Horspath Parish Churches

Horspath Churches and Church Activities

St. Giles, Horspath Parish Church
Church Road, Horspath, Oxfordshire OX33 1SE
Vicar: The Revd Emma Pennington, M.A., The Rectory, 17 South End, Garsington, tel: 01865 361381.
Churchwarden: Mr. Brian Lowe: 873342.

St. Giles Church is open to visitors every day between about 9am and 4pm. St. Giles is a listed building. For information about the Church building see the "Listed Buildings" page in the History of Horspath section. There is a selection of photos of the Church in the "Images Around Horspath" area.

The 13th century church was drastically altered during the 19th century, with the chancel being rebuilt and north transept added. The church contains medieval stained glass and, amongst a number of notable details, a handsome Jacobean pulpit. The tower is 15th century, and the bells are an extremely smooth flowing ring of six, with long ropes for exceptionally short ringers. The church bells specification: 6 bells 5 cwt, 2 qr, 9 lb or 283 kg Bb. You can read an article about the bells (PDF format 170 Kb) written by Brian Lowe, Church Warden and local historian. On the east wall of the South Transept in St.Giles is the Horspath Village War Memorial Plaque, and you can read an article about the Memorial (PDF format 232 Kb), again written by Brian Lowe.

Some recent church history:
Since 1983, the right to appoint a rector has been held jointly by Trinity College and the Diocese of Oxford. At that time the parishes of Garsington and of Horspath were united so that the two shared the same Rector. In 1996, the Rector’s title changed to “Team Vicar in the Wheatley Team Ministry with responsibility for Garsington, Horspath & Cuddesdon”.

St Giles Church

The St. Giles Horspath Parish Magazine for February 2012 is now available online (PDF format 850 Kb, very large) . It has information about Church services and other parochial and Village matters. You can read back numbers of the Parish Magazine in PDF format, please be very patient while these large files load.

Month 2012 Size

February 850 Kb

Month 2011 Size

November 750 Kb    October 616 Kb    September 600 Kb    July/Aug 700 Kb    June 530 Kb

May 510 Kb    April 380 Kb    March 551 Kb    February 293 Kb    Dec.'10/Jan. 587 Kb

Month 2010 Size

November 633 Kb    October 288 Kb    September 386 Kb    July/Aug. 402 Kb    June 392 Kb

May 528 Kb    April 690 Kb    March 583 Kb    February 496 Kb    January 587 Kb

Month 2009 Size

Dec/Jan'10 587 Kb    November 515 Kb    October 257 Kb    September 325 Kb    July/Aug. 167 Kb

June 258 Kb    May 337 Kb    April 452 Kb    March 270 Kb    February 206 Kb

Church Services in February 2012
Sunday 5th February	The Third Sunday before Lent
	10.00 am	Cluster Service at St Mary’s Garsington
	5.30 pm	Time Out in Horspath Methodist Chapel
Sunday 12th February	The Second Sunday before Lent
	8.00 am	Holy Communion (BCP)
	11.00 am	Parish Communion
Sunday 19th February	The Sunday next before Lent (Quinquagesima)
	11.00 am	Family Service
Wed'day 22nd February	Ash Wednesday
	10.00 am	Eucharist, followed by coffee at St Giles’ Horspath
	5.15 pm	Eucharist and Ashing at All Saint’s Cuddesdon
Sunday 26th February	The First Sunday of Lent
	11.00 am	Morning Worship

St Giles Church is one of the partner churches in the CEF (Community Emergency Foodbank). There is a CEF box in the back of the church and it is hoped that people from the village as well as church-goers will donate food each week for the foodbank. You can read here about CEF and also check out the food list.

Methodist Chapel
The Green, Horspath, Oxfordshire OX33 1RT
For all Methodist Chapel hall and room bookings, call Dorothy Stepney, Bookings Secretary, on 01865 243216 or 01865 862259. The Horspath contact is Sheila Dandridge.
Saturday 17th October 2009 at 4 p.m. - a Service of Thanksgiving was held for 100 years of Methodist worship and witness in Horspath. This was to be the final day of Worship in the Chapel. The chapel is now closed for public worship as the regular membership dropped to just five people.
Methodist Chapel

Bell-ringing
Every Tuesday evening at St. Giles Church - contact Brian Lowe: 873342.

Churchyard Conservation
A highly commended scheme in St. Giles' churchyard - contact Sheila Frankum: 872793.

Friends of Horspath Churches
Continuing the activities of the Horspath M.U.

Horspath Parish Church
On the First Sunday of every month - "Time Out". Half an hour of music, words and silence on the first Sunday of the month from 5.30 – 6.00 pm at the Methodist Chapel, Horspath.

Parish Council New Burial Ground
If you are interested in the aims and usage of the New Burial Ground, which is owned by Horspath Parish Council, read or download the PDF version (16Kb) of the Rules for Usage of the Burial Ground (updated January 2012).

Parochial Charities
Chair: Barbara Lewis: 872204; Clerk: Sheila Dandridge.

Wheatley Team Ministry
Visit Wheatley Team Ministry, the web site for the team of 12 local church parishes, including Horspath, Cuddesdon and Garsington.