Famous for its links to John Betjeman and Thomas Hughes (author of Tom Brown’s School Days), St Mary’s distinctive octagonal tower sits proudly beneath the White Horse Hill. St Mary’s dates to the mid-thirteenth century and is a large cruciform church. It is believed that the church was built under the auspices of Abingdon Abbey, perhaps explaining how a rural village comes to have such an imposing church. The church provides a classic example of Early English style. Notable exterior features include a grand south porch with modern statues of St George and Alfred the Great by a local artist from Woolstone, Heidi LLoyd, and eleven surviving roundels from the original set of consecration crosses. The upper storey of the current tower replaced a steeple that collapsed in a storm of 1740. The interior was restored under the supervision of Diocesan architect G. E. Street in 1851. The interior retains the original sedilia and some interesting memorials, including a seventeenth-century tomb with the recumbent figure of John Saunders of Woolstone. For further details of the church’s history please see https://www.uffington.net/visitor-info/church-history/, or guide booklets are available in the church.If you are planning a visit, there is also Tom Brown’s School Museum.John Betjeman, churchwarden of St Mary’s in the 1930s, wrote a poem about Uffington:
Uffington
Tonight we feel the muffled peal
Hang on the village like a pall;
It overwhelms the towering elms
That death-reminding dying fall;
The very sky no longer high
Comes down within the reach of all.
Imprisoned in a cage of sound
Even the trivial seems profound.
The church is open in daylight hours, access is by the south-east door. For services, the main south-west door is used. There is on-street parking outside the church gate, though we ask you to respect the needs of local residents and the adjacent school. Access to a toilet is available during services and events. There is a sound loop system. There is limited off-road parking for the disabled. The church is accessed by a smooth tarmac path and there is wheelchair access using a ramp via the main south-west door. Inside is on one level except for steps up to the altar. A ramp is available on request or, for communion services, we are happy to bring the bread and wine to those in the pews.
We hope that, whether you are local or a visitor, joining us for worship, coming to discover the church’s history or simply looking for a quiet place to be, you will enjoy your time in St Mary’s.
