St. Mary the Virgin Church
St. Mary the Virgin Church
St. Mary the Virgin Church
4.5
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4.5
28 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
7
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
SRAON
Bucks, UK30 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Absolutely beautiful historic survivor of national importance to be treasured. Located in an idyllic spot to contemplate the history and people associated with its past. My absolute favourite and if you read about this church you’ll understand why.
Written 27 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Januarius
Gloucestershire45 contributions
Aug 2011 • Friends
This lovely church was built in 1473 by Alice, the granddaughter of Geoffrey Chaucer. The interior of the church contains a beautiful carved wooden ceiling in the chapel and the historic tomb of Alice, Duchess of Suffolk. An insignificant wooden door leads to the almshouses, still occupied, set around a small cloistered courtyard and on to tranquil, beautifully kept gardens. An ideal situation for retirement! The school, said to be the oldest in England, adjoins the almshouses. The village of Ewelme was the home of Jerome K. Jerome, writer of Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on a Bummel. He is buried in the churchyard. Ewelme was noted for watercress and the watercress beds can still be seen.
Written 18 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graham C
St. Albans, UK37 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
We visited having read about the remarkable tomb of Alice de la Pole, Chaucer's granddaughter. And that is worth a visit on its own - almost perfect alabaster figure, amazing given that she died in 1475. However, there is so much else to this beautiful church - wall paintings, floor tiles, stone carvings, angels in the ceiling, medieval glass in the windows, mostly from the 15th century. Can't recommend highly enough whether your interest is in architecture, history, art or religion.
Written 17 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline T
Farnham, UK48 contributions
Oct 2019
A small church but with exquisite detail in the pre-reformation brasses, stone carvings, alabaster effigy of Chaucer's granddaughter, beautiful detail carving in an enormous font cover. Apparently a local grandee stopped Henry VIII's thugs destroying what was in the church - lucky for us! Well worth visiting even though it is out of the way. There are pretty almshouses attached around whose courtyards you can wander. Visit the Village shop and tea rooms nearby for a good range of cakes with your tea/coffee.
Written 30 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howlo
Buckingham, UK9,735 contributions
Sept 2019 • Friends
I love to wonder around local churches, and this one is stunning, the stonework is pretty and the grounds well kept. Inside is airy and bright. Very nice church
Written 4 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ang01622
Maidstone, UK259 contributions
Sept 2019
A very old village church with a link to the Chaucer family. We enjoyed visiting the church and wandering through the graveyard, both around the church and the other across the road. But the surprise was the beautiful cloisters surrounded by the almshouses. The school is also part of this complex of medieval buildings. The Duchess of Suffolk, Alice Chaucer, granddaughter of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, built and founded Ewelme School in 1437 (according to the school website) and a primary school still exists there.
Written 14 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas H
London, UK20,376 contributions
Oct 2017 • Solo
So much to see in a this glorious church. It has a magnificent alabaster tomb and memorial to Geoffrey Chaucer's granddaughter, Alice de Pole who became the Duchess of Suffolk. There's a fascinating chart showing the evolution of her family coat of arms. The carved wooden font cover is a wonder, absolutely beautiful. The wall frescoes in the side chapel and above the alabaster memorial create a true impression of the age of the church. The wooden ceiling is decorated with angels. Outside, the churchyard is full of interesting tombstones. Linked to the church are a row of mediaeval Almshouses, which are worth the visit alone.
Written 23 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lilibet53
Rickmansworth, UK264 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
We happened by Ewelme whilst visiting Wallingford (worth a visit too). It is a lovely old church, beautiful stained glass and there is a cloister of alms houses attached, not to be missed. Worth a detour.
Written 2 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan R
Sevenoaks24 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
I had read about this church with it's mediaeval connections and we had quite a drive to find it but it was so worth it.
Stunning. Both outside and in. Even my atheist husband was impressed and in awe.
We are intending to retire to Suffolk, but this church could well change our mind.
Stunning. Both outside and in. Even my atheist husband was impressed and in awe.
We are intending to retire to Suffolk, but this church could well change our mind.
