University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Encyclopedia
The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is the largest of Oxford's
parish churches and the centre from which the University of Oxford
grew. It is situated on the north side of the High Street
, and is surrounded by university and college buildings.
St Mary's possesses an eccentric baroque
porch, designed by Nicholas Stone
, facing High Street, and a spire which is claimed by some church historians to be one of the most beautiful in England
. Radcliffe Square
lies to the north and to the east is Catte Street
. The 13th century tower is open to the public for a fee and provides good views across the heart of the historic university city, especially Radcliffe Square
, the Radcliffe Camera
, Brasenose College and All Souls College.
, in Anglo Saxon
times; records of 1086 note the church as previously belonging to an estate held by Aubrey de Coucy
, likely Iffley
, and the parish including part of Littlemore
.
In the early days of Oxford University, the church was adopted as the first building of the university, congregation
met there from at least 1252, and by the early 13th century it was the seat of university government and was used for lectures and the award of degrees. Around 1320 a two storey building was added to the north side of the chancel — the ground floor (now the Vaults cafe) became the "convocation
" house used by university parliament, and the upper storey housed books bequeathed by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester
, which formed the first university library.
When Adam de Brome
became rector in 1320 the church's fortune became linked to what would later become Oriel College. In 1324 de Brome founded St Mary Hall
and appropriated the church's rectory house, including small tithes, oblations, and burial dues for the college, an act confirmed in 1326 by the bishop, Henry Burghersh
, after de Brome had King Edward II
's patronage to refound the college. De Brome diverted the revenue of the church to his college, which thereafter was responsible for appointing the vicar and providing four chaplains to celebrate the daily services in the church. Early provosts
of the college were inducted into their stall in the church, and until 1642 fellows were required to attend services on Sundays and holy days.
St Mary's was the site of the 1555 trial of the Oxford Martyrs
, when the bishops Latimer
and Ridley
, and the Archbishop Cranmer
, were tried for heresy. The martyrs were imprisoned at the former Bocardo Prison
near St Michael at the Northgate
in Cornmarket Street
and subsequently burnt at the stake
just outside the city walls to the north. A cross set into the road marks that location on what is now Broad Street
, the nearby Martyrs' Memorial
, at the south end of St Giles', commemorates the events.
A section cut out of 'Cranmer's Pillar' remains from the morning of Cranmer's death on March 21, 1556, when he was brought to the church for a sermon from Dr Henry Cole
, Provost
of Eton
, who on Queen Mary I
's instructions, spelled out the reasons why he must die. Cranmer stood on a stage, the corner of which was supported by a small shelf cut from the pillar opposite the pulpit, withdrawing his recantations of his protestant beliefs, he swore that when he was burnt, the hand which had signed them would be the first to burn.
Until the 17th Century, the church was used not only for prayers but also for increasingly rowdy graduation and degree ceremonies. This phenomenon, "The notion that 'sacrifice is made equally to God and Apollo
', in the same place where homage was due to God and God alone" was repugnant to William Laud
, Archbishop of Canterbury
, who in the 1630s initiated the erecting of a separate building for these ceremonies. This project was cut short by the fall of Laud and the outbreak of the English Civil War
, but after the Restoration it was revived and carried through by John Fell
, Dean of Christ Church
, who commissioned Christopher Wren
to erect what became the Sheldonian Theatre
. Thereafter, the church was reserved for religious worship only.
During his time in Oxford, John Wesley
often attended the university sermon, and later, as a fellow of Lincoln College
preached sermons in the church, including the university sermon on "Salvation by Faith" on June 11, 1738 and the "Almost Christian" sermon on July 25, 1741. Following his denouncement of the spiritual apathy and sloth of the senior members of the University in his sermon "Scriptural Christianity" on August 24, 1744, he was never asked to preach there again — "I preached, I suppose, the last time at St Mary's," he wrote in his journal, "Be it so; I have fully delivered my soul."
