The village of Shutford is 4.5 miles W of Banbury. St Martin's church dates from the late C12th and for many centuries it constituted a chapelry within Swalcliffe parish. The small stone building now comprises a chancel, nave, a narrow N aisle with a tower at its W end, and a wide N transept or chapel built at an angle towards the NNE. In the C13th the N aisle was extended eastwards by one bay, the N transept was added and the nave rebuilt. The surviving parts from the late Romanesque are the Transitional N aisle with an arcade of two pointed arches supported by a round pier and responds with scallop capitals, and a round-headed W window in the ground stage of the tower, probably the original W window of the N aisle. There is also a Romanesque font.

Shutford had two manors, Shutford East and West. Both were contained within the large parish of Swalcliffe. Shutford's history is thus partly shared with Swalcliffe's. Little is known of Shutford E manor before the C13th when it was held by Simon of Cropredy. The chapter manor, later Shutford W manor, originated in a grant of 4 hides by Robert de Chesney, Bishop of Lincoln (1148-66). Before 1148, the chapter, considering that 'the service of the Basset family could be of great advantage to them' granted the manor to William Basset and his son Fulk. William was later recorded as the tenant in 1168 and 1169, and his son was in possession in the mid-C13th.

Note: the W tower window is in better condition than the surrounding masonry and may be the result of a restoration.