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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 17 July 2013. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
Eight of the 60 churches nominated in the search for the UK's favourite churches by people drawn from the world of politics, entertainment, journalism and academia are in the Oxford Diocese. As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, the National Churches Trust asked 60 well known public figures to put forward their choices. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, nominated All Saints, Spelsbury, which he said had held "a very special memory" because it was where his late son, Ivan, was christened.
He also named St Mary the Virgin in Witney.
"The church does tremendous work to support the community and is an important part of Witney life," he said. Other churches listed include Holy Trinity Penn (chosen by cookery writer Mary Berry), Holy Trinity Cookham (broadcaster Timmy Mallett) and the new chapel at Ripon College Cuddesdon (Lord Patten). Members of the public are now invited to nominate their favourite churches via the website and on social media. You can find the full listing online.
Those in our diocese are below.
BERKSHIRE
Timmy Mallett, television presenter, broadcaster and artistHoly Trinity Church, Ferry Lane, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9SN
This is my church - I ring the bells here.
It's the spiritual home of the League of Frontiersmen and home of the anchoress who was bricked into her cell for 12 years to pray for Henry II.
The choir say they can still smell her at certain times of the year! Brilliant! Stanley Spencer wanted to paint murals in the 1950s - the Church turned him down! Mistake, I think. . . .
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Mary Berry CBE, foodwriter and television presenter
Holy Trinity Church, Church Road, Penn, Buckinghamshire, HP10 8NY
Holy Trinity Penn is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year, standing as a central part of the life and soul of the Penn community over all that time and endeavouring to continue to do so for the next 800 years.
It has one of only 5 Doom pictures in the country, painted in the 15th century.
It was painted over during the Reformation and only discovered as recently as 50 years ago during redecoration.
As a millennium project money was raised to have it restored to its former glory and replaced back in the church building. The Church itself has a wonderful set of bells which are played every week with bell-ringers coming from all over the country to play them on special occasions.
In addition to all our weekly services and the traditional popular Christmas and Easter services, we run an annual Pet Service and a service for remembering loved ones.
We also ran an open air service for the Queen's Jubilee on the Common with the Bishop of Buckingham.
Holy Trinity is a thriving and busy fellowship seeking to serve the community with all our events open to those in the area including a very popular plant sale and the church hall is available as a community facility. There is a beautiful churchyard which is kept in very good condition for those who have lived in the parish and there are a number of well known people buried there.
As a family we have worshipped there since we moved to Watercroft 24 years ago.
We are fortunate to have a very special Vicar, the Revd Mike Bisset, who is very involved in all that goes on locally and his pastoral care is second to none.
He and his wife, Ali, organise so many things that go on in our village, from Toddlers to running a weekly service at Alde House, where our local elderly reside.
Ben Fogle FRGS, adventurer writer and television presenter
St Mary the Virgin, Well Hill Road, Fawley Green, Fawley, Wycombe, Bucks, RG9 6JA
St Mary the Virgin in Fawley in Bucks is a pretty little church where my wife's family have lived for decades.
It's a lovely little church in a picture postcard setting of woods and green rolling hills.
I have spent many Christmas services there as well as christenings.
Sir Terry Wogan KBE DL
St Nicolas' Church, High Street, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, SL6 0ET
Because it is the church in which my daughter got married.
OXFORDSHIRE
Rt Hon David Cameron MP
St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Green, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 4AW
All Saints Church, Church Lane, Spelsbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3JR
There are so many wonderful churches in my constituency, but I do have two favourite ones.
The first is from a purely personal point of view.
It is All Saints at Spelsbury where my family sometimes worship when we are at home in Oxfordshire.
It has a very special memory of my late son, Ivan's, christening. Another church I have great affection for in my constituency is St Mary the Virgin in Witney.
I have the honour of being one of the Patrons for the Appeal for Restoration and Renewal and have been so impressed by the hard work of dedicated and enthusiastic parishioners and clergy for this appeal. St Mary is one of the oldest buildings in Witney and one of the biggest in West Oxfordshire.
Its origins go back to Norman times but the present building is mostly 13th century.
It stands on Church Green near the town centre, and its spire is a landmark for many miles around.
The church does tremendous work to support the community and is an important part of Witney life.
The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster
All Saints Church, Church Road, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, OX44 9HD
The small Oxfordshire village of Cuddesdon holds warm memories for me, since I was a student there preparing for the ordained ministry between 1973 and 1975.
The Theological College was founded by a former Dean of Westminster, Samuel Wilberforce, in 1854 when he was Bishop of Oxford, near his episcopal Palace. All Saints, the village church, is beautiful and simple with a Norman arch but above all replete with the memory of the men and women preparing for the Anglican ministry over the past 160 years.
Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes CH
Bishop Edward King Chapel, Ripon College, Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, OX44 9EX
It is very difficult to choose.
I don't imagine that you will have many modern buildings on your list, but I like very much the new chapel at Ripon College at Oxford.
The College is outside the City at Cuddesdon with wonderful views over rolling Oxfordshire countryside. The Bishop Edward King Chapel was designed by Niall McLaughlin and is next to a huge copper beech which is about three hundred years old. From the outside it looks a little like a drum or an upturned boat. Inside it is beautifully light with the sunlight creating wonderful effects on the stone and furniture made from ash. It is a real little gem.