In 1828 John Henry Newman became vicar and his sermons became popular with undergraduates. From the present pulpit John Keble
preached the assize sermon of July 14, 1833, which is considered to have started the Oxford Movement
, an attempt to revive catholic spirituality
in the church and University. The influence of the movement spread and affected the practice and spirituality of the Church of England. By 1843, Newman became disillusioned with Anglicanism
and resigned from St Mary's, later joining the Roman Catholic Church
.
with its triple-gable
d outer pinnacle
s, inner pinnacles, gargoyles and statues was added in the 1320s. Only one of the twelve statues is original, the others were by George Frampton
and erected around 1894. The original statues can now be found in the cloister of New College
. The tower is plainer, having long three light bell openings with intersecting tracery
. The architect is unknown, though the master mason in 1275 was Richard of Abingdon.
The south porch was built in 1637 and was designed by Nicholas Stone
, master mason to Charles I
, it was a gift from Dr Morgan Owen
, chaplain to Archbishop Laud
. It is highly ornate, with spiral columns supporting a curly pediment framing a shell niche with a statue of the Virgin and Child, underneath a gothic
fan vault
. The style was too close to Roman
baroque
for the puritans of the day and the porch itself was used as evidence in Laud's execution trial, citing its 'scandalous statue' to which one witness saw 'one bow and another pray'. The gate piers are original and the wrought iron gates are early 18th century. The bullet holes in the statue were made by Cromwellian
troopers.
Around 1328 a chapel was added, now the outer north aisle
, by the rector, Adam de Brome
. The chancel
was rebuilt around 1462 by Walter Hart
, Bishop of Norwich
, the nave
and aisles were rebuilt around 1490 by the university with donations from Henry VII
and several bishops whose arms
decorate the nave. The north wall of de Brome's chapel and the congregation house were remodelled in the Perpendicular style around 1510, and new windows were added to match the others in the church. Around the same time, St Thomas chantry, now a vestry
, was added. The nave and aisle windows have panel tracery and flamboyant battlemented parapets with gargoyles and pinnacles.
The interior space has six-bay arcades with shafted piers, between the clerestory
windows are canopied niches with archangels holding shields. The roof has traceried spandrels, the chancel has transomed windows, the sedilia
is decorated with cusped arches and a frieze of vine leaves. The reredos
is 15th century and contains seven ornamental canopied niches containing statues of 1933. Restoration
s were carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott
in 1856-7 and 1861-2 and by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson
in 1894, the parapet and pinnacles are mostly Scott's work. De Brome's chapel has a two-bay arcade with continuous hollow chamfer
ed arches with Perpendicular windows. The tall arch in this aisle, connecting with the tower is a 15th century remodelling of a late 13th century window.
Monuments
include a slab with indents of a brass cross and the Virgin and Child, thought to commemorate Adam de Brome, from 1332, though the tomb chest is modern. The wall monuments in the nave and chancel are from the late 17th century and 18th century. The floor slab to Amy Robsart
, wife of Robert Dudley
, is modern.
The church furnishings were refitted in 1826-28 with gothic pew
s and galleries, the canopied pulpit
, the font and Chancellor
's throne under the west gallery were designed by Thomas Plowman. The chancel has late 15th stalls, the panelling supporting Francesco Bassano the Younger
's painting of 'The Adoration of the Shepherds' is late 17th century, the communion rail
is from around 1675. The de Brome chapel has early 18th century panelling and Chancellor's throne.
There are remnants of 15th century stained glass
in the tracery lights of the east window, and 17th century shields in the de Brome Chapel. The east window and second from east in the south aisle were designed by Augustus Pugin
. The west window in the nave is from 1891 and was designed by C.E. Kempe, the memorial window to John Keble
is by Clayton and Bell in 1866.
The church has a splendid classical organ
built by the Swiss
firm of Metzler Orgelbau
in 1986, one of only two by this esteemed maker in Great Britain. (The other is in the chapel
of Trinity College, Cambridge
.) This instrument was inspired by a previous instrument, originally built for the church by the famed organ builder "Father" Smith in 1676. Much altered over the years, the last remains of this original organ (besides some fragments of ornamental casework and, possibly, part of one stop) were destroyed by a fire shortly after World War II
. The Metzler organ replaced this instrument's successor — an organ by J. W. Walker & Sons that was contained in the restored old case, originally by Smith but extensively rebuilt in a 'gothic
' style in 1827 by Plowman. The pipework and case of this organ are now in the church of St Mary, Penzance
, Cornwall
.
