The village is about 6 miles (10 km) north of Banbury and about 417 feet (127 m) above sea level on a hill of Early Jurassic Middle Lias clay.

[3] The arcade between the nave and north aisle survives from this date, as does the south doorway.

[3] In 1856 the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the church building.

[1] In 1860 the Gothic Revival architect William White heavily restored the building, including renewal of the foundations.

[1] White almost completely rebuilt the north aisle,[3] and so altered the chancel that its original date may not be determined with certainty.

[6] St. James' parish is now part of the Benefice of Shires' Edge along with those of Cropredy, Great Bourton, Mollington and Wardington.

[1] By 1969 it no longer had its own minister and was served by visiting clergy in the Banbury Methodist Circuit.

Samuel traded in Newport Pagnell from about 1655 to 1663, when he moved to London and went into a partnership making instruments as well as clocks.

The latter is now a private house, but still displays a white and blue enamel plaque of the Hunt Edmunds brewery of Banbury.

In May 1776 it reached Fenny Compton in Warwickshire, 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) northwest of Claydon.

Between them the five locks achieve a total rise (i.e. change in water level) of 30 feet 6 inches (9.3 m).

[1] Claydon's nearest station was 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) to the south at Cropredy, until British Railways closed it in 1956.