St Mary the Virgin, Longcot
St Mary's is a lovely parish church whose shape seems to reflect that of the village it serves. Services start at 9:30am. Holy Communion is celebrated on two Sundays a month, otherwise Morning Prayer is said.
The congregation and the Longcot Village Trust have worked incredibly hard over the past few years to raise sufficient money to build a community hub at the west end of the nave. This £200 K project was completed in October 2021 and was formally opened by the Lord -Lieutenant in May 2022. The new facilities include a kitchen, disabled toilet, and a mezzanine which is an ideal space for meetings, and offers visitors an interesting view of the bell ringers in action. The community hub is already becoming a focus of life in the village, hosting children’s parties, concerts, bell ringing training courses and parish meetings.
The Church
St Mary’s church dates back to the 13th century, with a large barn-like nave, small chancel and an 18th century tower. The nave was repaired in 1606 and again in 1701; other parts of the building reflect later repairs and additions, and we look forward to being able to add a toilet and kitchenette as the 21st century’s contribution to maintaining the life of the church and its place at the centre of the village.
Within the building there is a font which probably dates from the 13th century; a hexagonal pulpit of fine Jacobean oak work and a wonderful 1733 painting of the arms of George III.
In addition, there is a plaque in memory of Lillian Carter who, with her husband, lost her life on the Titanic in 1912. Lillian’s uncle, John Hughes, was vicar of Longcot from 1853-1895 and the chancel was refurbished in his memory. The churchyard is managed by a team of volunteers and includes a wild-life garden which has won a number of environmental awards.
The Bells
The original tower collapsed in the early 18th century, taking the bells with it. It was rebuilt and a new ring of five was installed by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester in 1722. Seven years later, Rudhall added a sixth bell. This installation remained in use until the early 1960s when the bells became too difficult and dangerous to ring and fell into disuse. Ringers from Shrivenham progressed a “Millennium” scheme to make the bells ring again, and in 1998 they rang out as a ring of eight. The two extra treble bells were cast at the Loughborough foundry. There is also a 1909 Sanctus bell (½ cwt) by Warner’s of London replacing its predecessor of 1845 by W Taylor of Oxford.
We have an active bell ringing team and the tower is a flourishing teaching centre for the Benefice, the Deanery and the surrounding area. New ringers are always welcome - come along to the Friday evening practice at 7:30pm and see how it's done!