The unstained oak case of the Metzler organ is based on the original Smith design and incorporates a few carved wooden pipe shades that remained after the 1827 case rebuild and later fire. It still lacks certain decorative carvings from the original design by Bernhardt Edskes, most notably the large scrolls beneath the pedal towers on the four corners.
The current vicar of St Mary's is Brian F Mountford. Charlotte Bannister-Parker, Dr William Beaver, Rachel Green and David Neaum are Associated Priests. Gulliver Ralston
is the Director of Music and the organist is James Brown. The main Sunday service is at 10.30am, and during university term services are enhanced by the choir of the University Church and by many notable visiting preachers.
The church is open to visitors throughout the year from 9am - 5pm (July and August 9am - 6pm), except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when it only opens for advertised services. On Sundays the tower does not open until after the morning services.
A German Lutheran
service is held on the first Sunday of each month (except January and August).
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
parish churches and the centre from which the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
grew. It is situated on the north side of the High Street
High Street, Oxford
The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...
, and is surrounded by university and college buildings.
St Mary's possesses an eccentric baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
porch, designed by Nicholas Stone
Nicholas Stone
Nicholas Stone was an English sculptor and architect. In 1619 he was appointed master-mason to James I, and in 1626 to Charles I....
, facing High Street, and a spire which is claimed by some church historians to be one of the most beautiful in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Radcliffe Square
Radcliffe Square
Radcliffe Square is a square in central Oxford, England. It is completely surrounded by historic Oxford University and college buildings. The square is cobbled, laid to grass surrounded by railings in the centre, and is pedestrianised except for access....
lies to the north and to the east is Catte Street
Catte Street
Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.- Location :Catte Street runs north-south, continuing as Parks Road to the north...
. The 13th century tower is open to the public for a fee and provides good views across the heart of the historic university city, especially Radcliffe Square
Radcliffe Square
Radcliffe Square is a square in central Oxford, England. It is completely surrounded by historic Oxford University and college buildings. The square is cobbled, laid to grass surrounded by railings in the centre, and is pedestrianised except for access....
, the Radcliffe Camera
Radcliffe Camera
The Radcliffe Camera is a building in Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in the English Palladian style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library.-History:...
, Brasenose College and All Souls College.
History
A church was established on this site, at the centre of the old walled cityDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
, in Anglo Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
times; records of 1086 note the church as previously belonging to an estate held by Aubrey de Coucy
Aubrey de Coucy
Aubrey de Coucy was the earl of Northumbria from 1080, by appointment of William the Conqueror, until he resigned it. After the rebellion and suppression of Earl Waltheof in 1075, William Walcher, prince-bishop of Durham, was installed temporarily. In 1080, the Conqueror gave the earldom to...
, likely Iffley
Iffley
Iffley is a village in Oxfordshire, England, within the boundaries of the city of Oxford, between Cowley and the estates of Rose Hill and Donnington, and in proximity to the River Thames . Its most notable feature is its original and largely unchanged Norman church, St Mary the Virgin, which has a...
, and the parish including part of Littlemore
Littlemore
Littlemore is a district of Oxford, England. It has a parish council that also represents parts of Rose Hill. It is about southeast of the city centre of Oxford, between Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, Cowley, and Sandford-on-Thames.-History:...
.
In the early days of Oxford University, the church was adopted as the first building of the university, congregation
Congregation (university)
A Congregation is a formal meeting of senior members of a university, especially in the United Kingdom.Examples include the Regent House in the University of Cambridge, and the House of Congregation and the Ancient House of Congregation in the University of Oxford.In recent times, very few...
met there from at least 1252, and by the early 13th century it was the seat of university government and was used for lectures and the award of degrees. Around 1320 a two storey building was added to the north side of the chancel — the ground floor (now the Vaults cafe) became the "convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
" house used by university parliament, and the upper storey housed books bequeathed by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
, which formed the first university library.
