University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford. Open daily. Church free entry, Tower charged

Details

Accessibility:

https://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/content/accessibility

"Step-free access to the church is possible via the High Street entrance. The Radcliffe Square is cobbled but Catte St on the side is paved and there is a paved walkway leading around the Camera to the Church. There is a ramp inside the church to allow access to the Chancel and a Disability lift for access to the Old Library (private events).  The church has no public disabled toilet facilities but information on the nearest public facilities (printed map) is available upon request."

There is no parking for the church itself. The road is largely cobbled and so may not be ideal for wheelchairs or anyone with a walking disability. There are pavements around the exterior which are flat and level. There are car parks within Oxford city centre. Detailed information on all of these car parks and their current Blue Badge concessions can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/53/categoryInfo/10

The church has a ramped entranceway and all of the levels are accessible via a lift. There are disability toilet facilities and an induction loop and large print literature is available. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Access to the tower is only possible via a medieval spiral staircase.

Oxford city has a Shopmobility service which is accessed from within the car park for the Westgate shopping centre (OX1 1TR). The car park itself has 50 disability parking spaces, which are located close to the lobby area. Scooters and wheelchairs can be hired free of charge from the Shopmobility office, which can be booked over the telephone on 01865 263600 (Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm). Further information can be requested via email: westgate.oxford@landsec.com.

Brief Description:

The Grade I listed Church of St Mary the Virgin was built in the 12th century. In the early 13th century, as the University grew, the scholars, teachers and their classes needed a spiritual meeting place; St Mary’s then became the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. You can take a guided tour of the church or walk to the top of the tower to see the views over Oxford.  Any other information you need can be found here:

https://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/content/plan-your-visit

Further Information:

Address:

High St, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4BJ

Telephone:

01865 279111

Email:

admin@universitychurch.ox.ac.uk 

Website:

http://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/

Opening Hours:

Church

September-June: 9am-5pm

July-August: 9am-6pm

Vaults & Garden Café

Sunday-Friday: 8am-5pm

Saturdays: 8am-6pm

Summer (Mid-April – Mid-Oct): 8am-6pm

Winter (Dec-Jan): 9am-4.30pm

Tower

Monday-Saturday:  9:30am-5pm

Sunday: 11:30am-5pm

July & August:

Monday-Saturday: 9.30am-6pm

Sunday: 11:30am-6pm

*Last admissions to the tower are 30 minutes before closing.

Tower Ticket Prices:

"Tower Tickets are now (2021) £5, with no discounts unfortunately."

Directions:

From M40 J8a take the A40 west towards Oxford for 5 miles. At the roundabout continue straight to take the London Road/A420 for a further 2.5 miles. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit (past the pillared monument in the middle of the road) onto The Plain/A420. Continue along this road, which changes into Magdalen Bridge and High Street. The church is along High Street.

OS SP 51608 06272

Transport:

Oxford is a very old city and travelling by car can be a problem. However, there is an excellent pubic transport system, which you can find further details of here: http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/oxford-tourist-information/getting-around-oxford

There are six Park & Ride sites located around Oxford's ring road; Bicester, Oxford Parkway and Pear Tree to the North, Thornhill to the East, Redbridge to the South and Seacourt to the West. The parking and bus into town are charged separately and there are no concessions for Blue Badge drivers. Each Park & Ride also has EV charge points for electric car drivers. Further details of the locations and charges can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/56/categoryInfo/13

The main bus services in Oxford are run by the Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach Oxfordshire and Thames Travel. The services run throughout the city as well as the surrounding villages. Further details can be found on the following websites: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/, https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/oxfordshire and https://www.thames-travel.co.uk/.

Oxford’s main railway station is located on the west side of the city centre with bus stops and taxi ranks just outside. There are frequent services to/from London Paddington, London Marylebone and Birmingham New Street. Details of the station can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/OXF/details.html. For ticket information you can telephone National Rail on 03457 484 950.

Amenities:

The Vaults and Garden Café offers breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea and seasonal local produce is supplied by Oxfordshire’s Worton Organic Garden. There is also a gift shop where you can purchase souvenirs and gifts.