Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford

Coordinates: 51°45′18″N 1°15′32″W / 51.75509°N 1.25901°W / 51.75509; -1.25901
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Martyrs' Memorial
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For other uses, see List of martyrs' monuments and memorials.

51°45′18″N 1°15′32″W / 51.75509°N 1.25901°W / 51.75509; -1.25901

Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford
Balliol College
from Magdalen Street
The lower section of the Martyrs' Memorial, looking towards the Taylor Institution

The Martyrs' Memorial is a stone monument positioned at the intersection of

St Giles', Magdalen Street and Beaumont Street, to the west of Balliol College, Oxford, England. It commemorates the 16th-century Oxford Martyrs
.

History

The monument was built 300 years after the events of the

Protestant profession and anti-Catholic tradition.[1]

Description

Designed by

Eleanor crosses erected by King Edward I between 1290 and 1294 to the memory of his wife, Queen Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290). Henry Weekes sculpted the three statues of Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley.[2] The statues are carved from Caen stone while the monument itself is made of Magnesian limestone.[3] The monument is listed at Grade II*.[4]

The inscription on the base of the Martyrs' Memorial reads:

To the Glory of God, and in grateful commemoration of His servants, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, Prelates of the

Church of Rome
, and rejoicing that to them it was given not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake; this monument was erected by public subscription in the year of our Lord God, MDCCCXLI [1841].

The Adventures of Mr Verdant Green
) wrote about the setting of the Martyrs' Memorial thus in 1853:

He who enters the city, as

Taylor Buildings
, and past the graceful Martyrs' Memorial, will receive impressions such as probably no other city in the world could convey.

The actual execution site is close by in Broad Street, just outside the line of the old city walls. The site is marked by an iron cross sunk in the road.

Current condition

The Memorial deteriorated during the 20th century, but underwent a full restoration in 2002,[5] as part of the 75th anniversary of the Oxford Preservation Trust. The Oxford Preservation Trust opened a public fundraising campaign in April 2001,[6] and subsequently cleaned the memorial, repainted the heraldic shields, and reshaped and replaced the incomplete and missing statues.[7] The restored monument was unveiled in January 2003.

Popular rumour is that in the past students have misled foreign tourists about the nature of the Memorial and convinced them it was the spire of an underground church, which could be toured for a modest fee. This would result in the tourists venturing down a nearby flight of stairs which actually led to the public toilets.[8]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford.

References

  1. ^ "The Martyrs' Memorial at Oxford". The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  2. ^ "Stevens T. 'Weekes, Henry (1807–1877)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford". gilbertscott.org. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. ^ Historic England. "The Martyrs' Memorial (1107172)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Oxford Inscriptions: The Protestant Martyrs' Memorial". Oxford History. Oxford History. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Raising the Money". Oxford Preservation Trust. The Oxford Preservation Trust. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. ^ "OPT's Anniversary Project". The Oxford Preservation Trust. The Oxford Preservation Trust. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Sightseeing". Oxfordcityguide.com. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
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