When Adam de Brome
Adam de Brome
Adam de Brome was an almoner to King Edward II and founder of Oriel College in Oxford, England.De Brome was probably the son of Thomas de Brome, taking his name from Brome near Eye in Suffolk; an inquisition held after the death of Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall, in 1300, noted de Brome holding an...
became rector in 1320 the church's fortune became linked to what would later become Oriel College. In 1324 de Brome founded St Mary Hall
St Mary Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford associated with Oriel College since 1326, but which functioned independently from 1545 to 1902.- History :...
and appropriated the church's rectory house, including small tithes, oblations, and burial dues for the college, an act confirmed in 1326 by the bishop, Henry Burghersh
Henry Burghersh
Henry Burghersh , English bishop and chancellor, was a younger son of Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh , and a nephew of Bartholomew, Lord Badlesmere, and was educated in France....
, after de Brome had King Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
's patronage to refound the college. De Brome diverted the revenue of the church to his college, which thereafter was responsible for appointing the vicar and providing four chaplains to celebrate the daily services in the church. Early provosts
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of the college were inducted into their stall in the church, and until 1642 fellows were required to attend services on Sundays and holy days.
St Mary's was the site of the 1555 trial of the Oxford Martyrs
Oxford Martyrs
The Oxford Martyrs were tried for heresy in 1555 and subsequently burnt at the stake in Oxford, England, for their religious beliefs and teachings....
, when the bishops Latimer
Hugh Latimer
Hugh Latimer was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, Bishop of Worcester before the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555, under Queen Mary, he was burnt at the stake, becoming one of the three Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism.-Life:Latimer was born into a...
and Ridley
Nicholas Ridley (martyr)
Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
, and the Archbishop Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
, were tried for heresy. The martyrs were imprisoned at the former Bocardo Prison
Bocardo Prison
The Bocardo Prison in Oxford, England existed until 1771. Its origins were medieval, and the most celebrated prisoners were the Protestant martyrs Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley in 1555.-History:...
near St Michael at the Northgate
St Michael at the Northgate
St Michael at the North Gate is a church in Cornmarket Street, at the junction with Ship Street, in central Oxford, England. The church is so-called because this is the location of the original north gate of Oxford when it was surrounded by a city wall....
in Cornmarket Street
Cornmarket Street
Cornmarket Street is a major shopping street and pedestrian precinct in Oxford, England that runs north-south between Carfax Tower and Magdalen Street.Retailers in Cornmarket include:* Austin Reed...
and subsequently burnt at the stake
Execution by burning
Death by burning is death brought about by combustion. As a form of capital punishment, burning has a long history as a method in crimes such as treason, heresy, and witchcraft....
just outside the city walls to the north. A cross set into the road marks that location on what is now Broad Street
Broad Street, Oxford
Broad Street is a wide street in central Oxford, England, located just north of the old city wall.The street is known for its bookshops, including the original Blackwell's bookshop at number 50, located here due to the University...
, the nearby Martyrs' Memorial
Martyrs' Memorial
The Martyrs' Memorial is a stone monument positioned at the intersection of St Giles', Magdalen Street and Beaumont Street in Oxford, England just outside Balliol College...
, at the south end of St Giles', commemorates the events.
A section cut out of 'Cranmer's Pillar' remains from the morning of Cranmer's death on March 21, 1556, when he was brought to the church for a sermon from Dr Henry Cole
Henry Cole (priest)
Henry Cole was an English Roman Catholic churchman and academic.-Life:...
, Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, who on Queen Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
's instructions, spelled out the reasons why he must die. Cranmer stood on a stage, the corner of which was supported by a small shelf cut from the pillar opposite the pulpit, withdrawing his recantations of his protestant beliefs, he swore that when he was burnt, the hand which had signed them would be the first to burn.
Until the 17th Century, the church was used not only for prayers but also for increasingly rowdy graduation and degree ceremonies. This phenomenon, "The notion that 'sacrifice is made equally to God and Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
', in the same place where homage was due to God and God alone" was repugnant to William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, who in the 1630s initiated the erecting of a separate building for these ceremonies. This project was cut short by the fall of Laud and the outbreak of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, but after the Restoration it was revived and carried through by John Fell
John Fell (clergyman)
John Fell was an English churchman and influential academic. He served as Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and later concomitantly as Bishop of Oxford.-Education:...
, Dean of Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, who commissioned Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
to erect what became the Sheldonian Theatre
Sheldonian Theatre
The Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...
