Broughton church consists of a nave, tower and choir. The tower is very early: the two bell openings in the west wall have been compared with the arcading in the south wall of the Saxon chapel in Bradford on Avon. Certainly the semicircular-headed arches and square pilaster with square single-stone capital is typical of pre-Conquest work.
The early English north porch is interesting in that the south door is generally the principal entrance to a church, helping to exclude cold north winds. In this case the village lies almost entirely to the north, so to enter by the south door would have been too inconvenient. Nevertheless the principal windows are on the lighter south side. Both north and south doors are identical with single-stone recessed tympana. That above the south door was at one time pierced to accommodate a stovepipe. Happily it has since been restored.
The chancel arch is low, barely nine feet high, with piers that batter inwards towards their bases. The slight traces of roughness from the masons' axes together with the otherwise plain imposts and arch stones form a simple yet imposing frame to the choir beyond. There is now no trace of a rood beam (which would have had to have been very low) though the complete re-timbering in the 19th century and the layers of plaster effectively mask 1000 years of architectural change both here and elsewhere in the church.
On either side of the chancel arch is a hagioscope or squint, the south one being slightly larger than the north one, to allow for a view of the altar from the side pews.
The church is lit mainly by the two south side windows. The western one is comparatively modern and in a decorated style, with characteristic ogee or "s" curved mouldings. The eastern window is three headed, with a rear-arch and super-arch, though the upper window tracery is not old. The window has been filled with a stained glass memorial to members of the Goodenough family. It depicts St John and St Joseph flanking an image of Christ based on Holman Hunt's "Light of the World". The lower panel illustrates the Goodenough crest. The memorial was erected by John Goodenough's daughter Charlotte Anne, who is herself commemorated in the west window which shows Christ blessing the children.
The east gable contains two lancet windows which are widely splayed. The rear-arches and hood mouldings are restorations and fit rather uneasily closely to the roof timbers. The stained glass depicts The Fall and The Resurrection and is again a Goodenough memorial, though this time it is designed to cover the field as the inscription running along the bottom reveals: "In memory of William Goodenough... and many of his descendants who lived at Broughton Poggs..." The rather crude figures of Adam and Eve are explained by some as substitutions by a former vicar who did not care for the state of undress ordained by the original artist.
There are also small Early English lancet windows in the north and south walls of the choir, and also a low leper window and splendid shoulder arch doorway in the south wall. The leper window no doubt originally had hinged wooden shutters, but no traces now remain.
Next to the organ is a vast monument which records the life of William Goodenough (of east window fame) in a long Latin inscription. It details how he came to the Manor of Broughton, was a Jolly Good Chap and married Penelope Needham. They had twins who soon afterwards died together with their mother. Within a month or two William married Annabella, who, the tablet records, was the daughter of Sir Edward Bathurst of Lechlade. She bore him a son, also William, and afterwards a posthumous daughter, for the memorial sadly relates that William Senior died in 1673 after an unfortunate accident involving the branch of a tree. Thus began the long association between the Goodenoughs and Broughton Poggs. The first generation to live at Filkins Hall is remembered with the memorial to Frederick who bought the Hall, and the last with the memorial to Sam, just below.
On the south wall on either side of the alter rail are similar tablets to another William Goodenough and his wife. This William was Vicar here during the 18th century. Underneath Mrs Goodenough's tablet is a memorial carved by Richard Westmacott who was both father and grandfather to Professors of Sculpture at the Royal Academy.
The altar rail is a simple but pleasing piece of oak work. Its hinge and hand-cut screw are engraved with the maker's name "Collett", a very well known local name. There are still Collett joiners and stone masons roundabout.
To the south of the Altar is a trefoil head piscina, similar to those at Shilton and Bampton though here with a quatrefoil drain-sink. Street carried the design on to Filkins.
Near the chancel arch is a stone slab in the floor commemorating Mary Stephens. This is of interest because at some time it has been reversed, unless it was unusually installed with the head towards the altar. It dates from 1719 which is during the twenty year period for which the parish register is missing. On the north wall nearby is a memorial to the wife of Sir William Burnaby who sounds a truly excellent lady. For some reason Sir William's name and exploits were not added on his death in the space left for them.
The nave is separated from the tower by an early 13th century arch. The rectilinear piers are similar to those of the chancel arch but have been chamfered and grooved to relieve their plainness. There are, on the tower side, fragments of Norman herringbone stonework at the base of each side of the arch. These are possible remnants of an earlier smaller arch and have been reincorporated. The font is a very early circular basin on one massive base-stone. There is no evidence of any lead lining. The twin rough crosses on the south sast side may be consecration marks or later graffiti. Certainly the font has twice been repaired with new stones set into the rim.
There is a painted wooden cross brought back from a French graveyard commemorating several soldiers from the Oxford & Bucks 52nd Light Infantry, including Captain Hardcastle of Broughton Hall, who died during 1916. There is another war memorial, erected by the parish, in the churchyard.
The internal woodwork from roof to pews has been several times renewed. The pews are currently in oak and several carry dedication plaques. The lectern, which stands on a fine octagonal pillar is also oak and is another Goodenough memorial (Sir William d. 1951). The curtain beam across the tower arch is a modern but very well carved piece of work.
The west window splay indicates the immense thickness of the tower wall, though an inspection of the outside shows that the lower portion of the wall has been thickened at some time. It has been suggested that this might have been in preparation for a proposed raising of the squat saddleback tower. In any event the tower is now curiously oblong in plan.
The south door into the choir has what might be a scratch sundial on the lintel.
In the graveyard is a corner, to the south west, for the Goodenough family. Down the south side of the graveyard is an interesting group of headstones deeply sculpted with cherub heads and wings, including one wonderful double cherub example. There is also an interesting cast iron memorial.
Both hall and rectory lie to the north west of the Church. The rectory is a 17th century house much enlarged by Richard Pace early in the 19th century.
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