Great and Little Barrington, lying on the E border of Gloucestershire 3 m W of Burford (Oxon.) and 6 miles E of Northleach (Glos.), were originally one parish but became two during the Middle Ages. The church of St Peter was a originally a chapel of Great Barrington; Llanthony Priory held the advowson of both churches from around 1160. The church stands slightly removed from the village on the road to Burford. It is of squared and coursed limestone with a Cotswold stone roof and consists of a chancel, nave, N aisle, S porch, NW tower, and a sanctus bellcot over the chancel arch. Of the late 12thc church there survives the S doorway, the nave arcade, a reset corbel-head, and a tympanum reset in the N aisle wall.

Four estates in Barrington are listed in DB. The largest, of eight hides, had been held in 1066 as two manors by Turstan and Edwin, and was held in 1086 as one manor by Walter son of Roger. Walter gave half this estate to Llanthony Priory and his son Miles, Earl of Hereford, gave the other half to the priory for the support of 13 lepers. Another estate, of four hides, had been held in 1066 by Tovi Widenesci and was held of the Crown by Elsi of Faringdon in 1086. This estate became part of the royal manor and hundred of Faringdon, but it was held c. 1141 of the Crown by William of Buckland, who with the Empress Maud granted it in fee to Llanthony Priory. A third estate, also four hides, which was held in 1066 by Aylmer and in 1086 of the Crown by Godwin of Stanton, was granted by the Empress Maud to Llanthony Priory. The fourth estate, of two hides, was held in 1066 by Alvin, and in 1086 by William Goizenboded, and of him by an under-tenant Ralph; the manor of Little Barrington may have derived from this estate (VCH).

Assuming that it has been reset, it is not known where the tympanum was originally located; the bearded angels are unusual.

The octagonal heads to the S arcade columns are indicative of late 12thc Transitional work and can be paralleled nearby at Bledington, Little Faringdon, Kelmscott and Chalgrove. Unusually the responds are more than semicircular and might originally have been full columns in a longer arcade. Furthermore the arcade columns are at a slight angle to the line of the N nave wall - thus the W respond is placed towards the N edge of the nave wall, whilst the E respond is centrally placed with respect to the nave wall.

The S doorway is also Transitional in style and is a striking feature with a high degree of creative flair and precision. It is certainly not in its original position, though. The nave was largely rebuilt in the 14thc when the S doorway may have been reset. It was definitely reset in 1865 when RBM states that it was taken down, cleaned and rebuilt by a local carpenter. The S doorway projects approximately 40cm from the S wall of the nave, suggesting that the doorway was carved off site. The point to point chevron in the second order can be paralleled locally at Bampton, Enstone and Caversfield, and without the central roll, at Cuddeson, albeit these only have the chevron in the arch, not on the jambs as well. Blair suggests that this design might originate in a Glos/Wiltshire workshop (see CRSBI entry for Bampton). The volute capitals and keeled shafts can be paralleled locally at Yanworth and North Cerney.