. Thereafter, the church was reserved for religious worship only.
During his time in Oxford, John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
often attended the university sermon, and later, as a fellow of Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
preached sermons in the church, including the university sermon on "Salvation by Faith" on June 11, 1738 and the "Almost Christian" sermon on July 25, 1741. Following his denouncement of the spiritual apathy and sloth of the senior members of the University in his sermon "Scriptural Christianity" on August 24, 1744, he was never asked to preach there again — "I preached, I suppose, the last time at St Mary's," he wrote in his journal, "Be it so; I have fully delivered my soul."
In 1828 John Henry Newman became vicar and his sermons became popular with undergraduates. From the present pulpit John Keble
John Keble
John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:...
preached the assize sermon of July 14, 1833, which is considered to have started the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
, an attempt to revive catholic spirituality
Catholic spirituality
Catholic spirituality is the spiritual practice of living out a personal act of faith following the acceptance of faith . Although all Catholics are expected to pray together at Mass, there are many different forms of spirituality and private prayer which have developed over the centuries...
in the church and University. The influence of the movement spread and affected the practice and spirituality of the Church of England. By 1843, Newman became disillusioned with Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
and resigned from St Mary's, later joining the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Architecture
In the later 15th and early 16th century the main body of the church was substantially rebuilt in the Perpendicular style, but the oldest part of the present church is the tower, which dates from around 1270. The Decorated spireSpire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
with its triple-gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d outer pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s, inner pinnacles, gargoyles and statues was added in the 1320s. Only one of the twelve statues is original, the others were by George Frampton
George Frampton
Sir George James Frampton, RA was a notable British sculptor and leading member of the New Sculpture movement.-Early life and career:...
and erected around 1894. The original statues can now be found in the cloister of New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. The tower is plainer, having long three light bell openings with intersecting tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The architect is unknown, though the master mason in 1275 was Richard of Abingdon.
Nicholas Stone
Nicholas Stone was an English sculptor and architect. In 1619 he was appointed master-mason to James I, and in 1626 to Charles I....
, master mason to Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, it was a gift from Dr Morgan Owen
Morgan Owen
Morgan Owen was bishop of Llandaff, Wales from 1639 but imprisoned and unable to exercise his charge from 1644. His Laudian views and the construction of the baroque south porch of St. Mary's University Church in Oxford precipitated his overthrow.Owen was the son of a clergyman in Myddfai,...
, chaplain to Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
. It is highly ornate, with spiral columns supporting a curly pediment framing a shell niche with a statue of the Virgin and Child, underneath a gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
fan vault
Fan vault
thumb|right|250px|Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a [[Victorian restoration]] of the original roof of 1608....
. The style was too close to Roman
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
for the puritans of the day and the porch itself was used as evidence in Laud's execution trial, citing its 'scandalous statue' to which one witness saw 'one bow and another pray'. The gate piers are original and the wrought iron gates are early 18th century. The bullet holes in the statue were made by Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
troopers.
Around 1328 a chapel was added, now the outer north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
, by the rector, Adam de Brome
Adam de Brome
Adam de Brome was an almoner to King Edward II and founder of Oriel College in Oxford, England.De Brome was probably the son of Thomas de Brome, taking his name from Brome near Eye in Suffolk; an inquisition held after the death of Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall, in 1300, noted de Brome holding an...
. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt around 1462 by Walter Hart
Walter Hart
Walter Hart was a medieval Bishop of Norwich.He was nominated 24 January 1446 and was consecrated on 27 February 1446. He died on 24 May 1472.-References:...
, Bishop of Norwich
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
, the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and aisles were rebuilt around 1490 by the university with donations from Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and several bishops whose arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
decorate the nave. The north wall of de Brome's chapel and the congregation house were remodelled in the Perpendicular style around 1510, and new windows were added to match the others in the church. Around the same time, St Thomas chantry, now a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, was added. The nave and aisle windows have panel tracery and flamboyant battlemented parapets with gargoyles and pinnacles.
