Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry |
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Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry
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| OS grid reference | SP 55453 06839 |
| Location | Headington Quarry, Oxfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Headington Quarry |
| Archdeaconry | Oxford |
| Diocese | Diocese of Oxford |
| Province | Canterbury |
Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry is a church found in Headington Quarry, Oxford, England. It is an active Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of Holy Trinity Church
When Was the Church Built?
The church was built between 1848 and 1849. It was designed by a famous architect named George Gilbert Scott. He also designed other important buildings like the Martyr's Memorial in Oxford. The church was built to serve the people who lived and worked in the nearby quarry.
The first stone was laid on June 19, 1848, by Samuel Wilberforce. He was the Bishop of Oxford and the son of William Wilberforce, who was famous for helping to end slavery. Bishop Wilberforce officially opened the church when it was finished.
C. S. Lewis and the Church
The famous author C. S. Lewis and his brother, Warren Lewis, started going to this church in 1930. They were active members of the church until they passed away. C. S. Lewis died in 1963, and Warren Lewis died in 1973.
Special Windows and Art
Above the altar, which is the table where holy services are held, there is a beautiful stained glass window called Christ in Glory. It was put in place in 1951 to remember those who died in World War II. Sir J. Ninian Comper designed this window.
Behind the altar, there is a special cloth that was hung in 1994. It shows three angels visiting Abraham, a story from the Bible. The church also has a chancel organ, which is a type of musical instrument. It was built by Kenneth Tickell and installed in 1992.
The Narnia Window
One of the most famous parts of the church is its Narnia window. This window shows pictures from C. S. Lewis's popular books, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was created by Sally Scott, an artist who works with glass. The window was installed in 1991.
The Narnia window was given to the church by George and Kathleen Howe. They lived near the Lewis brothers and wanted to remember their children, William G. and Gillian Margaret, who both died young.
The window features many things from the Narnia stories, such as:
- A lamp post
- The word "Narnia"
- Glimfeather the owl
- The flying horse Fledge
- The sword, shield, and bottle of cordial from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- The ship called the Dawn Treader
- The castle Cair Paravel
- Susan's horn and bow with quiver
- Talking animals
The top corners of the window show the family symbols of John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame. He started Lord Williams's School, which is where Willie Howe went to school before he died. Some local children were models for the characters in the window, including the opera singer Maggie Cooper, who was the girl on the horse.
The Church Graveyard
Next to the church is a small graveyard. Many people visit it because it is where C. S. Lewis is buried. He passed away on November 22, 1963.
C. S. Lewis's Grave
C. S. Lewis's brother, Warren Hamilton Lewis, chose the words for his tombstone. Warren is also buried in the same grave, as he died on April 9, 1973. The words on the tombstone are from Shakespeare's play King Lear: "Men must endure their going hence." This quote was on the family calendar on the day their mother died in 1908.
Other Notable Graves
The graveyard also holds the grave of William Kimber. His tombstone calls him the "father of English Morris," referring to a traditional English folk dance. Mrs. Janie Moore, who was like an adopted mother to C. S. Lewis, is also buried here. She died on January 12, 1951.
The churchyard also has the graves of six British Army soldiers from World War I. These graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
