St Michael at the North Gate Oxford

 

   St Michael at the North gate is a short walk from where St Mary is along the High Street. It is a church I have been busting to visit for years. There is little to look at of the church other that what you see from the road and there is no churchyard. St Michael at the North Gate has it's own Wiki page so click on the link to read it. What I will say is the church was Originally built around 1000–1050 and the tower that was built in 1040 and has one of the few Saxon towers  around

 From the road the south side of the church

South view from the road, there is very little churchyard to see

The tower is undergoing some restoration work

South side of the church

West end and the Saxon tower

 

Entrance doorway

 

Inside is beautiful and worth coming to see

Looking down the nave

In the chancel

Up near the altar rails

Altar and east window

Looking back through the chancel to the west end of the church

Sidilia seats

North wall you cans see these wonderful memorials

Mrs Anne Harris 1685

This one is not so easy to read

Alice died in 1695

Eagle lectern and pulpit

No one had a problem me getting a photo from it

The organ looked amazing and I loved how some of the pipes came out horizontal 

Under the organ are the choir stalls

I have to assume this is the lady chapel 

Altar and reredos

Which look beautiful

Blessed Virgin with Holy Child

St Frideswide and St Mildred abbes of Minster

The stained glass panels 

North window

Forces flags 

Altar and beautiful kneeler 

Church banner 

I think this is St Michael the archangel 

St George and I don't know the other figure 

West wall of the south aisle 

There are a lot of really old memorials around the church the oldest is 1603 most recent 1687

This one I could not read

City of Oxford coat of arms

Old church chest

WWII memorial 

Oxford City Police force memorial WWI 

 One from WWII. There look to be some I missed so M may drop back in again

The gallery was open and the small museum but the tower was closed so I will return later in the year for some more photos but I did get a nice view down the church 

Wide view

centered on the nave

The font which if you read the note below you can see is well traveled

 

The information is worth reading 

Over six hundred years is right it looks Norman and I like the fact it came St Martins church because the only other thing left you can see is Carfax Tower and a few graves beside it.

 Managed to return to visit the tower when it was open, I did see this display last time

Clock workings

Think these might be the old entrance doors to the church

On one landing is this old door that I had wanted to see, it's from the cell in Bocardo Prison where Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was held before he was martyred 

This is the brass plate on the door with the information 

As you go up the tower further you start passing bells 

On both sides

Looking down as you go up

Sanctus bell in a window

 

 

This is from the top of the tower and looks down to Magdalen Street. Bocardo Prison would have been below us. The street that is curving to the right is Broad street and is where the ditch was that the martyrs were burned at the stake. There is a cross in the street marking the spot. 

Found these pictures of the prison which was over the arch

Always feel it is a pity the gates were demolished 

I will leave you with this view of the oxford skyline

Till Next time may I wish you all a peaceful week