Oxford Churches, England

Oxford is a university town with many different colleges (36 in all) where most of the churches are located. The cathedral in Oxford is part of Christ Church College. Like most colleges in Oxford, it's a bit of a gated community, with strict times when tourists can come in and look around. Also, they charge a fee for tourists to come in and look around. We didn't think it was worth it, so we only saw the gate and the gardens.

Christ Church College gate

The gardens have a peek at the cathedral

On High Street is the parish church for Oxford, St. Mary the Virgin, which is normally open to visitors and free of charge. Parts of the church date back to the 1200s though there have been many renovations in subsequent centuries. Sadly, we visited in 2012 when the church was undergoing more renovations and could see very little inside.

St. Mary the Virgin entrance

The nave as seen from just inside the door

Cool tree outside St. Mary's (fenced off and with its own support!)

We were visiting over a weekend and went to the Oxford Oratory dedicated to St. Aloysius. It was built in 1875 and originally was served by Jesuit priests. Now the Oratorians (founded by John Henry Cardinal Newman) serve the church and have a thriving community.

Oxford Oratory

We didn't tour much inside since the children were dying for a snack. Maybe we'll get to go back someday.