Chapel Of St Mary At Smith Gate
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The octagonal Chapel of St Mary at Smith Gate is a former chapel in
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, England, now part of
Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...
. It is located on
Catte Street Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.Catt ...
, opposite the
Clarendon Building Clarendon Building is an early 18th-century neoclassical building of the University of Oxford. It is in Broad Street, Oxford, England, next to the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre and near the centre of the city. It was built betwee ...
.


History

The first chapel of St Mary at Smith Gate already existed in the late 14th century, originally known as the Chapel of Our Lady at Smith Gate. It was just north of the Oxford
city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
, but was part of the defences of the Smith Gate, at the junction of
Catte Street Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.Catt ...
and
New College Lane New College Lane is a historic street in central Oxford, England, named after New College, one of the older Oxford colleges, adjacent to the north. In 2010, New College Lane was named Britain's fourth most picturesque street, as part of G ...
. Students prayed at the chapel before their
disputation In the scholastic system of education of the Middle Ages, disputations (in Latin: ''disputationes'', singular: ''disputatio'') offered a formalized method of debate designed to uncover and establish truths in theology and in sciences. Fixed ru ...
s at the
Divinity School A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
. In 1366, it was described as the little tower of Smith Gate with the statue of the Virgin on it. In 1520, the chapel was rebuilt, reputedly by William de Hyberdine of
Canterbury College Canterbury College may refer to: * Canterbury College (Indiana), U.S. * Canterbury College (Waterford), Queensland, Australia * Canterbury College (Windsor, Ontario), Canada * Canterbury College, Kent, England * Canterbury College, Oxford, England ...
. It became unused in 1537 and was thus deconsecrated, with statues and a
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
moved to
St Peter-in-the-East St Peter-in-the-East is a 12th-century church on Queen's Lane, north of the High Street in central Oxford, England. It is now deconsecrated and houses the college library of St Edmund Hall. The churchyard to the north is laid out as a garden an ...
. In 1575,
Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...
granted the building to John Herbert and Andrew Palmer. However, this did not take effect and in 1583, the city leased the building to Henry Toldervey as a house, with the land behind it. The building was also known as St Catherine's Chapel, due to the figure over the entrance. However, in March 1844, Mr Rooke of
Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...
informed the Oxford Architectural Society that the figure was actually
St Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
. In 1898, the city exchanged the building with George Fisher for a house in
St Aldate's St Aldate's () is a street in central Oxford, England, named after Saint Aldate, but formerly known as Fish Street. The street runs south from the generally acknowledged centre of Oxford at Carfax. The Town Hall, which includes the Museum o ...
. During 1894–1923, the building was used as a shop, including by the
Holywell Press Holywell Press Ltd is a family printing and publishing company based in Oxford, England. The firm was established in 1890 by Harry Burrows and Jack Doe. A major customer has been the University of Oxford, including publication of the university ...
. It was designated as 29 Broad Street. In 1923, the building became part of
Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...
. It has been restored by the college and integrated into its New
Quad Quad as a word or prefix usually means 'four'. It may refer to: Government * Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States * Quadrilateral group, an informal group which inc ...
, connected to the older part of the college by the
Bridge of Sighs The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: ''Ponte dei Sospiri'', vec, Ponte de i Sospiri) is a bridge in Venice, Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Priso ...
. In 1954, the building was
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. The building now serves as the
Middle Common Room A common room is a group into which students and the academic body are organised in some universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland—particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the University of Bristo ...
(MCR) for graduates at
Hertford College Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...
in the New Quad, with a kitchen below.


See also

*
University Church of St Mary the Virgin The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Oxford church situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclusively of un ...
, at the southern end of
Catte Street Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.Catt ...


References


External links

* {{authority control 1520 establishments in England 1537 disestablishments in England Churches completed in 1520 Chapels of the University of Oxford Former churches in Oxford Grade II listed buildings in Oxford Octagonal churches in the United Kingdom History of Oxford Hertford College, Oxford