Abandoned or Converted Churches and Chapels

These ruins now stand isolated from any community. The church was abandoned in 1875 when it was rebuilt closer to the current village of Bix adjacent to the Henley to Nettlebed road. The road through Bix Bottom had been in earlier times on a through route. The Church ruins have been used for a Hammer Horror Film

This has been converted into a modern home. The Primitive Methodists eventually reintegrated into the mainstream Methodist Church

This chapel is closed with old curtains dangling from the windows but it's still an elegant building situated on a small green in Standlake which true to its name is surrounded by water.

The back of the chapel has been converted into two floors for kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc. The front living area has retained the full height of the chapel. A father and son are converting it they are in the conversion trade (Whites Property Services) so they know what needs doing. The chapel closed about 10 years ago and has since served as a temporary village and provided shelter during the last floods.

Lew is a hamlet with a population of just 62! A prefect example of a church built for too small a locality

This Church of England is situated in a beautiful but isolated location. It has roughly fortnightly services. It was a mystery to me as to why it was built here so far from any population but see below. The River Thames is just down the hill but the river prevents anyone from approaching from the south.

SHIFFORD, a chapelry, in the parish and hundred of Bampton, union of Witney, county of Oxford, 6 miles (S. E.) from Witney; containing 52 inhabitants. It appears from a Saxon MS. in the Cottonian library, that Alfred the Great held one of his first councils here, probably on a piece of ground near the chapel, called Court Close. The chapel is an ancient structure.

It is said that there were once seven churches and many inns here, there was also a Holy Well, which has since disappeared. The road across the fields from Standlake to Old Shifford is called Hlaew-Paeth meaning Burial Road.

This chapel is maintained by the Historic Chapel Association. The chapel may be hired for receptions and meetings

Widford was a substantial village in the Middle Ages but today only the 16th century Manor house and a few other houses remain. St. Oswald's stands in a field whose cropmarks show the outlines of former buildings. Very small but marvelous church with wall paintings, strange cell-like boxes for privileged families, just 3 services a year. What's more this was once an isolated part of Gloucestershire, that means it was surrounded by Oxfordshire. A must visit. The little church overlooks the Windrush River. Part of the flooring is from a Roman Villa. The visit can be included in a variety of local walks.

This little chapel was one of the first to make me feel sad for it, once thronging with people

This is a large chapel turned into a large dwelling

This unusually is a closed Church of England church normally it is the non-conformist chapels which close. It is of unusual design more like a chapel than a church. The also closed adjacent school has also been incorporated into the the private home.

This church is at the end of a quiet lane in a small village overlooking the Windrush Valley and looking down on Crawley Carpet Mill also closed.