The Benefice of Blenheim
Begbroke, Bladon, Shipton, Woodstock & Yarnton
History of St Martin, Bladon
The church of St. Martin in Bladon is the parish church of Bladon-with-Woodstock; it is also mother church of St. Mary Magdalene at Woodstock, which was originally chapel of ease.
The first church was built around the 11th century; the earliest references to it states that John de London, Henry III's chaplain, obtained from the King a grant of the Manor of Bladon, and was the advowson of the Rectory in 1269.
There are Parish Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials dating from 1545, which are kept in Bodleian library in Oxford.
There is a record of 1802 when the Parish petitioned the Bishop of Oxford to grant them a new church as the old one was dilapidated and dangerous. The petition was allowed; the fourth Duke of Marlborough paid for the building materials, and the new church was opened in 1804.
In 1891 considerable reconstruction was carried out; this involved the rebuilding of the chancel, the restoration of the nave and the addition of new windows and pinnacles on the tower.
About Bladon
Bladon is a village about 1 mile south of Woodstock and nine miles north of Oxford. There are around 800 people living in the parish. There has recently been some in-fill building in the village and at the moment it can be described as expanding with a number of young families moving in. The Church congregation is very active, and congregations have seen a substantial increase of late with a growing number of young couples and families. Services are held every Sunday at 9.30am. An experienced robed choir of 16 adults help to lead the Sung Eucharist on 2nd and 4th Sundays after which coffee is served. Eucharist is said on the 1st Sunday and, in an attempt to attract families with young children, a family service is held on 3rd Sundays. When there is a 5th Sunday, the Eucharist is said. A team of bell ringers, some of whom are not churchgoers, ring most Sundays.
There is a lively sense of community in Bladon, and a variety of activities and interest groups. Bladon has a public house but no shops. There is a primary school, which is Church of England Voluntary Controlled. The school, which is rated "outstanding" by OFSTED, currently has around 70 pupils in three classes. It holds services in the Church every term, and the Rector and Curate are weekly visitors to the school. There is no village hall in Bladon, and the Church Room, which belongs to the PCC, is used for this purpose. Church related activities, which use the Church Room, include the Bladon Mother and Toddler Group, which meets weekly during term time, and the Bladon Lunch Club, which meets every month. The Friends of St Martin's was formed in 2001 and organises activities to welcome newcomers and introduce them to village activities as well as fund raising events. Sir Winston Churchill was buried in the Churchyard in 1965, and his grave continues to attract visitors from all over the world.
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