St Frideswide's Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Frideswide's Church |
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| The Parish Church of St Frideswide | |
St Frideswide's Church, from the North
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | St Frideswide's Church |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 10 April 1872 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Samuel Sanders Teulon |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1870–2 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Oxford |
St Frideswide's Church is a Church of England church in Oxford, England. You can find it on the south side of Botley Road in the New Osney area.
The church was built between 1870 and 1872. It is named after St Frideswide, who is the patron saint of Oxford. St Frideswide's Church is a very special building. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is protected because of its amazing and powerful design.
Contents
The Church's Story
Building a New Church
In the late 1860s, people decided to build a church for the growing community of Osney Town. This area is now called New Osney. Christ Church College, a part of Oxford University, gave a piece of land for the church. It was called "Mrs. Jones's Field." A famous architect named Samuel Sanders Teulon was chosen to design the new church.
The first stone of the church was laid on December 13, 1870. A Member of Parliament named John Talbot did this at a public ceremony. A local company, Honour & Castle, built the church. The original plan was for the church tower to have a tall, pointed roof called a spire.
On April 10, 1872, the Bishop of Oxford, John Mackarness, officially opened the church for worship. This created the new parish of St Frideswide's. It was made from a part of the St Thomas the Martyr parish. The new church would serve the people living in the Osney and Botley Road areas.
Why St Frideswide?
The church is named after St Frideswide, who is Oxford's patron saint. This choice was special because Christ Church College had a historical link to St Frideswide's Priory. That priory's site later became Christ Church Cathedral.
The first vicar, Rev. George Lynch Kemp, served from 1872 to 1896. Under his leadership, the church became strongly connected to the Oxford Movement. This was a religious movement within the Church of England.
Community Life and Changes
St Frideswide's Church was a busy place. It ran a school for children and organized many social activities. These activities were for the families in the area, many of whom worked for the railway or as craftspeople.
Throughout the 1900s, the church building was improved and continued to be used actively. In the early 1900s, the area around the altar, called the chancel, was decorated. A beautifully carved wooden screen was added in 1906. The large window at the east end was filled with colorful stained glass. In 1931, five more stained-glass windows were added. These were made by artist Geoffrey Webb and showed the Easter story.
During World War II, Oxford was bombed, but the church building was not damaged. In 1950, fourteen carved wooden angels were placed on the walls inside the church.
St Frideswide's Church has been an important part of its neighborhood's religious and social life since the 1800s. Music is a big part of the services. On Sundays, there are two main services. One is an early morning Holy Communion, which follows older traditions. The other is a later Eucharist service with more modern music. St Frideswide's follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England.
Church Design and Features
A Unique Look
St Frideswide's is a great example of Victorian church architecture. It has a bold and unique design by S. S. Teulon. The church is built from rough limestone blocks with smooth, cut stone details.
Teulon's original design was in the Gothic Revival style. This style brings back elements of medieval Gothic buildings. However, it also has some Romanesque influences. You can see this in its heavy, strong shapes and some rounded archways.
The church has a tower that sits over the north transept, which is a part of the church that sticks out. On one corner of the tower, there is a thin, eight-sided turret. This turret holds a single bell that was made in 1871. The front of the church, facing west, is very detailed. It has strong supports called buttresses and a large window with decorative stone patterns.
Many people think the church's exterior design is one of Teulon's most powerful and unusual church designs. It is protected as a Grade II* listed building because of its special architecture.
Inside the Church
One special feature is the rose window. Teulon included a "magnificent rose window" in the upper wall of the north transept. This large, round window lets a lot of light into the central part of the church.
Other interesting things inside include a pipe organ made by Hunter. This organ is still used today. There are also fourteen painted wooden angel figures that hang from the walls of the main part of the church, called the nave.
The Vicarage
The vicarage is the house where the church's vicar (or priest) lives. It is also a special building. Because of its interesting design, St Frideswide's vicarage is a Grade II listed building.
The vicarage was built in 1876 by an English architect named Harry George Walter Drinkwater.
The vicarage matches the church's style. It uses similar materials and has a Victorian Gothic look. It is a two-story house built from the same grey Oxford limestone as the church. A short covered walkway connects the vicarage to the north side of the church.
The vicarage has special windows with stone frames and pointed roofs covered in tiles. It also has tall stone chimneys. These features give the vicarage a charming, old-fashioned look, like a Cotswolds cottage. In recent years, the old vicarage building was carefully repaired and updated. Part of its large garden and some of the house were sold. They were turned into a separate private home.
Together, the church and its vicarage create a lovely historic scene along Botley Road. They show how a parish church and its priest's house were built side by side in the 1800s.
Location
St Frideswide's Church is set back from Botley Road. It is not far from the railway station and the city center. The church is located between two rivers: the River Thames to the east and the Osney Ditch to the west.
Vicars of St Frideswide's
- 1872-96 George Lynch Kemp
- 1896-1905 Augustus Jameson Miller
- 1905-14 William Alfred Spence
- 1914-22 George Herbert Tremenheere
- 1922-33 Charles Overy
- 1933-76 Arnold Mallinson
Images for kids
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View of the church from the south.
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View from the northeast.
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St Frideswide's Church on a winter's day
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The interior of St Frideswide's Church
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The Vicarage of St Frideswide's
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St Frideswide's Church, viewed from the East
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Grey Heron on the Thames next to St Frideswide's Church
See Also
- Priory of St Frideswide, Oxford
- St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Oxford
- The original plan by S. S. Teulon
External Links
- St Frideswide's Church website
- Find St Frideswide's
