About Us

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 Southside 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. Over the past 30 years, we have renewed the roof, eliminated threats from beetle and damp, and installed a proper heating system. Our most recent work has been the most ambitious: transforming the interior of the building with complete redecoration, new lighting, seating in English oak, kitchen and toilet facilities and a new vestry. The Sanctuary has been enhanced by a stunning new reredos depicting the life of St Kenelm in a glorious mosaic of Venetian glass, by the renowned church artist Nicholas Mynheer, a former resident of Enstone. We now have a wonderful building which is fit for this and future generations.

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

Enstone is part of the CHASE Benefice - a group of parishes serving the villages of Chadlington, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Spelsbury and Enstone, situated in North Oxfordshire on the edge of the Cotswolds in the Diocese of Oxford.

We are a lively, inclusive church community that offers a warm welcome to all, wherever you are on your faith journey. We are a thinking and reflective community that seeks to nurture the spiritual growth of people of all ages – questioning and exploring are encouraged and supported.

As a church community, we come together to serve Christ and the wider communities in which we live, and we worship together as a Benefice each Sunday in a monthly pattern of services that moves around our four beautiful village churches.  We worship in a liberal and broadly central church style.  As well as offering services from Common Worship and the Book of Common Prayer, we offer Quiet Communions, informal all-age services, meditations, and more.  We also join together in smaller groups for study, reflection and discussion, to nurture spiritual growth through every age and stage of life.  Social activities are an important part of our life together, too.

You can find out more about us at our website - www.thechasebenefice.org.uk - where you will find a list of upcoming services and events.  You can also find details about marriages, baptisms and funerals.

You will find a warm welcome at any of our services and we look forward to meeting you.