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows are canopied niches with archangels holding shields. The roof has traceried spandrels, the chancel has transomed windows, the sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
is decorated with cusped arches and a frieze of vine leaves. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
is 15th century and contains seven ornamental canopied niches containing statues of 1933. Restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
s were carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
in 1856-7 and 1861-2 and by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson
Thomas Graham Jackson
Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet RA was one of the most distinguished English architects of his generation...
in 1894, the parapet and pinnacles are mostly Scott's work. De Brome's chapel has a two-bay arcade with continuous hollow chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed arches with Perpendicular windows. The tall arch in this aisle, connecting with the tower is a 15th century remodelling of a late 13th century window.
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
include a slab with indents of a brass cross and the Virgin and Child, thought to commemorate Adam de Brome, from 1332, though the tomb chest is modern. The wall monuments in the nave and chancel are from the late 17th century and 18th century. The floor slab to Amy Robsart
Amy Robsart
Amy Dudley was the first wife of Lord Robert Dudley, favourite of Elizabeth I of England. She is primarily known for her death by falling down a flight of stairs, the circumstances of which have often been regarded as suspicious...
, wife of Robert Dudley
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
, is modern.
The church furnishings were refitted in 1826-28 with gothic pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s and galleries, the canopied pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, the font and Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
's throne under the west gallery were designed by Thomas Plowman. The chancel has late 15th stalls, the panelling supporting Francesco Bassano the Younger
Francesco Bassano the Younger
Francesco Bassano the Younger , also called Francesco Giambattista da Ponte or Francesco da Ponte the Younger, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period....
's painting of 'The Adoration of the Shepherds' is late 17th century, the communion rail
Altar rails
Altar rails are a set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel in a church, the part of the sanctuary that contains the altar. A gate at the centre divides the line into two parts. The sanctuary is a figure of heaven, into which entry is not guaranteed...
is from around 1675. The de Brome chapel has early 18th century panelling and Chancellor's throne.
There are remnants of 15th century stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
in the tracery lights of the east window, and 17th century shields in the de Brome Chapel. The east window and second from east in the south aisle were designed by Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
. The west window in the nave is from 1891 and was designed by C.E. Kempe, the memorial window to John Keble
John Keble
John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:...
is by Clayton and Bell in 1866.
Organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
built by the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
firm of Metzler Orgelbau
Metzler Orgelbau
Metzler Orgelbau is a firm of organ builders based in Dietikon, near Zurich, Switzerland. It is one of the most important makers of the European classical organ revival and has built many important and respected instruments throughout Europe...
in 1986, one of only two by this esteemed maker in Great Britain. (The other is in the chapel
Trinity Great Court
Great Court is the main court of Trinity College, Cambridge, and reputed to be the largest enclosed court in Europe.The court was completed by Thomas Nevile, master of the college, in the early years of the 17th century, when he rearranged the existing buildings to form a single...
of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.) This instrument was inspired by a previous instrument, originally built for the church by the famed organ builder "Father" Smith in 1676. Much altered over the years, the last remains of this original organ (besides some fragments of ornamental casework and, possibly, part of one stop) were destroyed by a fire shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Metzler organ replaced this instrument's successor — an organ by J. W. Walker & Sons that was contained in the restored old case, originally by Smith but extensively rebuilt in a 'gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
' style in 1827 by Plowman. The pipework and case of this organ are now in the church of St Mary, Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
The unstained oak case of the Metzler organ is based on the original Smith design and incorporates a few carved wooden pipe shades that remained after the 1827 case rebuild and later fire. It still lacks certain decorative carvings from the original design by Bernhardt Edskes, most notably the large scrolls beneath the pedal towers on the four corners.
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- Koppeln: I/II, I/P, II/P
Today's church
Gulliver Ralston
Gulliver Ralston is a British musician living in Oxford, UK.- Education :Ralston was born in 1978 and was a chorister in the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. After completing his secondary education at Eton College he read music at New College, Oxford, where he held an alto choral...
is the Director of Music and the organist is James Brown. The main Sunday service is at 10.30am, and during university term services are enhanced by the choir of the University Church and by many notable visiting preachers.
The church is open to visitors throughout the year from 9am - 5pm (July and August 9am - 6pm), except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when it only opens for advertised services. On Sundays the tower does not open until after the morning services.
A German Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
service is held on the first Sunday of each month (except January and August).