The Holy Family

Visitors come to the church of St Mary the Virgin, Iffley for many reasons, but primarily for the extraordinary beauty of the building and for its sense of spirituality. The church is one of the most spectacular Romanesque parish churches in England. Its timeless rural setting does nothing to prepare you for the shock of the west front of the church and the riot of 12th century carving both outside and inside the building.

Merton College Chapel, dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist, was completed in the late 13th century. The present choir, with its huge east window, was completed in 1294. Under Elizabeth I, Protestantism was imposed and Merton College found itself under siege for three weeks by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker, in defence of the old religion. The chapel replaced St. John's Parish Church and continued to serve as a parish church as well as a chapel until 1891.

Christ Church College in Oxford is unique in having the only college chapel that is also a cathedral. It is said to have been founded as a convent by St Frideswide in the 8th century, but the oldest parts of the church date from the 12th century, when it was an Augustinian priory and place of pilgrimage. In 1525 Thomas Wolsey suppressed the priory and began work creating a college.