Holy Rood

The church dates from before the Norman conquest and has been a place of worship for over a thousand years. It remains the only place of worship in the village. It originally consisted only of the nave and chancel. In the 1400s the tower was added at the west end, and the porch on the south side. It is thought that the stones used to build the porch are Saxon in origin probably from the nave west door when the tower was added.

The arch of the inner south door is Saxon as is the very fine sun dial above it. The latter consists of a stone square with a circular dial outlined by a raised roll moulding and is no longer visible to the sun. The beautifully carved oak door within this arch is nearly 600 years old. The outer archway of the porch is also Saxon and is thought to have originally been the west doorway arch of the church before the tower was built. 

Two steps lead down from the porch into the body of the church. The font immediately to the right on entry is 15th century of diagonal form and unusually has the face of a Green Man hidden in the carved stone foliage beneath the overhang.

The church sits comfortably in the countryside, in its own grounds, surrounded by Cotswold stone walls and has been the place of worship and burial for centuries. The uninterrupted view from the churchyard looks out over a beautiful rural scene bringing an air of peace and tranquillity to those who visit. The recent extension to the graveyard has ensured that no encroachment to this site is possible, thus preserving this area of natural beauty for posterity and a burial space for generations to come. 

The church yard is beautifully maintained. It is graced by mature trees, some of which line the entrance path, planted by local families in memory of those lost in WWI. There are no protected species of plant but the churchyard provides a habitat for nesting birds and a wild flower meadow is developing within the extension to the graveyard.

The church and churchyard have been a place of veneration for over a thousand years. It has ministered to and served the community faithfully during that time and continues to do so today. The grave stones, memorials and tablets evoke memories of past members of the community. The earliest tablet of note in the church is dated 1638. In the churchyard there is a 14th Century cross with steps, base and most of the shaft, plus several 17th century and 18th century chest tombs and ledgers.