St Andrews Church is within the village of Blunsdon: a village dating back to the Iron Age, where our earliest ancestors fortified and built a settlement. Blunsdon is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Bluntesdone', at which time the settlement had a population of only two or three adult males. In 1281, there was also a reference to 'Bluntesdon Seynt Andreu'.

In recent years, archaeologists discovered a Roman travellers' resting place on the site of the present-day Cold Harbour pub. The A419 main road through Blunsdon also follows the course of a Roman road known as Ermine Street that linked the historic towns of Cirencester and Silchester. What's more, the recent Roman find at Abbey Meads is believed to be a religious and ceremonial site.

Blunsdon Abbey was a prominent landmark in the area and inspired the title of the Abbey Meads development. Local tradition claims Blunsdon Abbey was originally an outpost of Godstow Nunnery near Oxford. Apparently, the land was granted to the Brydges family during the reign of Henry VIII.

In 1860, a wealthy sportsman, Clayton de Windt, purchased the estate and built a new house in the "latest Neo-Gothic style" to designs by E.Mantell of London. The builder was Thomas Barrett of Swindon, who created an imposing residence with forty bedrooms, grand interiors, entrance hall, billiards room and lavish furnishings. Clayton de Windt was killed in a riding accident in 1863, and sadly, in April 1904, fire destroyed the house and its contents.

The current building of St Andrews Church dates from about 1200AD when the nave was built. The main [north] door, the closed doorway on the west and the lower parts of the pillars all date from the 13th Century.

In 1864-8, Butterfield, a famous Victorian architect, rebuilt much of the church, especially the chancel, porch and roof and re-ordered the interior.

The stained glass window in the north east of the nave is by Kempe and those in the south aisle are by Sutherland.

Even the Victorian parts of St Andrew's pre-date any other building in the new Northern Development by over 100 years and the oldest parts have been standing for over 700. As such it is a place of beauty and antiquity and peace that the whole parish can be proudly drawn to.

However, we are very sorry that, for security reasons the church is normally locked. You can see inside by clicking on the following thumbnails to open the photos [below], you can come to one of our services, or you can contact us and we can arrange a time to meet at church. And the church yard is always open for quiet and for prayer.