OXFORD
Dedication: The Holy Trinity, St. Mary and St. Frideswide.
Special features: Ceiling in Choir; Windows; Shrine of St. Frideswide.
This Cathedral is peculiar in being almost hidden from sight in a series of college buildings, gardens and quadrangles. It is the chapel of Christ Church, as well as a cathedral; and to enter it we have to pass through the gateway of the famous Tom Tower, and across the great quadrangle, familiarly known as Tom Quad.
The big bell Tom gives its name to the tower and quadrangle, is seven feet one inch in diameter, and weighs 17,000 tons. It was brought from Oseney Abbey with the other bells, the “merry Christ Church bells,” that now hang in the bell-tower above the hall staircase. Tom was recast in 1680.
The lower story of Tom Tower was built by Cardinal Wolsey. The cupola was added by Sir Christopher Wren. Three sides of the quadrangle were built by Wolsey, and the north side by Bishop Fell. As we pass through Tom Tower we note that a statue of Cardinal Wolsey faces St. Aldgate’s, and a statue of Queen Anne faces the quadrangle.
Christ Church is the largest college in the University of Oxford, and stands on the site of the ancient priory of St. Frideswide.
In 1524 Cardinal Wolsey obtained authority from Henry VIII. and Clement VIII. to suppress a number of religious houses in various parts of England, and to appropriate their revenues to the building and endowing of a College. After he had made considerable progress in the building of Christ Church he fell into disgrace with the King, who seized the property and distributed it among his courtiers. At a later period Henry VIII. refounded the establishment, and added to it the Abbey of Oseney, which was then the Cathedral of the See of Oxford. Christ Church (the present Cathedral) was at that time called the College of Henry VIII., and was a Collegiate Church. In 1546, on the suppression of Oseney Abbey, St. Frideswide became the Cathedral Church of Oxford. Oseney is depicted in the King window ([see page 391]).
The foundation was converted into one of secular canons in the Eighth or Ninth Century; and these were in turn succeeded by the regular canons, who built their chapter-house, dormitory, refectory and cloisters. In 1158 they began the present Cathedral, which was completed in 1180, having swept away the Saxon church rebuilt by King Ethelred in 1004, according to some critics, while other antiquaries think that much of the present Cathedral is St. Ethelred’s. The church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, St. Mary, and St. Frideswide, and was somewhat peculiar for the Twelfth Century, in being more elegant than was usual at that time. Cramped for room the south transept was cut off for the sake of the cloisters; and aisles were given to the north transept. There was no room for a Lady-Chapel at the east end; and, consequently, an additional aisle north of the north aisle of the choir was built. The same arrangement occurs at Ripon; the Elder Lady Chapel at Bristol holds a similar position.
“St. Frideswide Church, now Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, is a fine example of late Norman and transitional work of early character. It was consecrated in 1180, and was probably building for about twenty years previously: the confirmation, by Pope Hadrian IV. (Breakspeare, the only English Pope), of the charters granting the Saxon monastery of St. Frideswide to the Norman monks was not obtained until 1158, and it is not probable that they began to rebuild their church until their property was secured. The Prior at this period was Robert of Cricklade, called Canutus, a man of considerable eminence, some of whose writings were in existence in the time of Leland. Under his superintendence the church was entirely rebuilt from the foundations, and without doubt on a larger scale than before, as the Saxon church does not appear to have been destroyed until this period.