Church of St Margaret Lewknor, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

LEWKNOR HIGH STREET SU7197 (North side) 10/97 Church of St. Margaret 18/07/63

GV I

Church. Late C12; early C14 chancel, south aisle and porch (probably built for Sir John de Lewknor); C15 vestry and tower; chancel restored 1845 by James Johnson, and nave in 1863 by Arthur Blomfield. Flint rubble with limestone ashlar dressings; gabled mid C19 tile roof. Chancel with vestry, nave with north chapel and south aisle with porch; west tower. Early C14 five-light east window; mid C19 light above; flanked by offset buttresses. Similar buttresses and 2-light windows in 3-bay side walls. C15 vestry with square-headed one-light windows and parapet adjoins north chapel, which has blocked late C12 pointed-arched openings, blocked C17 round-headed doorway and blocked C15 two-light window: mid C19 three-light windows in side walls and mid C19 parapet. North wall of 3-bay nave has 2-light plate tracery windows by Blomfield, late C12 lancet to west bay and mid C19 corbel table. South wall of nave has similar late C12 lancet and C12 corbel table in west bay. Early C14 south aisle has 2-light windows and 3-light east window. South porch has mid C19 carving of the Lamb of God over pointed double-chamfered doorway: early C14 pointed moulded south doorway to C19 plank door. Two-stage west tower has offset corner buttresses, one- and 2-light windows, north-east stair turret and embattled parapet; 3-light west window with restored mullions above C15 doorway with face-masks to label stops and C19 double-leaf door with C12 crescent hinges. Interior: chancel has early C14 piscina, 3 sedilia, tomb recess with recumbent effigy of a lady, and doorway, all with very elaborate flowing-tracery and crocketed canopies and finials; early C17 alabaster effigies of William Deane, d.1621 and wife, and Sir Thomas Fleetwood, d.1629 and wife, were reset at west end of chancel in 1845; fine wall monument of John Scrope, d.1752, has marble bust set in aedicule with open pediment; brass to John Aldebourne, priest, c.1380. 3-bay arch-braced roof of 1845. Early C12 chancel arch has zig-zag mouldings and engaged shafts with crocketed capitals; impost moulding continued as string course along north and part of south walls of nave, and an early C12 arch to north transpet. Nave has pulpit by Blomfield, mid C19 pews and roof and medieval iron-bound parish chest: early C14 three-bay arcade of double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers to south aisle, which has cinquefoil-headed piscina, moulded string course, fine C12 font with linked roundel decoration and C18 wall tablets. North chapel: large marble monument to Sir Paul Jodrell, d.1728, and family; monument to Richard Paul Jodrell, d.1831, has marble sarcophagus and fine carvings of angels with wreaths by P. Bazzanti of Florence, 1833; recumbent effigy of Rev. Sir Edward Repps Jodrell, d.1882, by Sir J.E. Boehm, has revealed panels with relief panels of angels and evangelists; C19 dado panelling and wrought-iron gate in north archway. C15 archway to west tower, which has C15 doorway and C15 studded door with decorative iron hinges. Stained glass: east window by Hardman; chancel windows to north-east (1873) and south-east (1876) by William Morris, were first used at Llandaff in 1869. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.683-4; V.C.H.: Oxfordshire, Vol.VIII, p.109-117).

Listing NGR: SU7157297648