The first building must have existed before 830 AD and some small Saxon remains can still be seen. The main Norman building was the nave and South doorway; the North aisle is early English and the South aisle 14th Century; tower, chancel, clerestory and porch are all of the Perpendicular period i.e. 15th Century. The Lady Chapel on the South side of the church is Tudor. There is a 16th Century priest’s chamber over the South porch. There are six bells. In 1856 there was a complete restoration under the well-known architect, George Edmund Street.

In recent years there has been much work done to secure the fabric of the Church. The PCC is now considering ways in which to improve the ambience of the building as a place of worship and to facilitate the use of the building for secular activities, such as meetings and concerts. It is hoped that the first part of this work will include a new heating system.

The local Roman Catholic Community uses St. Kenelm’s for worship on Sundays between 9.00 – 9.45 am.

Enstone is part of the rural Chase Benefice lying in rolling countryside in north-west Oxfordshire on the edge of the Cotswolds. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The benefice encompasses parishes from the Evenlode and Glyme valleys and stretches from the north-east to the south of Chipping Norton. The Benefice was formed in 2001 being a combination of two previous Benefices divided in part by the A44 trunk road running from Worcester to Oxford. It consists of the villages of Chadlington, Spelsbury and Ascott-under-Wychwood to the south of the A44 and Enstone and Heythrop to the north. The main centres of population are in Enstone and Chadlington, although each of the five villages has its own church [one parish has two!] and congregations.

Visitors are always very welcome.

Calendar of forthcoming services and events

List of all services and events in this benefice

Other information