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A church stood here before the Domesday survey of 1086, and by 1252 the University's Congregation was meeting in it — this was the University's first home, its first library and its first debating chamber long before there were purpose-built rooms for any of them. Around 1320 a two-storey building was added on the north side: the convocation house below, and above it the books left by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, which formed the first university library.\n\nThe body of the church was substantially rebuilt in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, but the tower is far older, dating from about 1270, with its richly pinnacled spire added in the 1320s. Tower and spire together reach 191 feet. 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The tower climb is ticketed at £7.00 per person, with a reduced summer rate of £6.15 running 25 June to 1 September 2026." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the tower climb hard?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It is a 127-step medieval turret staircase, narrow, with some steep and worn steps and no lift. You must be aged 8 or over, and it is not suitable for anyone with a heart condition or limited mobility." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the view better than Carfax Tower?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For most visitors, yes. St Mary's stands right on Radcliffe Square, so you look down onto the Camera, All Souls and the Bodleian rather than at the city from its edge." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can the tower be closed?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Last admission is 4.20pm, or 5.20pm in July and August, and the tower closes in high wind or ice and during services and ceremonies." } } ] } ] } ], "editorialMarkdown": "[View next **Head of the River**]()\n\nCulture & history / Oxford\n\n## University Church of St Mary the Virgin\n\nThe University's original heart on the High Street, and the tower climb that gives the best close view of the Radcliffe Camera and the surrounding domes and spires.\n\n[Plan this experience]()\n\n[Explore the story]()\n\nCost **Ticketed**\n\nTime to allow **Allow 45–60 minutes with the tower**\n\nPace **Moderate**\n\nPlace **High Street, facing Radcliffe Square**\n\nBest time **Year-round; the tower can close in high wind or ice**\n\n01 / Why it matters\n\n### More than a stop on a list.\n\nThe best rooftop view in Oxford, from the building the University actually began in — and the only place you look down on Radcliffe Square rather than across it.\n\nSt Mary the Virgin is the reason the centre of Oxford looks the way it does. A church stood here before the Domesday survey of 1086, and by 1252 the University's Congregation was meeting in it — this was the University's first home, its first library and its first debating chamber long before there were purpose-built rooms for any of them. Around 1320 a two-storey building was added on the north side: the convocation house below, and above it the books left by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, which formed the first university library. The body of the church was substantially rebuilt in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, but the tower is far older, dating from about 1270, with its richly pinnacled spire added in the 1320s. Tower and spire together reach 191 feet. The Baroque south porch on the High Street was added in 1637 by Nicholas Stone, master mason to Charles I, paid for by Archbishop Laud's chaplain Morgan Owen: twisted columns, a broken pediment and a statue of the Virgin and Child that scandalised Puritan opinion and still carries musket damage from the Civil War. It is also where the Oxford Martyrs — Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer — were tried for heresy in 1555, and where John Henry Newman preached as vicar from 1828 until he resigned in 1843 on his way to Rome. The church is free to enter. The tower is ticketed, reached by a narrow spiral stair, and worth it: the platform looks straight down into Radcliffe Square, level with the Camera's dome, with All Souls, the Bodleian and the whole ridge of spires laid out around you. It is the view that appears on the covers, taken from the one place you can stand to see it.\n\n![University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford]()\n\nCulture & history **University Church of St Mary the Virgin** Oxford\n\n02 / The essentials\n\n### What makes it remarkable.\n\n1. 01\n\n The tower is climbed by a 127-step medieval turret staircase; some steps are steep and worn, and climbers must be aged 8 or over.\n2. 02\n\n The church is free to enter; only the tower is ticketed, at £7.00 per person (£6.15 for the summer period, verified 26 July 2026).\n3. 03\n\n A church has stood on the site since before the Domesday survey of 1086; the present building was largely rebuilt in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.\n4. 04\n\n The tower dates from about 1270 and is the oldest part of the church; the pinnacled spire was added in the 1320s.\n5. 05\n\n Tower and spire together stand 191 feet (58 metres) tall.\n6. 06\n\n The University's Congregation met here from at least 1252, making it the University's first home, first library and first debating chamber.\n7. 07\n\n A two-storey addition of about 1320 held the convocation house below and Thomas Cobham's bequest of books above — the first university library.\n8. 08\n\n The Baroque south porch was built in 1637 by Nicholas Stone, master mason to Charles I, and still carries Civil War musket damage.\n9. 