Bampton Church

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)

There are no visible remains

NameBampton Church
Alternative NamesChurch of St Mary; Bentonensi
Historic CountryOxfordshire
Modern AuthorityOxfordshire
1974 AuthorityOxfordshire
Civil ParishBampton

Mainly 12th century parish church with evidence that it was formerly an Anglo Saxon minster. Some 10th and 11th century fabric survives in the base of the central tower. The church was remodelled in the late 12th century on a cruciform plan and various alterations were made through the 13th century, including the heightening of the tower and the addition of the spire. The church was remodelled again between about 1290 and 1320, with the nave being totally rebuilt. Further work was undertaken through the 14th and 15th centuries. The church was considerably altered as part of major reconstruction work carried out between 1867-70 and the top of the spire was rebuilt following a lightning strike in 1872. A chapel, in use as a store by the 19th century, was converted into a vestry in 1894. A documentary source indicates that the church was used as a castle between 1141 and 1142, but it is not known what form this fortification took. (PastScape)

Major discovery was number of ditch cuts outside the present churchyard, intepreted as Medieval recuts on or near line of original Saxon Minster ditch. This appears to have been maintained into C13. (Oxfordshire HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Fry writes 'A motte castle was raised by Queen Matilda' but there does not appear to be any evidence that the fortification of the church by Matilda involved a motte. The church 'occupies one corner of large oval enclosure of Anglo Saxon date' (Oxfordshire HER). This was an urgently constructed military camp based on a church rather than a fortified church.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP312033
Latitude51.7277488708496
Longitude-1.54867005348206
Eastings431260
Northings203320
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 63
  • Crossley, Alan, and Currie, C.R.J. (eds), 1996, VCH Oxfordshire Vol. 13 p. 53-7 online transcription
  • Coulson, Charles, 1994, 'The Castles of the Anarchy' in King, Edmund (ed.), The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign (Oxford University Press) p. 71
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 388
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 183
  • Pevsner, N. and Sherwood, J., 1974, Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (London) p. 429-31
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 100

Journals

  • Speight, Sarah, 1999-2000, 'Churches as Castles: the misuse of religious buildings during the reign of Stephen' Castle Studies Group Newsletter No. 13 p. 11-12 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Sewell, R.C. (ed), 1846, Gesta Stephani, Regis Anglorum et Ducis Normannorum p. 88 online copy (The newer edition and translation by Potter, K.R. (ed), 1976 (2edn), Gesta Stephani (Oxford University Press) should be consulted for serious study. See also Speight, S., 2000, 'Castle Warfare in the Gesta Stephani' , Château Gaillard Vol. 19 [see online transcription > http://web.archive.org/web/20101229213751/http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/speight.htm])