St. Mary Magdalen Church
9 Magdalen Street, Oxford, OX1 3AE, GB
Rating: 4.6 ★ (51 ratings)
Details
A Saxon wooden church first stood on this site over a thousand years ago, before being replaced by a stone chapel in 1074, built by the Norman Constable of Oxford, Robert d'Oily. This fascinating historic church, standing prominently on a traffic island at the south end of St Giles near the Martyrs' Memorial, has a rich and complex past, having been rebuilt and altered numerous times. Notably, St Hugh, the Bishop of Lincoln, oversaw a significant rebuilding in 1194, and parts of his work can still be seen in the chancel's east wall and the south aisle. The west tower was added between 1511 and 1531. Today, St Mary Magdalen is a Grade I listed building and serves as a vibrant centre of Anglo-Catholic worship, known for its strong tradition of preaching and music.
The church underwent a major restoration in 1841-42, a period that saw the rebuilding of the north aisle by the then young and relatively unknown architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, a project that complemented his nearby Martyrs' Memorial and marked one of his first commissions. This restoration is considered the first Gothic Revival interior in Oxford. Inside, visitors can find a richly decorated font dating to around 1350, Elizabethan painted glass panels, and a superb Victorian reredos added in 1894. Another significant feature is the medieval oak "Jewel Chest" from the 14th century, which was damaged by Parliamentarian soldiers during the Civil War. The striking west window, depicting Oxford's medieval history with more muted colours than other Victorian glass in the church, was designed by Elizabeth Wigram in 1898.
Location
Opening Hours
Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM; Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM; Wednesday: 12:00 – 6:30 PM; Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM; Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM; Saturday: 12:00 – 1:00 PM, 5:40 – 6:30 PM; Sunday: 8:00 – 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 5:30 – 6:00 PM
Contact
+44 1865 246143
Comments
In 1194 Saint Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, had the church rebuilt. Work of that period survives in the east wall of the chancel wall and in the south aisle, and the altar dedicated to St Thomas Becket. By 1235 the church had an altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chancel was rebuilt late in the 13th century. A century later the scholars of newly founded Balliol College had an oratory dedicated to St Catherine in the present north aisle. In 1320 the Carmelites founded a chapel in the south aisle, which survives as the present Lady Chapel.
The west tower was built between 1511 and 1531. The south porch, with a room above it, was also added around this time.
In 1841–42 the church was restored. The architects for the north or "Martyrs' Aisle" were George Gilbert Scott, then young and unknown, and his partner W. B. Moffatt. Scott and Moffatt also had the Norman arch to the chancel removed. The north aisle complemented Scott's Martyrs' Memorial just north of the church. It was the first Gothic Revival interior in Oxford.
The architect for the restoration of the south aisle was Edward Blore.
In 1874–75 the 13th-century chancel was altered by raising the floor before the altar and adding a screen, the windows of the west tower were opened into the church and the bells were re-hung. The architect for these works was William Wilkinson.
The antiquary and biographer John Aubrey was buried in the churchyard.