Come and visit the University Church of St Mary the Virgin on this exclusive members only tour. We know very little about the first church to be built on this site, but by the twelfth century, St Mary’s was at the heart of the growing medieval university. The students and academics of the university gathered in St Mary’s for special occasions such as the awarding of degrees, as well as for services. When the university as a whole needed to make decisions, all the academics – so-called members of Congregation – would meet in St Mary’s to vote on important matters. The oldest part of the church that remains is the tower, begun in the 1270s. The decorated spire was added in the early fourteenth century and is one of Oxford’s best-known landmarks. The University Church has been visited by many illustrious figures, who left their mark on the building, the University and the whole of English History.

This is a members only event. If you would like to become a member click below.