Domesday makes no mention of a priest at Wixford, though the dedication of the church to the Saxon saint St. Milburg seems to be evidence of its antiquity; but not necessarily of a pre-Conquest foundation, for the cult of St. Milburg was revived, after a long neglect, by the translation of her relics at Wenlock in 1101. It comprises a nave and chancel under one roof, south chantry chapel, south porch, and a bell turret There is one ancient uninscribed bell, and another by John Martin of Worcester, 1672, which was recast in 1937, retaining the old inscription. The church was restored in 1881 and probably the south porch and the western bell turret are of that date. There are two Norman doorways that on the south having columns. The southern chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist was built early in the 15th century by Thomas de Cruwe who was legal advisor to Margaret Beauchamp Countess of Warwick. In the south chapel is the fine table tomb to Thomas de Cruwe and his wife, Juliana (1400–11) with fine canopied brasses.
The church is approached by a churchyard shaded by an old yew. In 1660 six parishioners accused the rector of wishing to cut down a yew tree in the churchyard 'the like whereof is not to be found in all the diocese'. In 1730 Dr. Thomas, rector here, gave its height as 53 ft. and circumference as 18 ft. 3 in. But according to a rhyme in a volume of cuttings relating to Ragley, at the Shire Hall— 'In 1763 In Wixford churchyard there was felled a yew tree, In 1765 There was planted another that never will thrive.'
The churchyard also contains a grade II listed horsehouse of hurdle and gorse with a thatched roof dating from the 18th century. Wixford never having a separate living, being a chapel of Exhall since the reformation so it was provided for the mounts of the visiting clergy from other parishes. There is also a fine large base of a churchyard cross with a moulded top edge, the stump of a shaft, and three steps to the platform dating from the 15th century.
To find the co-ordinates for the final location, you need to find a telephone number at the headline co-ordinates of the Churchwarden (ABCDE FGHIJK) and use it in the following formula.
N 52 B (E-D).(I-4)(D-6) (K-4) W 001 (BC*3). CDB
The final location is a pleasant walk along a footpath.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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