Minster Lovell St Kenelm

St Kenelm's Church is part of the Benefice of Witney. We encourage you to visit our Witney Parish website for full information on all the churches of the Benefice, including events, services and more.

St Kenelm’s Church is a medieval building constructed in approximately 1450, and behind the church are the remains of Minster Lovell Hall (known as “The Ruins”). Our beautiful church is in a lovely tranquil setting and it is open every day from morning until dusk. We have many visitors, attracted by the history and “The Ruins” who often take the opportunity to pray, leave messages on our prayer board, and frequently comment in our Visitors’ Book on the quiet, prayer-filled atmosphere within the church.

The church’s worship and teaching are in the Church of England catholic tradition. The liturgy is mainstream catholic, Eucharistic, based on Common Worship, with hymns and worship songs, traditional and contemporary. Incense is occasionally used.

The parish of Minster Lovell is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs and policies. The Diocese of Oxford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

St. John the Baptist

Curbridge lies to the south-west of Witney, population about 425, and is separated from Witney by the A40 by-pass. It is an agricultural area, with farms both in and around the village. There is a pub, a Skoda garage and a children’s playground, but no shop.

The Church building a is small (seats 70), attractive Arts and Crafts building, set in an open churchyard, well cared for and valued by the village community. There is a small regular congregation of 12-18, but up to 40 for special occasions like evening services for Harvest festival and Carol Service. It is well supported by Friends of Curbridge Church who fund-raise for the building and support village community life. Several residential developments, large and small, are being built close to the village providing us with the opportunity to grow our congregation.

The parish of Witney is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Oxford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

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St. John the Evangelist, Hailey

Hailey is a village and civil parish north of Witney. The village comprises three neighbourhoods: Middletown on the main road; Poffley End on the minor road to Ramsden, and Delly End on Whiting’s and Wood Lanes. Hailey has a church – St John’s; a very popular and busy C of E Primary School; Village Hall; several farms; and a hairdresser, but it no longer has a shop. It is a lively village, with a summer festival and lots of activities throughout the year.

Hailey Church, is a Victorian building completed in 1869, but the church itself reaches out into the community well beyond its’ walls. Together with the school, pub, community woodland, and village hall, it is at the centre of village activity. Sunday services attract a steady, enthusiastic, mature congregation of over 30. We have a planned series of special services across the year, most of which are family focussed, and include the Festival Service in June, the Peace Service in July and a Pet service in the autumn. Compline services, lay led, are held in Advent and Lent, and Evensong is held on the first Sunday of the month.

The parish of Witney is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Oxford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

Holy Trinity, Wood Green

Holy Trinity is in the conservation area of Woodgreen, next to a children’s play area and close to the pub. The interior of the church is of simple design and has 100 comfortable chairs making it a useful flexible space.

Our services are supported by a talented choir, and we have a wide range of services, including a traditional Nine Lessons and Carols in the week before Christmas and a quiet and meditative "Tenebrae service" on the evening of Good Friday. The Easter garden is now arranged in the porch so that it can be more easily seen and our Christmas tree is positioned outside so that it is a sign to the whole community of our active presence.

Many baptisms, weddings and funerals take place in Holy Trinity church, and everyone is welcome at all of our services.

The parish of Witney is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Oxford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

St. Mary the Virgin, Witney

Saint Mary's is a dynamic, growing church. We take seriously the call of the Church to simply worship God as her primary vocation. Our life as a community is based around the regularity and repetition of the Eucharist. We believe we are called to be a community of mercy and kindness who offer radical hospitality. Our ministry of feasts and festivals shows this in an active way. We also know the power of learning by laughing.

The community of St Mary’s, Witney, is delighted that our church is a member of the Inclusive Church Network. We extend a big, warm, open invitation to everyone and anyone to come and join us, irrespective of gender, race, age, sexuality, wealth, background, education, social status

We are the main and civic church for the town of Witney. Saint Mary’s was re-dedicated in 1243, although an earlier church stood on this site. We have an active role as the focus of civic ceremonies and outreach to the town and wider area. We are regularly used for special services such as Remembrance Sunday, the Mayor’s Carol Service, and BBC Radio Oxford broadcasts. However as the focal point of many local people’s lives, we also have strong pastoral links for baptisms, weddings and funerals. And we are excited by the future.