St Mary's Church

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1 - 3.  St Mary's Church, Marsh Gibbon, is set in a picturesque village close to the Buckingham - Oxford border, and about six miles north-east of Bicester. Set fairly high above the street, the entrance to the church is through a lych-gate, and thence surrounded by shaped yew trees. 
 

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4 - The south transept. 

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5 - The church from the north-west.  Note the large north transept which matches that on the south side. 

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6 - Looking west to the ringers' gallery over the newly installed kitchen. There may formerly have been a west gallery for the quire, but of there was, there is now no trace. The usual extensive Victorian restoration work was carried out to the church in the mid nineteenth century, but VCH makes no mention of the removal of any gallery.
 
7 - View from the gallery towards the east end.
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8 - Friendly Societies were common during the latter part of the nineteenth century, but it is uncommon for their flags and pennants to survive. These two, the blue one dated 1788, are hung in the north transept. 
 

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This church is included especially because of its association with music known to have been sung and played here, this being ascertained through the fortuitous discovery of a manuscript quire book in a car boot sale in Herefordshire.
 

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12 - Many villages had their biers for the transportation of the dead to church for burial. This example, although undated, is typical of those found in the late eighteenth century in this area. [See also Brailes in Warwickshire.]
 

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13 - The adjacent farm house, a splendid example of a timber-framed building, added to in Tudor times (the two centre bays), and over the centuries thereafter.

 

Dove's reference for the bells:

[27/10/01] Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire, St Mary the Virgin, 5, 13cwt in G.  [Alternate Tuesdays with Twyford - emlm]

ACCESS

Map reference : SP647233

The church stands on the left hand side of the road, just east of the cross-roads in the centre of the village, on the road leading to Poundon and Twyford.  The church is kept open during the hours of daylight (information from a local ringer).


Photographs: © Edwin Macadam   2002
 

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This site has been constructed by, and remains the copyright of, its authors,
Edwin and Sheila Macadam,

Shelwin, 30, Eynsham Road, Botley,
Oxford OX2 9BP
© July 2001 -