09\n\n The Oxford Martyrs — Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer — were tried for heresy here in 1555; John Henry Newman was vicar from 1828 to 1843.\n10. 10\n\n Grade I listed since 12 January 1954.\n\n03 / The place\n\n### The building in context.\n\nA story written in stone since **1270**.\n\nBuilt\n\nTower c.1270; spire 1320s; body of the church rebuilt late 15th–early 16th century; south porch 1637\n\nArchitect\n\nNicholas Stone (1637 south porch)\n\nStyle\n\nMedieval Gothic with a Baroque porch\n\nListing\n\nGrade I / [Historic England ↗]()\n\nArchive\n\n[Wikidata Q1543801 ↗]()\n\n04 / Before you go\n\n### Plan it well.\nEnjoy it properly.\n\nPractical detail, separated from the story so you can scan what matters when you are ready to visit.\n\n01\n\n#### Tickets & entry\n\nThe church is free to enter. The tower climb is ticketed at £7.00 per person, reduced to £6.15 for the summer period 25 June – 1 September 2026. Climbers must be aged 8 or over. Verified 26 July 2026.\n\n02\n\n#### Opening hours\n\nChurch open Monday–Saturday 9.30am–5.00pm and Sunday 12noon–5.00pm, extending to 6.00pm in July and August. Last admission to the tower is 4.20pm, or 5.20pm in July and August. Closed Christmas Day, with restricted hours on some public holidays. Sunday services at 8.30am, 10.30am and 3.30pm. Verified 26 July 2026.\n\nContinue exploring / Oxford\n\n### What will you\n*do next?*\n\nCompare the practical essentials first, then open the experiences that earn a place in your plans.\n\n01 Culture & history\n\n [01 Culture & history **Bate Collection of Musical Instruments** Explore experience]() [02 Culture & history **Bodleian Library guided tour** Explore experience]() [03 Culture & history **Christ Church** Explore experience]() [04 Culture & history **Christ Church Cathedral** Explore experience]() [05 Culture & history **History of Science Museum** Explore experience]() [06 Culture & history **Oxford Castle** Explore experience]() [07 Culture & history **Oxford University Museum of Natural History** Explore experience]() [08 Culture & history **Pitt Rivers Museum** Explore experience]() [09 Culture & history **Sheldonian Theatre** Explore experience]() [10 Culture & history **Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities** Explore experience]() [11 Culture & history **The Ashmolean Museum** Explore experience]() [12 Culture & history **The Radcliffe Camera** Explore experience]() [13 Culture & history **The Weston Library** Explore experience]()\n\n02 Food & drink\n\n [14 Food & drink **Head of the River** Explore experience]() [15 Food & drink **Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons** Explore experience]() [16 Food & drink **Oxford Covered Market** Explore experience]() [17 Food & drink **The Bear Inn** Explore experience]() [18 Food & drink **The Chequers** Explore experience]() [19 Food & drink **The Eagle and Child** Explore experience]() [20 Food & drink **The King’s Arms** Explore experience]() [21 Food & drink **The Lamb & Flag** Explore experience]() [22 Food & drink **The Perch** Explore experience]() [23 Food & drink **The Trout Inn** Explore experience]() [24 Food & drink **The Turf Tavern** Explore experience]() [25 Food & drink **The White Horse** Explore experience]() [26 Food & drink **Westgate Oxford** Explore experience]()\n\n03 Walks & views\n\n [27 Walks & views **The Bridge of Sighs** Explore experience]()\n\n04 Parks & meadows\n\n [28 Parks & meadows **Christ Church Meadow** Explore experience]() [29 Parks & meadows **Oxford Botanic Garden** Explore experience]() [30 Parks & meadows **Port Meadow** Explore experience]() [31 Parks & meadows **University Parks** Explore experience]()\n\n05 On the water\n\n [32 On the water **Punt the Cherwell** Explore experience]() [33 On the water **Salter's Steamers** Explore experience]()\n\n06 Go deeper\n\n[43 Colleges All the colleges **Every Oxford college** Open the college guide]()[Food & drink / a story **The nine oldest pubs** Walk the timeline]()[Plan / Itinerary builder **Build your Oxford day** Start planning]()\n\n05 / Where it is\n\n### Find it\nand what’s nearby.\n\nExplore around University Church of St Mary the Virgin\n\n The map will load when you reach it.\n\n05 / Good to know\n\n### Questions,\nanswered.\n\n01 Is it free to go in?\n\nThe church itself is free to enter. The tower climb is ticketed at £7.00 per person, with a reduced summer rate of £6.15 running 25 June to 1 September 2026.\n\n02 Is the tower climb hard?\n\nIt is a 127-step medieval turret staircase, narrow, with some steep and worn steps and no lift. You must be aged 8 or over, and it is not suitable for anyone with a heart condition or limited mobility.\n\n03 Is the view better than Carfax Tower?\n\nFor most visitors, yes. St Mary's stands right on Radcliffe Square, so you look down onto the Camera, All Souls and the Bodleian rather than at the city from its edge.\n\n04 Can the tower be closed?\n\nYes. Last admission is 4.20pm, or 5.20pm in July and August, and the tower closes in high wind or ice and during services and ceremonies.\n\nBefore you visit\n\n### Check hours, tickets and access.\n\nCheck opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off.\n\nUpdated\n\nDate unavailable\n\nBy\n\n[Above Guide Editorial Team]()\n\nUseful links\n\n- [Official site universitychurch.ox.ac.uk ↗]()\n- [Supporting source en.wikipedia.org ↗]()\n\n[Report a correction]()\n\nContinue exploring\n\n### Make Oxford\nyour own.\n\n[Visit the official site]()[← All things to do]()\n\nOpening hours, prices and access change. Confirm details on the official site before visiting.\n\nFiled under Church / Viewpoint / Tower climb / History / Architecture" }