Diameter: 14" Bell 1 of 2
Founded by John Warner & Sons 1871
Dove Bell ID: 58529 Tower ID: 22638 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Oxford: St Frideswide
Diocese of Oxford
Church, 627218
http://www.osneybenefice.org.ukOverview
Grid reference: SP 501 61
Built 1870-72 by S S Teulon. A powerful design, transeptal with apse, stump of crossing tower. A very good example of this architect's work, in 13th-century style, and forms a group with adjacent vicarage. Set back from Botley Road next to Botley weir and bridge.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay aisleless transeptal nave with stump of crossing tower and apsidal chancel. South porch. Covered link from the vicarage leads to south door.
Dimensions:
[Approximate] Nave 24m (75ft) x 8m (25ft), chancel 5.5m (18ft) long and wide.
Footprint of Church buildings: 404 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The parish church of St Frideswide’s was built in 1872 to the north-west of Osney island near the turnpike on the road into Oxford. The population and town of Oxford was increasing rapidly, with the new suburb of New Osney developed just to the east and north of the church from the 1850s. The area was originally in the parish of St Thomas the Martyr but in the patronage of Christ Church due to the Osney abbey connection (hence also the dedication to St Frideswide), and a chapel was built on Oseney in 1868. It was replaced by a chapel dedicated to St Nicholas that remained in use until 1892. A second chapel was built in 1860, dedicated to St Frideswide the patron saint of Oxford. This was later replaced by the present parish church of St Frideswide’s, not on the same site.
The church was designed by the leading Gothic Revival architect Samuel Sanders Teulon of Westminster, London, and built by the local firm of Honour & Castle. The foundation stone was laid in 1870 and the church was consecrated on 10 April 1872. The design differs from the original in that the intended spire was never built, much of the intended external carving was never carried out, and benches were replaced with chairs, all perhaps a cost issue. Teulon died in 1873, so this is one of his last commissions. A renewed attempt to finish the church with designs for a very odd tower by H G W Drinkwater drawn up in 1878 was never carried out, he did however design the vicarage and connecting passage. A later design by John Oldridge Scott also never happened.
In 1950 the living of Binsey was transferred to St Frideswides. The temporary capping of the central tower was replaced in 1986. The new roof is of steeper pitch than the old one, and the side-turret for the bell was also heightened.
The archaeological potential of the site is low; it is outside Osney island and the immediate environs of Osney Abbey, on the turnpike road out of Oxford. The site has local ecological value, it has a number of mature chestnut and other trees and is within the Osney Town Conservation Area.
Exterior Description
This is a compact and powerful design, and a good example of Teulon’s later work; Betjeman called it “Teulon’s neat little job”. The style is 13th-century with a definite French flavour (not untypical for Teulon), not Romanesque as stated in the brief listing description. The fact that the crossing tower was never given a spire as planned and capped off means that it has less townscape impact and vertical emphasis than intended, but arguably gives the church a more compact appearance. Iron cross finials to the tower cap and west end attempt to compensate a little for this lack of a spire.
The chancel apse fenestration is 2-light plate tracery with quatrefoil heads except the east which is a 3-light, paired lancets to the nave, the west window has two 2-lights flanking a niche with a cinquefoil round window in the gable above. The transepts have lancets low down, south gable with similar round window, gablets mark the transition to the nave and on the north side below a round window a catslide roof; a huge east buttress connects to the tower stair turret. The overall impression is of a hulking, powerful building.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 5-bay aisleless transeptal nave
Tower (component)
19th century stump of a crossing tower
Chancel
19th century apsidal
Porch
19th century south
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century coursed squared
Slate
19th century roof
Ashlar
19th century dressings
Tile
19th century crested ridge tiles to chancel
Stone
19th century rock-faced stone tower
Interior
Interior Description
The church can be entered via a gabled passageway with narrow lancets which links with the north door, there is a potentially very useful office room at the far (south) end of this. Access to the passageway is from a pointed door in the west wall. The other point of entry, the south porch has outer and inner pointed arches and Victorian doors, there are plans to make this dark and rather forbidding entrance more inviting.
Almost in contrast to this louring external impression the spacious white-washed interior is well kept and welcoming, the High Church tradition is obvious, with a Big Six and shrines. There are wooden painted angels fixed to the aisle walls, one under each window, these have been brought from elsewhere. Seating is chairs, a somewhat unsettling mixture of old and new, the originally planned pews were never installed, presumably due to the lack of funds which also prevented the tower being finished.
In the north wall of the nave is the ornate "Alice Door", carved by Alice Liddell, a daughter of Henry Liddell, the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, made famous through Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This depicts St Frideswide in a boat, and was originally designed for St Frideswide in Poplar in London, another foundation of Christ Church, demolished following war damage.
Plain pointed crossing arches rising from oversized corbels and similar chancel apse arch, a low stone screen pierced with quatrefoils with inset crosses delineates the crossing, beyond within which are good quality choir stalls. The north transept is used as a Lady chapel. The organ and the sacristy occupy the south transept, the organ pipes are displayed on the south tower wall above, the console reached by a stone staircase let into the wall, originally intended to continue upwards to the belfry before the money ran out. Arch-braced king-post roofs, good geometric patterned tiled floors, possibly by De Morgan (Pevsner), an important Arts-and-Crafts influenced Victorian ceramics firm.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century Oak chest with three panels, central with gilded Agnus Dei.
Reredos
20th century The carved oak reredos was designed by James Rogers of Oxford and erected in 1906 in memory of Joseph Spence. Gilded triptych with symbols of Trinity. Oak panelling around the apse walls.
Pulpit
19th century Panelled hexagonal oak on stone base.
Lectern
19th century Wooden eagle lectern.
Font (component)
19th century Stone, octagonal, plain in 13th century style.
Stained Glass (window)
20th century The east window was designed in 1905 by Herbert Davis of London, apparently replacing earlier ones. Two windows on each side, by J E Nuttgens of Bletchley were added in 1930 in memory of Elizabeth Hewitt, Upper roundels. of St Edmund (for Berkshire) on the north and St Frideswide (for Oxfordshire) on the south, are late work of the Kempe studios, and match the two windows in the Lady chapel. The stained glass windows in the nave was brought from the chapel of St Thomas's Convent in 1958, founded by Thomas Chamberlain in 1847 and now closed and demolished. The five windows, dating from 1931, are the work of Geoffrey Webb and were re-set between 1984 and 1988 by Michael Farrar Bell. A sixth panel, which completes the Easter triptych, is in private hands.
Plaque (component)
20th century mostly brass plaque memorials
Organ (component)
19th century The 3-manual organ was completed by the London (Kensington) firm of Alfred Hunter about 1876.
Bells
Diameter: 13" Bell 2 of 2
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1873
Dove Bell ID: 58530 Tower ID: 22638 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Parish registers since 1873, previously under St Thomas the Martyr.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SP 501 61
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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