Stanton Harcourt

The earliest known record of the Church of England parish church of Saint Michael dates from 1135, and the Norman nave and lower parts of the bell tower are certainly 12th century.

In the 13th century the chancel, chancel arch and tower arches were rebuilt and the transepts and stair turret were added.

In the 15th century the upper part of the belltower was completed, the Perpendicular Gothic west window of the nave and north and south windows of the transepts were inserted and the pitch of the roof was lowered.

In the chancel is the Decorated Gothic late 13th- or early 14th-century shrine of St Edburg of Bicester. It was at the Augustinian priory at Bicester until 1536, when the priory was dissolved. Sir James Harcourt had the shrine salvaged and moved to St Michael’s. The Harcourt chapel was added on the south side of the chancel, possibly by William Orchard. It includes the medieval tombs of Sir Thomas Harcourt and his wife, Lady Maud, daughter of Lord Grey of Rotherfield. St Michael’s parish is part of the Benefice of Lower Windrush, along with the parishes of Northmoor, Standlake and Yelford.

The central tower has a ring of six bells. Michael Darbie, an itinerant bellfounder, cast the second, third, fourth and fifth bells in 1656, which was during the Commonwealth of England. Richard Keene of Woodstock cast the tenor bell in 1686. Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the treble bell in 1722.

TREBLE (D):

4½ c.w.t.

Abraham II Rudhall

1722

2 (C):

5¼ c.w.t.

Michael Darbie

1656

3 (B♭):

6 c.w.t.

Michael Darbie

1656

4 (A):

7 c.w.t

Michael Darbie

1656

5 (G):

8½ c.w.t.

Michael Darbie

1656

Tenor (F):

11 c.w.t.

Richard Keene

1686