St Martin Church, Bladon
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St Martin Church in Bladon near Woodstock, Oxfordshire is the Parish Church of Bladon-with-Woodstock. It is the mother church of St. Mary Magdalane at Woodstock, which was originally a Chapel of ease. It is best known for the grave of Sir Winston Churchill, which lies within its churchyard.
The first church on the current site was probably built around the 11th or 12th century with the earliest references to it stating that John de London, Henry III's chaplain, obtained from the King a grant of the Manor of Bladon, with the advowson of the Rectory in 1269. The parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials date from 1545 and are kept at the Bodleian library in Oxford.
There is no record of the church building itself though, until 1802 when the parish petitioned the Bishop of Oxford to grant them a new building as the old one was becoming dilapidated and dangerous. Permission was granted, the 4th Duke of Marlborough paid for building materials and the new church was opened in 1804. Further reconstruction was carried out in 1891 which involved the rebuilding of the chancel, restoration of the nave and the addition of new windows and pinnacles on the tower. This work was carried out largely at the expense of the rector, Arthur Majendie and resulted in the creation of the present church. Because of these efforts three windows in the chancel are dedicated to his memory by his widow and children. Other feature windows in the church include a copy of Sir Joshua Reynolds Choir of the Cherubs.
As well as Sir Winston Churchill's grave, the churchyard also contains the graves of Winston's parents Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome, his brother Jack, his children Randolph, Diana and Sarah, and his son in law Christopher Soames. Other Churchill family members buried here include Consuelo Vanderbilt, former Durchess of Marlborough through her marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough and their son Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill.
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