English Churches - Oxfordshire
University Church of St Mary the
Virgin, Oxford
Possibly the best church spire in Oxford and the
University Church
The relatively plain heavily buttressed tower is the oldest part of the church being built in 1280. The ornate spire was added a few years later, along with the Adam de Brome Chapel off the north aisle. His tomb slab minus its brass is in the chapel. This was used as the courtroom with the Chancellor’s throne where he fixed rents, fined sellers of bad meat and sent scolding women to prison. The windows were enlarged in the C16th and the panelling date from the early C18th.
The rest of the church is late C14th/early C15thc and is late Perpendicular in style. The south porch on High Street was added in the C17th and is Baroque in style and completely different with its barley sugar columns.
The inside of the church is perhaps less interesting than the outside. Slender columns with pointed arches separate the nave and the side aisles. Above are large, plain glass clerestory windows, separated by empty stone niches with angels holding shields. The stone organ screen was added in 1823 and is in keeping with the rest of the architecture. The organ was installed in 1987.
Beneath the gallery is the stall where the Chancellor of the University sits when attending University events. On either side are the Proctor’s seats. Above is the University crest of the open book with the word “Dominus Illuminatio Mea”.
The Baptistry is at the back of the north aisle.
The stained glass window at the end of the south aisle is by Pugin and shows scenes from the life of St Thomas the Apostle.
The choir stalls are C15th and still have the carved graffiti from choirboys down the years.
The wood panelling behind the altar and the altar rail is C17th. The stone niches above are C15th although the statues were placed there is 1933 to mark the centenary of the Oxford Movement.
The Church is open daily from 9-5. It has a small shop and a very popular cafe serving a range of freshly cooked meals and cakes. The post code is SP516062 and the grid reference is SP 516063.