The earlier church of St Andrews Shrivenham

The visible structure of the church at Shrivenham provides the information that it has been altered. The central tower is the earliest part of the building and earlier weather mouldings still in place on three faces of the tower suggest that it was originally cruciform in shape. It was then altered by extending the walls outwards to make it a much larger, rectangular church. But the mystery is when did the change take place ? No documentary evidence has yet been discovered.

The idea of this listing is to make a start by putting together what we do know. In the National Archives there is a document that makes reference to repairs made to the Chancel by the Vicar George Ellys in 1585. We have recently viewed the document and now include it here as another small clue as to what was there. To read the full transcript please go HERE. The conclusion is that the church was then in it's cruciform shape, eg. before the alterations.

Local Historian Margaret Andrews is also searching for an answer and has written two listings in this catalogue - N888 and N902.