England/Scotland 2024 Pilgrimage – Day 15: Oxford

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Sunday in Oxford

Worship day! Jennie gave us multiple options for going to church this morning. They all had good attributes. We finally decided to attend Christ Church Cathedral which is the chapel for Christ Church College in Oxford as well as the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Oxford. It is unique in this dual role and is one of the smallest cathedrals in England.

Walk through Oxford

Jennie and Steve drove us into Oxford where we parked and then took a half-hourish stroll to church, walking through lovely parks and passing beautiful buildings along the way.

Walking through Oxford on our way to Christ Church.

Christ Church Cathedral

The seating in Christ Church is unique to me. The “pews” don’t face the sacricy, they line the nave, facing each other. Jennie enlighten us that this style of seating is called collegiate, because it is commonly seen in college chapels.

We were asked to put our cameras away as we entered the grounds of Christ Church College, but we were able to take some pictures after the service.

It was a lovely, sung service which meant that many of the scripture readings as well as the Eucharist preparation was sung. They had a beautiful choir of both adults and children’s voices. The organ music was a lovely addition and the organist played a long piece after the service was over. He played again, later, as we were touring the church.

Curiously, and I suppose because of the number of people, one priest offered Eucharist at the front of the church (like usual,) and the back half of the church (where we were sitting) went to the back of the church to receive the elements from another priest.

After the service, all were invited out to the garden area for wine or coffee along with biscuits (cookies.) We had a lovely conversation with the Archdeacon of the Oxford Diocese. Then Steve gave us a very interesting and educational tour of the Cathedral (he is an official tour guide here!)

Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll was an Oxford don, teaching mathematics. He enjoyed making up stories for children in his life. Eventually, he was encouraged to write them down, resulting in the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He found inspiration for some of the story in and around Christ Church. This included a small door in the garden wall (no photo taken) and a cat gargoil on a column became the Cheshire Cat.

Lunch at 250 Year Old Covered Market

We walked to a covered market which reminded us of one we’ve been in in Hungary. I was in the mood for a “pie” so we ate at a pie shop. It hit the spot!

Visiting Various Colleges

Oxford University is the umbrella for many different Colleges. This weekend the colleges were having open house so we were fortunate to be able to go inside several. It is very interesting. You enter into a “quad” – a large, rectangular grassy area enclosed by four buildings. There are then archways leading to other quads. The whole college is encapsulated inside walls or buildings. Some have large gardens or lawns where you’d never suspect you were in the middle of a city.

It was fascinating to see the dining rooms to the colleges. They are set up like you’d see in movies like Harry Potter, where the head tables are a step higher than the others. Actually, Harry Potter was filmed in one of the Oxford dining rooms!

Birds Eye View

We climbed a tower which had been connected to the wall housing the prison where Bishop Cranmer and two others were held before they were martyred.

Ice Cream

We ended our day with superb George and Davis ice cream. Then headed home where we took one last walk – behind their house on the canal tow path. We had a supper of split pea soup, salad, and cheeses that had been purchased earlier in the day. Before bed, we enjoyed a cup of tea and splendid conversation in their inviting and homey living room.