Stratton Audley lies two miles northeast of Bicester, on the border between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The village brings together a listed church and historic buildings, archaeological traces of medieval settlement, and routes through open countryside. This gives you several themes to choose from when planning your visit: architectural history, the visible form of earlier settlements, or walks along streams, ponds and fields.
Church and historic buildings
The Church of St Mary and St Edburga is a Grade I listed building. Its historic features include a Jacobean pulpit and a simple medieval font. The churchyard contains numerous gravestones, the base of a medieval cross and a First World War memorial. The elaborately decorated burial vault of the Blundell Leigh family is another distinctive feature there.
The Manor House is another example of the village’s historic architecture: this Grade II listed manor house dates from the mid-16th century and is now divided into apartments. The church and manor house are surviving historic buildings; elsewhere, earthworks tell of structures and parts of settlements whose masonry no longer remains.
Castle site and traces of medieval settlement
Southeast of the church, on a meadow called Court Close, lies the site of the medieval castle of the Audley family. The remains, enclosed by a rectangular moat, date to around 1263 and are considered the oldest structural evidence of the settlement’s origins. No masonry survives; what remains is the partly water-filled moat and moderate earthworks. This distinguishes the castle site from a surviving manor house: here, the shape of the land preserves the story of the place.
Further earthworks south of the church mark the site of an abandoned part of a medieval village. House platforms, along with traces of yards and paths, offer clues to the earlier settlement layout. Those interested in local history can compare these archaeological traces with the castle site: one points to a castle complex, the other to the layout of part of a village.
Walking routes and countryside
A network of footpaths and bridleways crosses the open spaces of Stratton Audley and continues into the surrounding countryside. The footpath along Mill Road follows a stream. Other paths pass ponds and Willows Farm; mature trees and undergrowth border these routes. The landscape offers contrasting impressions: a route beside the water and stretches near ponds and the farm lined with trees and shrubs.
The entrance to the field of the Scheduled Monument is on the green beside Pound House; the Cross Bucks Way also starts there. These routes offer another way to explore the landscape and historic traces of the village. Check the current condition of the paths before setting out for a walk. For a historical walk around the village, the Stratton Audley Local History Society has produced a booklet, available from the society.
Accommodation for your stay
If you are looking for a holiday rental in Stratton Audley, let the focus of your stay guide your choice: church and architectural history, archaeological traces, or walking routes into the surrounding countryside. Consider which of these interests matters most to you before choosing your accommodation. This keeps your planning focused on what you want to experience in the village, rather than turning the individual sights into a fixed route.
Discover more destinations: Steventon, Forest Hill, Duns Tew, Ambrosden, Letcombe Regis, Long Wittenham, Charney Bassett, Bloxham.
Back to the main travel overview: Oxfordshire.
