Elsfield is a charming little village just north of Oxford, nowadays somewhat cut off from the City…read moreby the busy A40 bypass. It's best known as the final resting place of John Buchan, former Governor of Canada and author of The 39 Steps, who died in 1940.
The village is picture-postcard pretty, and runs along a little lane from the Marston junction on the A40. Quickly, you find yourself in wooded, rolling countryside, with cottages, farms and the odd barn conversion along the way.
The church was built around 1160-80 but rebuilt in the 13th century, when it was dedicated to Thomas a Becket, following his martyrdom in Canterbury Cathedral. In the 14th century, the beautiful east window was inserted, in a delicate and flowing Decorated Gothic style.
A chapel was constructed on the north side of the nave around the same period, but nothing of this now survives (traces of filled in arches were visible until 1837). Thereafter, the church remained relatively untouched until a fairly thorough Victorian restoration in the mid 19th century.
Today, the church has an attractive setting, and inside comes as something of a shock, owing to the recent installation of a parish room at the west end, screened off by a handsome modern wooden and glass screen with echoes of the style of a mediaeval rood screen. While this is an excellent use of the space (and is to be applauded) the bright white paint and clear glass does rather dominate.
The main architectural feature of the interior is the chancel arch, which retains the bases, pillars and capitals from its original building around 1160-80, with the arch from the later 12th century rebuilding around 1250.
Inside the chancel, there are fragmentary remains of wall paintings behind the altar dating perhaps to the 15th century, framing a rather bright mosaic of the Last Supper behind the altar was made in 1860 and is the work of Salviati (who also made the reredos at Westminster Abbey). other furnishings of note include the altar rails (1627), the Jacobean pulpit and the ancient font of c. 1200. This last was one of the reasons for our visit here, as one of my partner's ancestors was baptised here in 1718.
The graveyard contains some 17th century tombs, but is most visited for the circular memorial of John Buchan, on the upper section, which has beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.
