Gill King explores the buildings that have allowed St Edburg's Church to reach out to the whole community.

AS well as serving Bicester over the centuries as a place of worship, St Edburg’s Church has also tried to reach out to the whole community in other ways.

One has been in providing space for events and activities in which all can be involved.

When the Rev John Blackburne Kane was instituted as vicar on November 4, 1881, he realised there was a great need for such a building and he set about the task of raising the necessary funds.

On a piece of land on the London Road, generously donated by local auctioneer Jonas Paxton, St Edburg’s Hall was built, comprising of two rooms on the ground floor and a large assembly room above.

The architect was Mr. Edward G. Bruton of Oxford and the builder Mr. T. H. Kingerlee of Banbury.

The foundation was laid in June 1882 by the Baroness Schroder and it was opened that December by the Countess of Jersey.

The Bicester Advertiser of December 15, 1882, reported the vicar as admitting it had been a labour of love but one of which he hoped they might long live to enjoy the fruits.

The Countess of Jersey said how greatly it was needed in the town and how proud all should be of it.

It was immediately well used by the whole community, used for all kinds of events including concerts, dances, dinners, plays, meetings, lectures, exhibitions and sales.

It was also used for practical purposes to help those in need, such as operating a soup kitchen in the hard winter of 1896.

Cookery lessons were given in 1917 showing how cheap but nutritious meals could be produced from the limited food available during wartime.

In 1921 the Bicester Urban District Council considered making it into a town hall but this never happened.

Events continued and it was a particularly lively venue for dances during World War II. Thereafter, sadly, its popularity began to wane.

As its use decreased and expenses increased, the church began to consider its future and it was decided in 1953 that it should be sold.

It has been in private hands ever since.

The exterior remains unchanged, with its name still proudly on the front of the building and on the gate in Priory Road, a reminder of its special place in the history of Bicester.

In 1967 a new ‘Parish Centre’ was built in Old Place Yard, also by Kingerlee Ltd.

Although well used, this too was found to be too expensive to maintain and was replaced by the current Church Hall in 1992.

This continues to be well used by various church and local groups, but increasingly the church itself has also been a popular venue for concerts and exhibitions, especially since the addition of the servery and toilets in 2014..

The church will soon be hosting its sixth annual Christmas Tree Festival, where local groups and individuals sponsor and decorate 80 trees.

Visitors can view the trees, enjoy live music and refreshments and get into the Christmas mood.

It will be open on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 December from 10am until 7pm and on Sunday 10 December from 12.30pm until 5pm £2.50 donation adults but children are free.

A service of ‘Carols in the Trees’ will take place on the Sunday at 6pm – all are welcome.