Thousand-year-old Woodstock church reopens following major renovation

St Mary Magdalene Church in Woodstock has held its first service in five months after completing a £500,000 upgrade.

The 1,000-year-old building now has new lighting, heating, electrics and toilets; a new servery with a sink, a dishwasher and a fridge.

Like so many churches, St Mary Magdalene has also sold off its old wooden pews, making the church the biggest indoor space in the historic town centre.

The pews have been replaced with specially-designed chairs made of local wood which can be moved in and out for services.

Revd Canon Adrian Daffern, team rector of the Blenheim Benefice, said the renovation had helped to transform St Mary Magdalene’s into a 'centre for the community for the 21st century and beyond.'

He said: "The building is going to be much more flexible, and it will be at the centre of the local community.

"The pews have gone and we have beautiful new chairs made of local wood.

"Changes to the porch means that access is now easy for people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

"We are already getting lots of requests for use."

A fundraising campaign to pay for the works was started in 2012 when two legacies were received from former worshippers.

Nearby World Heritage Site Blenheim Palace and its owner the Duke of Marlborough made significant donations, and a variety of grants and community fund-raising events also helped pay for the work.

The donation from Blenheim is part of its 10-year programme in which the palace aims to double its charitable impact on the local community.

The Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher OBE, lead a service of rededication on Thursday, November 9.

Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Tim Stevenson OBE, Witney MP Robert Courts and a priest from the church's Swedish partner diocese, Växjö, were among the other distinguished guests.

The work was carried out by architects JBKS of Thame and the contractor is Edgar Taylor of Buckingham, both specialists in church work.