Langford Church guide - Oxfordshire Cotswolds

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The Shill and Broadshires Benefice - Church GuideMany building modifications havetaken place over the years. Afterthe Black Death (mainly 1349)some changes were made but inthe 15th century local inhabitantsmade significant investments innew pavement flooring, seats,several windows and the presentoctagonal font. At one time theporch was two storey but only theblock doorway and the hint of anaccess stairway remain, as left.The nave was also re-roofed at alower pitch and clerestorywindows introduced above thearcade.Fashions have changed in church services,as in everything else, and preaching wasnot a feature of the medieval church service.Preaching became common from lateTudor times onward and Holy Communionwas only celebrated at Easter, Whitsun,Michaelmas and Christmas during the 16thand 17th centuries.This Jacobean pulpit was made in 1673 byThomas Whiting (of Shipton-u-Wychwood?)for £8-00. Originally it could have been adouble decker type. However, in 1865 itwas decided to scrap it and provide a newone but, when blank facing panels wereremoved and the fine carvings revealed,that decision was quickly reversed. Thepedestal and stairs were provided in 1867.The Mysteries of the Exterior.The figures above the porch door of The Crucifixion with OurLady and St John have been reset from another location.They are thought to date from 1020 -1040 and may havebeen commissioned by Earl Leofric of Mercia, a knownpatron of the arts. The form is similar to those found in theSyrian churches with the principal figure carved in high reliefon four stones. When reset the hands have been juxtaposedright and left probably to fit the porch facade. Also the Virginand St John are on opposite sides of Christ to normal. Christwears a loincloth which is significant when considering thedate of the headless Rood on the east porch wall.Langford 6
The Shill and Broadshires Benefice - Church GuideWhile the tower is undoubtedly the oldest part ofthe church this headless rood might be the oldestartefact. Studies revealed that Christ wearing along tunic was common in statues up to the 8thcentury.There are no other figures like this anywhere inEngland.The method of construction supports the theorythat the figure was carved in northern France in700 - 800 AD.In the 16th century the two flying buttresses wereadded to the north nave wall. The wall is out of truevertical, was it in danger of collapse? One buttresshas an inscription dated 1574.The pointedand pointlessWest enddecorationsto the roofappear tohave beenadded atabout thesame time.The square base and octagonal shaft column arethought to originate from the 15th century; itsprecise purpose is not known but it might havebeen for the broadcast of news and the King’sproclamations. It was probably surmounted by across and damaged during the Reformation.The sources of information for this guide have been the original guide book in thechurch, John Blair’s Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire, English Heritage and Victoria County History.The author is indebted to Dr Mark Page for permission to use his latest researchmaterial.Derek Cotterill 2008.Langford 7
Page 1: St Matthew’sLangford.8th century
Page 4 and 5: The Shill and Broadshires Benefice

Langford Church guide - Oxfordshire Cotswolds

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