Church of St Bartholomew

Details

YARNTON CHURCH LANE SP4711 (West side) 13/159 Church of St. Bartholomew 07/12/66

GV I

Church. C12 origins; rebuilt in mid/late C13; early C17 clerestory, Spencer chapel and south-west tower of 1611 and south porch of 1616 for Sir Thomas Spencer of Yarnton Manor. Coursed limestone rubble; ashlar tower and Spencer Chapel. Stone slate porch and chancel roofs; shallow-gabled lead roofs. Chancel with south chapel, aisled nave, south porch and south-west tower. Late C13 cinquefoiled 3-light east window; C13 lancet and Norman lancet to north side of chapel. Spencer Chapel has Perpendicular-style 5-light east window and 2 three-light south windows with panel tracery and restored mullions; crenellated parapet. North side of nave has C17 arched doorway with imposts and studded door, C15 Perpendicular 3-light window with panel tracery and C15 two-light window; partly restored C15 Perpendicular 3-light window with panel tracery to west; label mould over early C17 two-light hollow-moulded round-arched clerestory window. South side of nave: label mould over plain C14 two-light window; restored C13 lancets; 2 similar early C17 clerestory windows; early C17 porch has shallow chamfered arch over C17 studded door. Crenellated parapet to nave. Early C17 four-storey tower: 3-light Perpendicular window with panel tracery to west; stair-turret to south has steps to C17 studded door; label moulds over C17 hollow-moulded rounded-arched window and similar 2-light windows; crenellated, parapet. Interior: chancel has fine C15 Nottingham alabaster reredos depicting Adoration of the Magi, The Betrayal, Christ carrying the Cross and Pieta. Early C17 carved woodwork, with strapwork and classical-style arches, to stalls. Two-bay late C16/early C17 roof with arch-braced collar-truss and windbraces. Mid C13 chancel arch of 3 orders with hollow-chamfered arches and triple shafts. Spencer Chapel: very fine early C17 richly-carved screen with strapwork cresting and obelisks over screen which has carved putti heads to cornice, fluted columns and arches carved with strapwork, bosses and zigzag. C12 tub-shaped stone font on moulded wooden base; fine early C17 panelled stalls with ball poppyheads, and early C17 seats with panelled backs set on turned legs and with ventilated vestment cupboards beneath seats; Parish hearse, with turned legs, donated 1820. Nave: pulpit and reading desk have fine early C17 carving; C15 octagonal font with trefoiled tracery to stem and foliate, quatrefoil and animal carvings; C15 bench ends with poppyheads to west ends of nave and south aisle and late C18 box pews to east of south aisle; screen to tower made in 1854 from Jacobean panels and carved strapwork and balusters; early C17 four-bay roofs with arch-braced moulded tie-beam trusses with moulded beams. Late C13 four-bay south arcade with double chamfered arches set on round piers. Porch has early C17 moulded plaster cornice with lions' masks and unicorns to frieze, with fleur-de-lys, and rampant lions on shields beneath; fine early C17 studded door with strap hinges and Norfolk latch set in plain C12 doorway with moulded imposts. Wall paintings: C15 fragments over chancel arch, including Nativity. Monuments: monumental brass in nave, by Thomas Knowles, depicts figure of William Fletcher, d.1826, set on Gothick carved tomb chest: C19 wall tablets. Spencer Chapel Monuments: large monumental memorial by Jasper Hollemans for Sir William Spencer, d.1609, and wife has, Spencer griffin and crest flanked by obelisks surmounting Corinthian columns which frame recumbent effigies set in elaborately carved arch with figures of children below and rich Flemish carving throughout. Large Baroque monument by John Nost for Sir Thomas Spencer, d.1684, and wife: Spencer crest set in shaped pediment with acanthus scrolls and flaming urns above architectural frame with figures of Sir Thomas with his wife, sons and daughters. Oval wall tablet to Jane Spencer, d. 1689, framed by finely carved festoons of flowers. Oval wall tablet to Margaret Mordant, d.1706, set in architectural frame with flaming urn set in scrolled pediment flanked by Doric pilasters with festoons and cherubs. Monument to Charlotte Augusta, Duchess of Marlborough, d.1850, depicts marble relief with mother, angel and children. Stained glass: chancel has much C15 stained glass, mostly donated in early C19 and including cherubims and birds, and C17 and C18 Flemish glass in north-west window. Spencer Chapel has "largest collection in the country of early C17 armorial glass" (Pevsner). Nave windows have much fine reset C15 glass including monks and saints, C16-17 armorial glass and early C14 donor figure in north-west corner; south aisle has C18 Flemish glass of saints to east, C15 figures of cherubim and saints. West window has C14 and C15 roundels, saint's head and canopy. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: pp864-7; National Monuments Record)

Listing NGR: SP4776511675

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

395521

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 864-7

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.