St Mary’s Church Witney:  900 Years in the Making

Latest UPDATE April 2017:  We need to replace the roof as soon as possible!  Warmest thanks to all those local Witney folk who have generously sponsored 3,600 slates. This means we only have 400 slates to go!!  

GOOD NEWS – £178,500 raised, only £40,000 still to raise.

We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for earmarking £143,500 for this urgent project and huge thanks to local people and trusts for generously donating £35,000.

Please help us support our final push to raise the remaining £40,000. To help CLICK HERE

We want to be able to remove the roof this December and replace it by March so that our bat population can begin their breeding season in the spring.  Otherwise, we will have to wait till November 2017 to remove the roof!!

Cost include project planning, architect's fees, a bat survey, scaffolding, and replacing 4,000 slates.

To help complete our re-roofing campaign, please CLICK HERE to go to JustGiving OR make a cheque out to Parish of Witney PCC and mark it Raise the Roof

Our Vision for Serving Witney

St Mary’s church has served Witney folk for 900 years

Our vision for the future provides everyone with a place in which to worship and pray, a sacred space in which to mark special occasions in life, a place to enjoy the Witney Feast or a festival or just to find quiet in this busy world.

Live music gigs                         Food & Drink Festivals                       Beer Festivals

Throughout each year St Mary’s church hosts a whole range of community events   and activities (above).  These activities attract thousands to visit and use the building as it was intended – as a principle community space for Witney and West Oxfordshire.

Once the building is weather-proofed we plan to install up-to-date facilities so that    all who come to enjoy this magnificent medieval building can be comfortable and  well-catered for.

Our Fundraising Success

Over the last 16 years we have already raised £0.75m from numerous grant-making bodies, and from the wonderful support of so many local people.  This has enabled us to mend the windows and three of the medieval roofs, install comfortable seating and renew the organ.

Wonderful News!

We celebrate the news that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has earmarked £143,500 to restore the roof of the 13th-century chancel of Grade I listed St Mary’s Church, Witney.

Thank you Heritage Lottery Fund, local people and local trusts who have generously donated £35,000. Thank you!

We still need to raise £40,000. Please help us make the final push!.