St Mary's Church, Longworth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Longworth
Location	Longworth, Oxfordshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Churchmanship	Central
History
Status	Active
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Years built	13th century
Administration
Parish	Longworth
Deanery	Vale of White Horse
Archdeaconry	Dorchester
Episcopal area	Dorchester
Diocese	Oxford

St Mary's Church is a special old church in Longworth, a village in Oxfordshire, England. It's a Church of England parish church, which means it's the main church for the local community. This church is so important that it's officially called a 'Grade I listed building'. This means it's a very old and historically significant place.

History of St Mary's Church

How Old Is the Church?

The very first parts of St Mary's Church were built a long, long time ago, in the 13th century. That's over 700 years ago! Imagine what life was like back then.

Later, in the 15th century, which was about 500 years ago, more parts of the church were added. This included the main area near the altar called the chancel, the tall west tower, and the north aisle, which is like a side section of the church.

The Church Bells

The tower of St Mary's Church has five bells. These bells were made by different people over many years.

• Three of the bells were made in 1662 by a bell maker named Richard Keene from Woodstock.
• Another bell was made in 1746 by Henry III Bagley from Chacombe. He probably made it at his workshop in Witney.
• The last bell was made in 1807 by James Wells from Aldbourne.

There's also a smaller bell called a Sanctus bell, which was made around 1890. Sadly, these five main bells cannot be rung right now.

A Protected Building

Because St Mary's Church is so old and important, it was officially named a Grade I listed building on November 21, 1966. This special status helps protect the church so it can be enjoyed for many more years.

St Mary's Church Today

What Happens at the Church Now?

Today, St Mary's Church is still an active place of worship. It's part of a group of churches called the benefice of Cherbury with Gainfield. This group belongs to the Diocese of Oxford, which is a larger area of churches in the Church of England.

The church follows the central tradition of the Church of England. This means it has a balanced approach to its services and beliefs, somewhere between very traditional and more modern styles.

Famous People Connected to the Church

One notable person who served as the Rector (a type of priest) at St Mary's Church was J. R. Illingworth. He was the Rector from 1883 to 1915.