St Laurence Church history

The parish of Shotteswell became a separate benefice in 1381, before that it seems to have been a part of Warmington.The parish church shows evidence in the Norman arcade of a previous church having been enlarged in 1100. Further enlargements took place in the 14th century, when an English arcade was added presumably the chancel and the tower. The church is one of the finest in the district, being well cared for and kept in very good repair. There is also evidence in the vestry of the original Saxon building which must have been little more than a monks cell, where one of the monks from Warmington would come from time to time to minister to the people of the village.

The church registers go back to about 1500 and it seems clear than Shotteswell was then and had been for some years a parish of its own. In 1925, the parish was again combined with Warmington as Vicar of Shotteswell, the Rector also being responsible for Ratley and Radway. In 2007 again with restructuring of the clergy the churches combined with Kineton and Combrooke, making the priest in charge responsible for six parishes, aided by associate ministers (part time).

For more history of the Church download the Church history here.

St Laurence Church, 1919

The church bells were augmented and re-hung in 1996, having been restored to their former glory: a lot of the village men helped with this project and were featured in the Banbury Guardian (local newspaper) towing the bells along the churchyard path, on sturdy ropes and trolleys. The bells sound wonderful and practice sessions take place on most Tuesday evening, anyone who wound love to try their hand at campanology is most welcome to come along.

To celebrate the Millennium the church had external floodlighting installed and is floodlit at weekends and on special occasions.