St Mary's Church, Chastleton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin, Chastleton
St Mary's seen from the west from the grounds of Chastleton House
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OS grid reference	SP24862906
Location	Chastleton, Oxfordhire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Around the Benefice
History
Dedication	St Mary the Virgin
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Designated	27 August 1957
Specifications
Materials	Cotswold stone
Administration
Deanery	Chipping Norton
Archdeaconry	Oxford
Diocese	Oxford
Province	Canterbury

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is an old church in Chastleton, Oxfordshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is part of a group of churches in the area, including those in Cornwell and Little Rollright. All these churches are part of the larger Diocese of Oxford.

The church was first built around the year 1100. It was made bigger in 1320. The tall bell-tower you see today was added much later, in 1689. The church was repaired and updated between 1878 and 1880. It is now a special building, listed as Grade II*, which means it's very important historically.

A Look at St Mary's History

The old font, possibly from Norman times.

St Mary's church started its life around 1100. From this very first Norman church, only a few parts remain. You can still see an old door in the north wall. Also, some arched pillars and maybe the baptismal font are from that early time.

Around 1320, the chancel (the area around the altar) was built. Part of the north wall was made wider. A south aisle was also added. These new parts were used as special chapels for prayers.

The South Aisle Chapel

This chapel was officially recognized in 1336. Robert Trillowe, who lived at Chastleton House, likely helped pay for it. The floor has old, shiny tiles from the 1300s.

The window at the east end of the chapel shows pictures of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The south window tells stories from when Jesus was a child.

The wooden panels on the east wall are from the 1600s. The wooden seats, called pews, are also from that time. The ceiling was added in the Victorian era. It shows the coats of arms of five families who owned Chastleton Manor over time. These families were the Trillowe, Catesby, Jones, Whitmore, and Whitmore-Jones families. Some members of these families are buried in a vault under the chapel.

The altar (the table used for services) was designed in 1993. It was made to match the old 14th-century pillars next to it.

The Chancel Area

The carved wood behind the altar might be what's left of a rood screen. This screen used to stand between the main part of the church and the chancel. Below the chancel, some members of the Jones family were buried. Also, some former church rectors (priests) were laid to rest here. One rector, Horatio Westmacott, was the son of a famous Victorian sculptor.

On the floor near the lectern (where readings are given), you can see two special metal plaques called brasses. One remembers Katherine Throckmorton, who died in 1592. She was the grandmother of Robert Catesby. The other plaque is for Edmund Ansley, who died in 1613.

A small room called the vestry was added to the church in 1853.

Pulpit and Pews

The pulpit (where the preacher stands) is from the Jacobean period, around 1623. It might have been made by the same person who created woodwork in Chastleton House. It used to be a "triple-decker" pulpit, with different levels for reading and preaching.

The seats in the main part of the church (the nave) and the chancel are Victorian. They replaced older oak benches. Three of the original high-backed oak pews can still be seen in the South Aisle Chapel.

North Aisle and Organ

The church's organ now covers a stone piscina. A piscina is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. This one is the only sign that another chapel once stood here. The current organ was put in by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1937. Before that, Walter Newman was the organist for 49 years. Long ago, in the Middle Ages, the church had a gallery where a band would play music.

Old Wall Paintings

On the north wall, there are important old paintings from the 1600s and 1700s. These paintings were found in the 1930s. They likely covered the whole wall at one point. Most of them show the The Ten Commandments or The Lord's Prayer. Another painting on the south wall, showing The Last Judgement, was found in 1878 but was covered up again soon after.

The West End

The large window at the west end of the church is from the 1300s. The glass in it was added in the 1900s. There used to be a gallery here, reached by a stairway, but it was removed in 1878. The baptismal font in this area is thought to be from the 1200s or even earlier.

The Church Bells

The church tower has a set of six bells that are used for change ringing. The third bell was made in 1696. Until 1726, there were only three bells. Then, a fourth bell was added. In 1731, the fourth and fifth bells were cast. The second bell was made in 1762. Finally, the first and last bells were added in 1811 and 1825, making a total of six bells.

The bells were repaired in 1900. In 1993, almost £40,000 was raised to have the bells re-tuned and re-hung. They were re-tuned by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and hung in a new steel frame.

A team from the village regularly rings the bells. They are also helped by bell ringers from a nearby church. The room where the bells are rung is on the first floor of the tower. You enter through the south door and climb a short ladder to reach it.

The Churchyard

The churchyard is the area around the church where people are buried. On the north side, close to Chastleton House, is the tomb of Sir Richard Westmacott. He was a very famous sculptor in the Victorian era.

Other interesting people buried here include Alan Clutton-Brock, who lived at Chastleton House. Also, Newbury Racecourse manager Geoffrey Freer and CLT Walwyn, whose son became a famous racehorse trainer, are buried in the churchyard.

Families Connected to the Church

Many families have had strong ties to St Mary's Church and Chastleton House over the centuries.

The Trillowe Family

The Trillowe family lived where Chastleton House now stands from about 1302. Robert Trillowe was important because he helped fund the chapel in 1336. Later, a Trillowe family member married into the Catesby family.

The Catesby Family

This family became well-known through William Catesby, who worked for King Richard III. A later William Catesby married Anne Throckmorton. Their son, Robert Catesby, was involved in the Gunpowder Plot. He lived at Chastleton in 1601. His son was christened at this church in 1595. Because of a large fine, Robert Catesby had to sell Chastleton House in 1602 to Walter Jones.

The Throckmorton Family

In 1555, Anthony Throckmorton married Katherine, who was the widow of William Catesby. Their daughter, Margaret, later married Edmund Ansley.

The Ansley Family

Edmund Ansley married Margaret Throckmorton. The Ansley family lived at Brookend, a place they took over after the Dissolution of the monasteries. Edmund died in 1613 and is buried in the church's chancel.

The Greenwood Family

Around 1588, the Greenwood family became patrons of the church. This meant they had a say in who became the rector. Their house was opposite the church, but it was destroyed in the 1800s. In 1608, George Greenwood married Elizabeth, the oldest daughter of Walter Jones.

The Jones Family

Walter Jones bought Chastleton House in 1602. He started building the current house in 1603 and finished most of it by 1614. Walter Jones married Elinor Pope, who was a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I. He died in 1632 and was buried in the chancel.

Many members of the Jones family owned Chastleton House over the years. You can see special wall monuments in the church that remember members of the Jones family. These include monuments to Sarah Jones (died 1687) and Anne Jones (died 1708).

The Whitmore Jones Family

John Henry had to change his name to Whitmore Jones to inherit Chastleton House. His four sons never married. When the last son died in 1874, the house went to his niece, Mary Whitmore Jones. She was the first woman to inherit the house. In 1900, she gave the house to her nephew, Thomas Harris, who also changed his name to Whitmore Jones.

Irene, Thomas's wife, moved into Chastleton House in 1933.

The Clutton-Brock Family

In 1937, Alan Clutton-Brock joined Irene Whitmore Jones at Chastleton House. He later married Barbara Foy-Mitchell. When Irene died in 1955, the Foy Clutton-Brocks moved back to the house. Alan died in 1976, and Barbara stayed until 1992, when the house was sold to the National Trust.

The Richardson Family

Mr. and Mrs. CT Richardson rented Chastleton House from 1896 to 1933. They did a lot of important work to improve the gardens.