The octagonal Chapel of St Mary at Smith Gate is a former chapel in Oxford, England, now part of Hertford College. It is located on Catte Street, opposite the Clarendon Building.

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, but was part of the defences of the Smith Gate, at the junction of Catte Street 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 disputations at the Divinity School. 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. 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 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 informed the

Oxford Architectural Society The Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society (OAHS) has existed in one form or another since at least 1839, although with its current name only since 1972.

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. 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. 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 in the New Quad, with a kitchen below.

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

History

See also

References

External links