Islip was the birthplace of Saint Edward the Confessor and he was (probably) baptised in the Oxfordshire village. However not in the church of St Nicholas which was built around 1200CE (Edward would have been baptised in about 1004CE). The church was built in the Early English and Decorated Gothic styles. An earlier church did exist on the site, built around 1065CE.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1780 and the whole church rebuilt and restored in 1861. The church is built from limestone ashlar and rubble. It has an aisled nave, chancel, vestry and a West tower.