"St Peter’s church, Stoke Lyne, is situated in NE Oxfordshire, 4 miles N of Bicester. Dating from the mid-C12th, it was originally a two-cell build of chancel and nave. The present church comprises a chancel, nave, and N and S transepts with a tower over the S transept. The S transept was added in the C14th and forms the lower stage of the tower. There was once a N aisle. Although the church was built of limestone rubble and dressed stone, blocks of the local rust-brown Hornton ironstone have been introduced as replacements in later restorations. In a restoration by H. Woodyer of 1868-9, the chancel was rebuilt on its old foundations, and the S chancel doorway restored, but leaving the original Romanesque chancel arch. The nave remains as a C12th. build, and there is a fine Romanesque S doorway with a niche overhead containing a figure, probably St Peter, and also the remains of a nave string course.
Before the Conquest, Stoke Lyne was one of two Oxfordshire manors held by Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, who was killed at Stamford Bridge in 1066. By 1086, it was assessed at 10 hides and was held by Walter Giffard, a cousin of William I and shortly to become earl of Buckingham. In the mid-C12th St Peter’s was given to Notley Abbey, Buckinghamshire, by Walter Giffard, the lord of the manor, who had founded it sometime before 1164. It was one of the few houses of Arrouasian canons in England. By the Giffards' charter, Notley was granted not only the advowson but also the demesne tithes of Stoke Lyne. In the early C13th the Abbey appropriated the parish, one of the richest in the Bicester deanery (VCH). Originally the parish was united with that of Caversfield nearby, and both, though physically in Ploughley hundred, Oxfordshire, were administered in Buckinghamshire.
S chancel doorway -Located in the S wall of the chancel, this restored doorway may retain some original elements. One order.
Restored. Jambstones plain. Square impost with a hollow chamfer below a quirk. Arch with plain radial voussoirs, varying in width and stone type, texture and colour. It looks from the soffit view as if pale stones and rust-brown ironstone may have alternated originally, but most or all may have been white-washed at some stage.
Hood of five dressed stones, the centre one more newly replaced, forming a narrow arch extending to the imposts on both sides. The stones are edged on both sides by a row of hollow semicircles or scallops, those on the inner side forming a chamfer, and those on the outer side being more worn.
Chancel arch -Chancel arch. Two orders on both faces. Large half-shafted responds to N and S constitute the first order, and engaged nook shafts to E and W of it, the second order. Elements similar on both responds and on both faces except for the capitals, having varied scallop and volute decoration. Continuous imposts wrap around both orders.
1. First order
All bases similar, standing on a square plinth with only the angles protruding. Base with a lower convex element with an upper arris, a concave element above and an upper convex ring. Plain semi-cylindrical halfshaft. Necking plain. N respond capitals carry trumpet scallops, with five on the N face and three to E and W. On the angles, the shields are separate but the stems are shared. Recessed discs in the centre of each shield. S respond capitals have similar trumpet scallops but with extra paired fluted leaves on the angles. Impost with two rounded mouldings on the upright and a hollow chamfer below.
2. Second order
N nook shaft capital. W face, with two trumpet scallops on S and W faces, less curved than on the respond, but with triple-fluted downward-facing palmettes on the shields. E face, capital with three small volutes, all slightly different, to S and E, with a pair of curved leaves forming the angle volute.
S nook shaft capital. W face, with two trumpet scallops with up-turned palmettes on their shields on S and N sides, and on the angle, a thin attenuated scallop with a narrow ridged shield and four piercings on the angle below. E face, with three scallops on each side, the angle one shared, with round shields bearing a slightly raised rounded disc.
3. Archivolt
First order, E and W faces. A thick angle roll followed by a hollow, a thin roll, and a fillet.
Second order. W face, a stepped thick angle roll. a hollow a thin roll and a fillet. E face, a plain square order, with a plain outer roll moulding acting as a label.
Label, W face. A fillet is followed by a band of nailhead and an outer fillet. The nailheads are pyramidal with square bases, but with slight variation: to L, the pyramids have four curved sides; to R, the four sides are straight, perhaps restored. Two other forms occur, more resembling flowers. One is 12-petalled with three lobes on each side, the corner ones being common with a keel to the corner, with a central raised hemispherical bead. Eight are of this type, three being at the arch apex. The other form, 4-petalled with each pointed petal extending to a corner, occurs on only two pairs of pyramids, one pair being left of the apex.
S wall string course -A string course in the form of a roll moulding is present on the S nave wall, W of the porch, and also within the porch on each side of the doorway. It is c. 2.75 m above ground level, and c. 0.12 m wide.
S nave doorway -Located in the S nave wall, within a C19th porch. Round-headed doorway of two orders, with a round-headed niche above containing a sculpted figure.
1. First and second order
First order.
Both sides the same. Jambs plain. Imposts with a quirk above a hollow chamfer.
Second order.
Both sides the same. Bases raised on high plinths with a low chamfer projecting at ground level on the S side only. Chamfer absent from the inner faces, probably trimmed off. L base worn, R base with two lower convex elements, a concavity and another convexity above. Engaged nookshafts with plain necking. Capitals with three curved trumpet scallops on the S and inner sides, the angle ones common and the inner ones incomplete. Imposts as first order and continuous with them.
2. Arch and hood
First order. Arch with a plain angle roll and an outer hollow.
Second order. A step with a narrow row of frontal chevron followed by two rows of cylindrical frontal chevron separated by a hollow, with an outer lateral narrow row.
Hood. A narrow roll, ending with grotesque head stops above each impost, both the same. A head-like shape with two large encircled oval eyes and an arc on the inner edge like an ear surmounts three vertical tubular elements, open below (like reversed scallops).
3. Niche above doorway
Above the doorway arch, a smaller round-headed arch is framed by a continuous wide roll moulding, with a narrower roll outside it and at the base. The recess contains a male figure in long robes seated on a chair, with the left hand holding a book. The thumb of the left hand is delineated, and the feet are visible below the robe.
4. Internal rear arches of doorway
Within the church are two round-headed arches at different wall depths. The recessed inner arch is plain and fits the door. The taller one, imposed on the inside wall, has a narrow roll forming a higher arch.
Round-headed windows -Two round-headed windows are located high up on the S nave wall and two on the N chancel wall, with wide stepped stone surrounds. All are similar and restored."
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