November day.
In his wonderful book England's Thousand Best Churches
Simon Jenkins comments

‘The essence of Widford is simplicity. The pulpit appears to have been made from an old screen. The box pews are Georgian, the communion rail Jacobean.’

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Thank you very much for your comments - Tim