Artwork

The Church is home to much fine artwork and sculpture that has been added to the building over the centuries.

Stained Glass

The only surviving piece of good glass is in the South side of the chancel above the priest’s door, a charming figure of an angel blowing a trumpet, which is probably 14th century. A window in the vestry contains two small fragments of late mediaeval glass. Most of the rest is inferior stuff of the 19th century, although the figures of Faith, Hope and Charity in the East window of the South chapel were made from a design by Burne-Jones, and the western-most window in the South aisle, dated 1888, is however of some historic interest because it depicts High Church practices introduced for a short time under the Reverend J. B. Kane. The West window in the baptistery is dated 1920. The mediaeval tracery of the windows was removed between 1765 and 1820.

Sculpture

After the priory was dissolved (1537) the church passed into lay patronage. It was probably then that several fragments of mediaeval sculpture were added to the church. Two panels in the South arcade show small figures of knights in armour with swords and shields; they probably came from a tomb. In the baptistery against a pillar is the effigy of a mediaeval lady; its curious shape suggests that it may once have been used as part of a window-jamb. Above the South doorway outside the church is a small female head of about the 12th century which may represent St Edburg.

Muniments & Parish Registers

The four ancient chests now inside the church held the parish monuments. The registers which date back to 1539 and the library catalogue of 1692- 1716 are now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.