St Mary the Virgin
Broughton, Oxfordshire
St Mary's was built almost entirely in the early 14th century, at the same time as Sir John de Broughton was building the adjacent castle.
Wroxton is a beautiful village mainly built from the local ironstone and largely thatched, including the ducks house on the village pond! The church warmly welcomes visitors.
The modern church altar is also built from local Blue Ironstone, quarried and hand carved less than 5 miles away. It has its original stone font and features many wonderful 17th century wood carvings. These mainly depict figures and events from the Bible, uniquely portrayed by those who carved them, thought to be Flemish woodcarvers traveling from the continent in search of work. However there are some unknown characters, especially on the choir stalls, who are considerably less Biblical!
We have a peal of five bells, all made by the renowned bell foundry of Henry Bagley in 1676, fully restored in 1997, and rung regularly for services, weddings etc. The original bell tower partially blew down in 1747. It was rebuilt in 1748, designed by Sanderson Miller. This 1748 tower originally had an octagonal crown, but this fell off shortly afterwards, an event recorded by Horace Walpole no less! There are some beautiful stained glass windows and the clerestory has just been restored (as has the roof) so the plain medieval leaded glass is safely preserved for future generations.
A striking feature within the chancel is the 16th century elaborately carved stone memorial to William Pope. William and his wife are carved in repose in intricate detail, retaining some of the original paint, and their children are depicted around them. William's son Thomas, whose tomb is nearby, founded Trinity College, Oxford. Also within the chancel are the tombs of Sir Francis North, Keeper of the Great Seal, and most notably Lord Frederick North. Lord North was Prime Minister of Great Britain 1770-1782 during the reign of George III, some of the most eventful years in British history! He responded to the Boston Tea Party and was in office during the American War of Independence, resigning when it became clear the colony was lost. Thomas Coutts, founder of Coutts Bank and other members of his family are also buried here and have memorials within the chancel. Above the chancel are remnants of a wall painting.
Near to the church is the impressive 17th century building Wroxton Abbey, formerly home to the Pope and North families. It is now a college, part of the American Fairleigh Dickinson University. The grounds, originally designed by Capability Brown, are open to the public (no dogs). Wroxton Abbey was used by King Charles I and his troops during the English Civil War. The famous battle of Edgehill took place 5 miles away. Also near to All Saints is a small Catholic church, one of the very few thatched churches in England. There is a bus to Wroxton, running between Banbury and Stratford Upon Avon, the bus stop is approximately 5 minutes walk from the church, but please check times before traveling. (Johnson's bus or Wroxton village websites) Banbury, 3 miles away, has a railway station with frequent trains. Although the church does not have toilets or a café, there is a hotel in the village, situated between the church and bus stop, approximately 3 minutes walk away.