Written 21 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S T
Oxfordshire, UK34 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
We visited the church, bought bread and ham for lunch at the shop and walked across the Chilterns (scroll down for walking).
In this quiet Oxfordshire village is a wonderful little church with some amazing historical monuments - if you like medieval history, this is a wonderful find. The church is accessed from the Almshouses (very charming in themselves) - go into the cloister and up the steps towards the church (please note the Almshouses are occupied, so respect people's privacy!).
Inside the church is a wonderful array of brasses (an expensive medieval memorial if you haven't come across these before) - while most are quite small the one of William Chaucer and his wife still has beautiful enamel-work in the heraldic shields (I have never seen this before!). Half the nobility of Plantagenet England is displayed here - keeping up with the Jones's is nothing new...
Even more amazing is the beautiful effigy tomb of his daughter Alice (married into the highest nobility!) who has a beautiful carving of her earthly pomp on the top of the tomb. Kneel down and peer through the delicate lattice below, and you will see a macabre depiction of her cadaver - all superbly crafted.
Okay - that's a lot about the church, but I have never seen another so small and so stuffed with history!
The village has good parking - head right down to the south and there is a little hardcore car-park (bikers take a spreader for the side-stand and you'll be fine).
The village shop was sampled for a lunch pack for hiking, but it also does tea/coffee (only one inside table, so may be busy).
We were walking in a very wet winter, but even so the paths were very passable - some dodging deep mud but nothing that went over a normal pair of hiking boots. There are plenty of walks to choose from - you don't have to go for miles, so it would be a good place for families who like a country walk.
There are other places we didn't visit this time (the village pub, the water-cress beds) but we will do so in the future. This village is a good day out and a chance to see beautiful countryside.
In this quiet Oxfordshire village is a wonderful little church with some amazing historical monuments - if you like medieval history, this is a wonderful find. The church is accessed from the Almshouses (very charming in themselves) - go into the cloister and up the steps towards the church (please note the Almshouses are occupied, so respect people's privacy!).
Inside the church is a wonderful array of brasses (an expensive medieval memorial if you haven't come across these before) - while most are quite small the one of William Chaucer and his wife still has beautiful enamel-work in the heraldic shields (I have never seen this before!). Half the nobility of Plantagenet England is displayed here - keeping up with the Jones's is nothing new...
Even more amazing is the beautiful effigy tomb of his daughter Alice (married into the highest nobility!) who has a beautiful carving of her earthly pomp on the top of the tomb. Kneel down and peer through the delicate lattice below, and you will see a macabre depiction of her cadaver - all superbly crafted.
Okay - that's a lot about the church, but I have never seen another so small and so stuffed with history!
The village has good parking - head right down to the south and there is a little hardcore car-park (bikers take a spreader for the side-stand and you'll be fine).
The village shop was sampled for a lunch pack for hiking, but it also does tea/coffee (only one inside table, so may be busy).
We were walking in a very wet winter, but even so the paths were very passable - some dodging deep mud but nothing that went over a normal pair of hiking boots. There are plenty of walks to choose from - you don't have to go for miles, so it would be a good place for families who like a country walk.
There are other places we didn't visit this time (the village pub, the water-cress beds) but we will do so in the future. This village is a good day out and a chance to see beautiful countryside.
Written 29 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the church open every day & what are the hours?
Written 24 July 2017
suggest you google up St Mary The Virgin Ewelme where you will find plenty of info, including vicar's details
Written 25 July 2017
Can you walk from Wallingford to this church?
Written 13 July 2017
You can - but it's a good four to five miles! there is a bus service from Wallingford to Ewelme every half hour. Get off at Green Lane and it's a ten minute walk at the other end of the village
Written 24 July 2017
The photographs are misleading they are not of Ewelme Church.
They are Oxford.
Written 17 January 2015
My husband has walking difficulties - are their steps up to reception or can you walk straight in then is it a long walk to the lift from reception.
Written 16 January 2015
There is a walk to the entrance of EWELME St. Mary's Church and then two steps down into the church. There are about 12 steps down if you want to go to the cloisters.
Photos shown on this page currently are of Oxford and NOT Ewelme
Written 16 January 2015
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