Information from  “A Guide & History of the Church” by Yvonne Huntriss - 1997

Another view of the back of St. Mary’s church and the graveyard.

This is the Hawk & Partridge Pub. We had lunch further down the street at the Red Lion Pub. It has a lovely outdoor park area by a stream where we ate and  where the children can play.

The village of Bloxham is in Oxfordshire, near Oxford, North of London. It retains the charm of its early settlement — the winding streets, thatch-roofed stone cottages, dooryard roses in front gardens.

Our first stop was the Bloxham Village Museum, which unfortunately was closed that day.

We went on to the Anglican Church, St. Mary’s of Bloxham. The first written evidence of the church is the charter whereby William I granted it, with the Rectory Estate, to Westminster Abbey in 1067. In 1547 Edward VI gave the living to Eton College, who hold it to this day.

The rood (cross) screen [see above] separates the chancel from the nave. The panels represent the four doctors of the Church in order of rank: Gregory (Pope), St Jerome (Cardinal), St Ambrose (Archbirshop) and St Augustine (Bishop).

We walked up the old Main Street of Bloxham and around many of the old streets. Flowers were abundant; lots of Lobelias and Begonias, also Nasturtiums and Sweet William (called “Stinky Willie” because of William and Mary). This is a typical side street.

These are typical of the thatched stone cottages in the village. Note in the back, a new thatched roof  being installed.

While inside St. Mary’s we heard the organist practising, and so heard the big pipe organ. I peeked into the church tower and saw the eight bell ropes and eight ‘pads’ for the bellringers to stand on. Later that afternoon, we heard the bells pealing out.

We heard “The Bells of St. Mary’s”!