St Mary the Virgin Oxford

 

 I'm now on the final few churches featured in the book Oxfordshires Best Churches and this week I start with one of Oxfords Dreaming Spires University Church of St Mary the Virgin. as it is known. I have been writing the blog since 2012 and though I only live half hours drive away and worked in Oxford for a number of years I am only now starting to visit the churches in Oxford. Normally I would cut and paste the history from Wikipedia but not this one, there is whole Wiki page on it which you can read in the link.

You might want to get a coffee for this one 

 Managed to take a photo from a cross the road without busses or tourists  there are few external photos to get of the outside and no headstones to see but I will show what I took around the outside then go in.

 

 

I had to wait for the van to move out of the way

 

 The spire which is stunning when you look at the carvings

 

Closer view of the carvings on the spire 

 

 

North

 

 

Up close

 

 Carving closeup 

 

Inside the clock works

 

The clock workings

Up close with the carvings

Collage of the spire carvings

The porch which is quite amazing 

The carvings over the top are quite beautiful 

Inside looking through the arches

Down the nave

The chancel arch the organ is on the top of the screen

New altar used in services with the organ 

The chancel which is quiet open 

Altar and huge east window

The reredos beneath the east window

Altar with paining of Madonna and Child on the panel behind

Looking back to the organ, I thought the guy you see was just sorting office work for the church but he plays the organ so we were treated it its sounds while walking around

Looking down to the west window and gallery

The stunning west window

 

Some of the panels from it

In the chancel you will find the Sidilia seats

Along with this memorial

There are lots of memorials to see

Some very elaborate

Lots of floor memorials as well

 

 

 Some which are really old

and want to be remembered

Nicely carved church chest

Choir stalls

The pulpit which I was told I could not go up for a photo, fobbed off IMO 

Internal Porch 

Which has a beautiful window over it

In fact there are more beautiful stained glass windows to see

I think you could spend a while looking at each

They are just quiet stunning

East window in the south aisle

More memorials, one on the lower right looks like the side of a tomb

Even more memorials in the north entrance

The tomb of Adam de Brome

It sits in the north aisle 

Cameo memorial 

This is an old roll of honor dedicated to the men of the Oxfordsire light infantry who died in Balochistan between 1885-86

Lt Col Skinner Ramond Sebastian MC died at Rouen 23rd March 1918

Collage of memorials

Memorial of Johannes Wallis

Some of the angel carvings around the church

Martyrs memorial  they were al executed in Oxford 

Couple of modern memorials top one looks older than it is the other has the hospital named after him

Poppyhead 

That is on the end of the pews 

Box pews in the south aisle 

Old brass memorial , the lady show has 12 children, four boys and 8 girls, the inscription is not easy to read

The font, could not tell you its age

Windows over the arched and the angels looking down

Some from the balcony 

South asile

Nave

From near the west window

Closer to the organ

I will leave you with this view of the magnificent organ on the screen, what I cannot do it let you hear it what is I could do while taking this.

Too Next time May I wish you all a peaceful week