Churches and Chapels of Deddington

Deddington, Clifton and Hempton have a long history of dissidence, starting in the reign of King Charles I and continuing throughout the 18th and 19th centuries to the present day. Over the years there have been at least seven non-conformist chapels and churches, two of which are still in use. There is also a private chapel in Castle House.

Click on any small image to see a full size copy.

View this annotated map (PDF) if you want to see the location of the sites indicated by the letter B through to F.

B Wesleyan Reform Chapel, Chapel Square
This was built in 1851 the centre of a thriving Wesleyan community, one of whom, John Whetton, is commemorated on a plaque in the church. Another plaque commemorates the Woolgrove and Deely families, leading non-conformist Deddingtonians of their time. The church was extensively remodelled in 1996. (A key is available from the Wesleyan Manse, 3 Castle Street.)

C An earlier Methodist Chapel, now a private house, was built before 1800. Mentioned in the Oxfordshire Religious Census of 1851, it was later used as a schoolroom and during World War II served as a Forces' canteen. (Editor's note: Follow this link to find out more about the interesting history of this building that later research in 2010 has revealed .)

D Congregational Church, New Street
Designed by John Sulman, this 1881 church is remarkable for its delightfully restrained use of Victorian Gothic. A kitchen was added about 1980. Plaques in the church commemorate the Dodwell family, Eddy Lines and Florence and Fred Deely. (A key is available on request.)

E Before 1881 the town non-conformists met in a small chapel in the Tchure, later called Foresters Hall. That building, shown as a chapel in the 1881 Ordnance Survey map, is now in commercial use.

F Chapel on New Street
Now converted to a garage/flat, this may be the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel of 1840 referred to in Colvin's History of Deddington. It is not mentioned in the Religious Census of 1851. The Ordnance Survey map of 1881 shows it belonging to the Primitive Methodists. It was later used by the Salvation Army, a movement which grew out of Primitive Methodism. (Editor's note: Later research in 2010 has revealed that the foundation stone of this building was laid in 1898 as a Primitive Methodist Chapel. Colvin's date of 1840  almost certainly relates to one of the other two Methodist buildings in use at that time. Follow this link to read more about them.)

Castle House has a 12th Century private chapel. Suprisingly, it is on the first floor level in the oldest part of the house, the tower area. It is a tiny, intimate room, only about 8ft by 10ft, with stone and plaster walls, a polished wooden floor and raftered ceiling. Two walls are taken up with stone seating recesses with cushions, three on each wall, and the centre arch on the North wall houses the only window - a small leaded one. On the opposite wall a small niche carries a wooden cross and a brass crucifix stands on the altar itself.

It is still maintained as a chapel, although not in regular use. Above is a priest's hole - a hiding place in times past for those who broke the law of the land by daring to conduct a Catholic service.

Castle House chapel information by Mary Robinson.