BARFORD ST. MICHAEL AND
BARFORD ST. JOHN

Barford St. Michael and Barford St. John are twin villages separated by the River Swere, a tributary of the River Cherwell.

Barford St. Michael is by far the larger of the two villages. It is a village of dark honey-coloured houses and cottages built in the local stone. There has been a lot of 20th century development all round the village and most of it has been sympathetically built in stone to match the older properties.

The parish church is the Grade I listed Church of St. Michael and it is built on a secluded mound, possibly the site of a castle as it is thought that once there was a castle in the village. The bell tower and north doorway of St Michael's are Norman. Much of the rest of the church was rebuilt in the 13th century in the Early English Gothic style. Full information about St. Michael's Church can be found here.

Barford St. John is a much smaller village, comprising little more than the manor house, church and just a few cottages.

The parish church in Barford St. John is the Grade II listed Church of St. John, tucked away behind the manor house and squeezed in next to buildings that were presumably once outbuildings of the manor house. The church was originally built in about 1150 although only the south doorway and the font survive from this period. Fill information about St. John's Church can be found here.

In front of the church in the centre of the village is the manor house, built in the Cotswolds style in local stone.

Just north of the village is the former wartime airfield of RAF Barford St. John. It is now a non-flying facility, operated by the United States Air Force as a communications centre with many large communications aerials.

Barford St. Michael and Barford St. John are about 5 miles south of Banbury and two miles south of Bloxham.