Church of the Holy Rood

Service

• Second Sunday in each month (except September & December). 9.30 am - Family Communion

• A service is also held at St Peter, Easington every fourth Sunday in each month at 9:30 a.m. for 45 mins

Special Services

• Second Sunday in September. 6.00 pm - Harvest Festival

Contact

• Enquiries can be directed to the Church Warden [email address]

History

The Church of the Holy Rood in Cuxham (Oxfordshire, located about 2 km northwest of Watlington) has pre-Norman origins, with the oldest standing structure being its Norman bell tower dating back to the early 12th century.

• 14th–17th Century: Early Gothic windows on the nave's north wall were added in the 14th century, while the south windows are 17th-century replacements. A Jacobean pulpit also survives inside.

• Medieval & Academic Ties: Dedicated to the Holy Rood, the church was historically tied to the local manor. In 1271, the manor was acquired by Merton College, Oxford, which remained the major parish landowner for centuries.

• 19th Century Rebuilding: Largely rebuilt around 1685, the church underwent further restoration in 1850. In 1895, the chancel was rebuilt in the Gothic Revival style by Oxford architect Clapton Crabb Rolfe. 

• Modern Era: In 1925, oak panelling recycled from a Sir Christopher Wren screen at Merton College Chapel was fitted in the nave. Ecclesiastically, the small parish was united with neighboring Easington in 1853, and today it operates as part of a united benefice alongside Ewelme and Brightwell Baldwin.