kids encyclopedia robot

St Barnabas Church, Oxford facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
St Barnabas Church, Oxford
Jericho StBarnabas 2006-01.JPG
View of St Barnabas Church and its campanile
St Barnabas Church, Oxford is located in Oxfordshire
St Barnabas Church, Oxford
St Barnabas Church, Oxford
Location in Oxfordshire
51°45′28″N 1°16′11″W / 51.7578°N 1.2697°W / 51.7578; -1.2697
Location St Barnabas Street, Jericho, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6BG
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Traditional Catholic
History
Status Active
Founder(s) Thomas Combe and Martha Combe
Dedication St Barnabas
Consecrated 19 October 1869
Architecture
Functional status Parish church
Architect(s) Sir Arthur Blomfield
Architectural type Victorian, Romanesque, Italianate
Specifications
Bells tubular
Administration
Parish Oxford St. Barnabas and St. Paul with St Thomas the Martyr
Deanery Oxford Deanery
Archdeaconry Archdeaconry of Oxford
Episcopal area Oxford Episcopal Area
Diocese Diocese of Oxford

St Barnabas Church is a Church of England parish church in Jericho, central Oxford, England, located close to the Oxford Canal.

History

St Barnabas, like many similar churches in the expanding towns and cities of Victorian England, was built to minister to the spiritual and practical needs of the poor and labouring classes. The parish was formed from that of St Paul, Oxford, in 1869; St Paul's was in turn formed from parts of the parishes of St Thomas and St Giles. The church was founded by Thomas Combe (1796–1872), Superintendent of the Oxford University Press close to the church, and his wife Martha (1806–1893), now commemorated by a blue plaque installed by the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board. They were supporters of the Oxford Movement (or Tractarian movement). The first Parish Priest was Fr Montague Noel, SSC.

The architect was Sir Arthur Blomfield, a son of the Bishop of London, who had previously designed the chapel for the Radcliffe Infirmary. The architectural style is that of a Romanesque basilica, possibly modelled on that of Torcello, near Venice. St Barnabas has a distinctive square tower, in the form of an Italianate campanile, that is visible from the surrounding area. The church was built on land donated by the local merchant and former Oxford mayor William Ward. It was consecrated in 1869 by Bishop Wilberforce of Oxford and the campanile was completed in 1872. It has a ring of ten, distinctive, tubular bells, and the hours and quarters are sounded on them. St Barnabas features in a wide range of literature, from Thomas Hardy through to P. D. James. The poet John Betjeman wrote a poem about the church. A short guide to the building and its story is available from the church, as is the Emma Bridgewater 'Jericho' mug, commissioned specially for St Barnabas.

Present day

The church maintains the Anglo-Catholic tradition of its foundation and is open daily for worship. A parish magazine, Jericho Matters, is produced quarterly and distributed to all of the households and businesses in Jericho. The church hosts many events throughout the year, such as concerts, lectures and exhibitions.

In September 2015 the parish was united with the neighbouring parish of St Thomas the Martyr, to form the new parish of St Barnabas and St Paul, with St Thomas the Martyr, Oxford. St Barnabas is the parish church and St Thomas is the chapel of ease. The first vicar of the new parish is Fr Jonathan Beswick, SSC.

Gallery

  • Bassett, Arthur Tilney (1919) S. Barnabas', Oxford: a record of fifty years. London: A. R. Mowbray
kids search engine
St Barnabas Church, Oxford Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.