Kingham past. 5
Notable buildings &
interesting things
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Some notable Kingham buildings
Here I list a few of the more interesting buildings in the village.
St Andrews Church
Obviously the Church has to be the most notable building in Kingham, however I will not cover it in depth as the full history would take up a whole website.
The section just offers a brief snapshot of the church.
Should you require more information a good place to start is on the
website entitled Kingham Churches here.
Kingham church and old school 1918
Painting of the church and old school by E.M.Palmer
Inside the Church (Adams Postcard)
View from the tower by Percy Simms 1922
Henry Fowler window
Photo by Ralph Mann
According to Ward Fowler in his book Kingham Old & New (1913) there has been a church on this site since around the year 1136 although todays church St Andrews is a mixture of various ages most of which is post 14th century.
The Tower is 15th century and the font 13th century whilst the nave roof is dated 1774. the church was restored in 1853.
Left. Henry Fowler window, stained glass window erected in the North aisle by Ellen Fowler in his memory. The Fowlers had a farm near the Manor.
Right.19th century window. (photo by Ralph Mann)
Church and Mill 1930 by Percy Simms
Photo by Ralph Mann
Left. coign stone on the corner of the tower.
Three names are carved, A.Scragg 1736, Adam Scragg 1751 and R. Rawlings 1883. Robert Rawlings was the man who cut the ivy on the tower.
Right. On the outside of the north wall of the chancel there is a 14th century tomb of Ralph de Chasteleyn, suggested to be the founder of the church. He died in 1336.
Tomb of Ralph de Chasteleyn (Photo by Ralph Mann)
Kingham church today
Painting of the church 2019 by E.M.Palmers Great granddaughter
Painted by my sister Gillian Harding December 2021
1950's postcard by Frank Packer
Painting by Frank Palmer (my Late Uncle)
Another F. Palmer picture, church plus old potato digger
Two lovely differing views of the Rectory and Church
Dedication of the Lych gate 1912.
Warde Fowler nr centre with book under his arm
Bucklers drawing of the church 1828
Unusual view of the Church and Rectory taken by A. Lainchbury. (photo courtesy of John Mann)
The Rectory
Rectory and church. taken Easter 1967
Rectory gatepost acorn.
The Rectory is the most imposing house in Kingham, built in 1688 by William Dowdeswell Rector of the parish. Over the front door are the Dowdeswell Arms carved in stone. In those days the rector was a very important person in the village.
Photographs of the rectory were taken by the late Ralph Mann. I am indebted to his son John Mann for allowing me to use them here.
The Rectory. built in 1688 by William Dowdeswell
The Dowdeswell coat of arms over the front door.
Two lovely differing views of the Rectory and Church
Lovely photo of the Church, Rectory & Corner house
Photograph by Percy Simms (Chipping Norton)
Rectory Cottage (Old Parsonage house)
Mrs Elers (photo Andy Wiggins)
Rectory cottage, also known as Old Parsonage house was the home of Colonel Barrow who in the 1870's founded Colonel Barrows drill boys. Until 1928 it was the home of Freddie Grisewood who became a celebrity on the BBC. Grisewood wrote the book 'Our Bill' which was based on my Great grandfather William Stayt. It was later the home of Mrs Elers who sadly lost her husband during WW1. (Photos by Ralph Mann)
Rectory cottage probably served as the rectory before the 1688 rectory was built.
When Colonel Barrow lived here he would have a flag hoisted every day at 8am.
At the same time a bell was struck eight times.
Barrows friend W.W.Fowler said that the colonel called the house Monte Rosa or the Castle
The Lodge
In his book Kingham the beloved place Pub 1957 E.J. Lainchbury suggests that the Lodge is perhaps the finest residence in Kingham.
In the past it has been called The Elms (1850) & Pegasus Lodge (1957).
In 1914 Sir Henry Cunynghame inherited the Lodge, he was described as being a very small man with a head as round as a football. Sir Henry was born in 1848 and was among other things a Soldier, a lawyer and an inventor of all sorts of things.
He once entered Lainchburys yard and saw a Threshing Machine in for repair and asking how it worked remarked "it would take me about 3 hours to understand the machine".
Fowler House
Fowler house was built in 1879 by William Warde Fowler and designed by his brother John Fowler.
Warde Fowler had lived with his sister Alice in Corner house; owned by the Lockwood family but in 1878 they had to leave as it was required for their own family.
Fowler managed to buy an old farm house and land next door on which he built the new house.
Warde Fowler lived in the house until his death in 1921.
You can read a little more of William Warde Fowler on Page 2
The Grange
Lovely old building known as the grange. now sadly demolished.
Parts of the Grange dated from the 17th century. It was reputed to have been haunted by a ghost said by some to have been Rebecca Townsend who was an unusual character. She lived here in the 1850's and in old age was said to have gone about barking like a dog.
The Grange today, Now Grange close with modern houses.
Awaiting content
Fire at Mr and Mrs Keen’s Cottage.
In 1960 there occurred a disastrous fire in Kingham in the thatched cottage lived in by Mr & Mrs Keen
The cottage was practically burnt to the ground. The fire was said to have been started by a mirror reflecting the sun to some papers in a window. The house was never rebuilt.
The house was next door to the Laurels in which Ernest Lainchbury lived.
Stone cottage rebuilt. (Ralph Mann)
Stone cottage fire.
During WWII one day in October word went around the village that an elderly lady a Miss Alice Keen’s house was on fire, several men rushed around to the cottage to find Miss Keen trapped upstairs.
One of the men managed to go upstairs and get the poor lady out of the house which was filled with smoke but unfortunately once outside she was found to have passed away.
Kingham Fire
In 1914 a fire occurred at a cottage in Kingham This is how the local paper reported the event.
At 9:45 on Saturday morning the Chipping Norton Fire Brigade received a call to attend an out-break of fire at Kingham.
They turned out smartly and some of the members proceeded by Motor-car with the chemical extinguisher, with the steamer following.
The fire had obtained a hold on the chimney of a house occupied by Mr Frank Field. the men got to work with a hand pump and the fire was extinguished.
(Thanks to Stephen Wiggins for the information on the fire)
