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The medieval chapel in Kelmscott, built of partly-rendered rubble walling, stands on the village's northern edge, and has a tall narrow nave now lit by a clerestory, a narrow north aisle, north and south transepts, and a lower chancel (Fig. 43). The dimensions of the nave, which had reached its present height by the 13th century, have prompted a suggestion that the church originated in the mid 11th century, although the earliest clearly datable fabric is the four-bay north arcade which appears to date from c. 1190–1210. The arcade may well be an addition to an earlier structure, but the building evidence is ambiguous, and an alternative interpretation would see both nave and aisle as resulting from a single late 12th-century building campaign. The plain tub font has also been interpreted as either 11th- or 12th-century, although the stem and base are closer to c. 1200. Whatever the case, the chapel's scale is larger than that of the small medieval chapel at Holwell, while the nave is longer than that of the mother church at Broadwell. 

The north arcade has a continuous hoodmould over round-headed arches of one chamfered order, supported on round piers with spurred waterholding bases and transitional foliage capitals. In the spandrels are quatrefoils containing carved heads, and traces of red foliage scrolls painted on the soffits of the arches are still visible. The style over all is similar to work of the 1190s at Oxford cathedral. The head of the south doorway, which has a double roll hoodmould like that of the arcade, is probably contemporary, although the jambs and plain imposts could be earlier. The aisle's north doorway (now blocked) is plain with a square head.

Extensive 13th-century work included a remodelling or rebuilding of the chancel, which has a lancet window in the middle of its north wall, and which was given a steeply pitched roof, whose scars are still visible externally. An earlier scalloped capital, possibly from a pillar piscina, is reset in a niche in the chancel's south wall. Around the mid 13th century the arcade's easternmost bay was extended northwards to create a north transept chapel, and the south transept chapel (which retains a trefoil-headed piscina) was added probably a few decades later. The north chapel is linked to the aisle through a chamfered half arch, and a pair of now-blocked half arches in the south-east angle of the chapel and chancel (once covered by an external pentice) may be contemporary; their purpose is unclear, however, and certainly they would not have given a clear view of the high altar. The chapel's north window, a gradated triplet of cusped lancets, is probably a slightly later insertion: similar windows exist in the south walls of the chancel and south chapel and in the west wall of the nave, where they have cusped rere-arches of a type found in several other local churches, datable probably to c. 1300. A south porch with a steep-pitched roof was possibly added around the same period, and a bellcote at the nave's east end, with two cusped lancet openings, may also be 13th-century. One of the surviving bells is of that date, although the other was replaced in 1762. Wall paintings in the north chapel depict Genesis and Nativity scenes, perhaps reflecting its use as a Lady chapel, and were probably added in the 13th or early 14th century. The chancel arch, of two chamfered dying orders, was probably rebuilt around the same time, a generation or two later than the chancel itself.

Little further work was carried out until the 15th century, some of it probably associated with the consecration of the churchyard in 1430. A clerestory of square-headed windows was inserted, similar windows were added in the chancel, the south porch was remodelled or rebuilt, and shallower roofs supported on high-quality carved corbels replaced the earlier steep-pitched ones. An embattled parapet surmounted by pinnacles was probably added around the same time, but was removed in the early 19th century; so too were stone carvings from the external west wall, depicting St George (the church's patron saint) killing the dragon, and the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ. Inside, slots to support a rood loft were cut into the west face of the chancel arch and the adjoining arcade arch: the easternmost pair of corbels in the nave depict angels holding shields with passion symbols, which presumably formed part of the iconography. The east window retains a 15th-century stained-glass panel depicting a mounted St George slaying the dragon, and in the late 15th century a lavish new window was inserted in the south wall of the nave.

The roof of the south transept chapel was rebuilt in the 17th century, but rests on earlier corbels. Box pews were probably introduced by 1626, when one of the Turners was buried 'at the end of the seat where I usually sit', and in the early 18th century the Bradshaws erected a large pew which blocked views of the reading desk. Some parishioners objected, requesting its removal to the north chapel where several of the Bradshaw family were buried, and which continued to be associated with the family into the 19th century. The chancel is dominated by mural monuments to members of the Turner family, dating from 1667/8 to 1833. Among the most elaborate is a large mural monument to Thomas and Charles Turner (d. 1730), erected by their brother George (with a blank for his own name) and featuring the Turner arms and a long Latin inscription. One or two members of other leading families are commemorated in the nave, which was given a coved plaster ceiling probably in the 18th century. Then or later the arcade piers were painted to give a marbling effect. 

Some structural work was carried out in the early 19th century when several cartloads of stone and other materials were carried away, including the parapet and pinnacles, and lead from the roof. A lath and plaster bellcote, subsequently condemned by William Morris as 'unarchitectural', may have been built onto the west end around that time. The interior underwent a 'complete repair' shortly before 1840, and in 1871 part of the north transept chapel was partitioned for use as a vestry. By 1885 the parishioners were pressing for a more thorough restoration, leading the vicar of Broadwell to approach the Diocesan Church Building Society. E. G. Bruton was appointed architect after plans drawn up by 'a builder' were rejected. Morris took a keen interest, and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings issued recommendations; in the end, however, the relatively small scale of the restoration (carried out in 1888–9) reflected lack of funds rather than external pressure. The nave was re-roofed in a steep-pitched 13th-century style (re-using the old stone slates), and was refloored (to Morris's relief) with existing stone flags. The pews were replaced with moveable benches and chairs, a new oak pulpit was installed, and the paint and whitewash were removed, revealing the medieval wall paintings. The offending lath and plaster bellbox was also demolished, although Morris took exception to a tall stone chimney added to the north transept chapel in connection with hot-water heating, 'as ugly and vulgar as the heart could wish'. Later work was mostly confined to conservation: in particular the wall paintings were restored in 1972 and 2000–1, the St George window was restored in 1974, and general repairs were carried out in 1990. A harmonium from Broadwell church was installed c. 1930, and replaced c. 1990 by a cast-off organ also from Broadwell. Former tram seats in the south transept chapel are of unknown provenance.

Historical information about St. George's Church is provided by British History Online 'Broadwell Parish: Kelmscott', in A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 17, ed. Simon Townley (Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2012), pp. 111-145. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol17/pp111-145 [accessed 18 April 2023].

St. George's Church is listed Grade II*. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST GEORGE, Kelmscott - 1199126 | Historic England.

For more information about St. George's Church see Broadwell Parish: Kelmscott | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).