Seven Churches in South Oxfordshire
St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row

St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row

History of the Church

Before 1848, the hamlet of Stoke Row was part of the parish of Ipsden and North Stoke, though with Ipsden Church being 4 miles away, church attendance from Stoke Row was not very good! The Vicar of the time, the Revd Richard Twopenny, had the support of Bishop Wilberforce of Oxford and many benefactors, especially Mr. John Reade and his family of Ipsden House, raising £2,500 for the provision of a church and school in Stoke Row.  The site for the church, vicarage and school were given by St John’s College, Oxford who until recently remained the Patrons of the parish living.  The Church of St John the Evangelist, Stoke Row, was consecrated on the 19th October 1848.

Stoke Row Church, Stoke Row Church Photo Gallery
Stoke Row church

The building is a beautiful example of simple Victorian architecture. The rectangular floor space accommodates a nave seating about 90 people and a spacious chancel area.  There is a tower at the north-east corner which houses the vestry, clock and bell.  The exterior of the building is a fine example of flintwork in a variety of styles(!) and the roof is slate, with cedar shingles on the bell tower.

A delightful rose window was designed and made by Barbara Batt.  The clock is a rare example from the 1920’s which is still in working order.  It has recently been restored.

The old vicarage was sold by the Diocese of Oxford in 1984 when Stoke Row and Checkendon churches became the first to form the new Langtree Team Ministry and the Rectory was located in Checkendon.

An imaginative reordering in 2011-2015 saw the pews removed, and a new wooden floor with underfloor heating installed, together with a disabled access toilet and kitchen in a small extension on the south side of the church. St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row is now in regular use by the the adjoining Church of England Primary school who use the wonderful space as their school hall, and it remains available to the whole community as a place for weddings, baptisms and funerals, as well as a weekly service of worship on Sundays at 9.30am.

A gallery of images for this church can be found at this link http://langtreechurches.org/galleries/stoke-row-church/

Church Contact Details:

Contact:  Revd Kevin Davies
Church Address: St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 5RB, UK
The Rectory Address: The Rectory, Checkendon, RG8 OSR
Tel: 01491 680252  Email: langtreeteam-ministry@yahoo.co.uk

Stoke Row Contacts and Links

Team Rector: Revd Kevin Davies   –  langtreeteam-ministry@yahoo.co.uk

The 7 Churches in the Langtree Team Ministry

You will find the individual contacts for the churches at this link.