St Barnabas Church, Oxford

St Barnabas
St Barnabas Church

View of St Barnabas Church and its campanile.
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Anglo-Catholic
Website www.sbarnabas.org.uk
History
Founder(s) Thomas Combe and Martha Combe[1]
Dedication St Barnabas
Consecrated 1869
Architecture
Architect(s) Sir Arthur Blomfield
Style Victorian, Romanesque, Italianate
Administration
Diocese Oxford
Clergy
Vicar(s) Fr Jonathan Beswick

St Barnabas Church is a Church of England parish church in Jericho, central Oxford, England, located close to Oxford Canal.[2][3]

History

The church was founded by Thomas Combe (1796–1872), Superintendent of the Oxford University Press close to the church, and his wife Martha[4] (1806–1893), now commemorated by a blue plaque installed by the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board.[1] They were followers of the Oxford Movement (or Tractarian movement). The architect was Sir Arthur Blomfield, a son of the Bishop of London, who had previously designed the chapel for the Radcliffe Infirmary. The style is that of a Romanesque basilica. St Barnabas has a distinctive square tower, in the form of an Italianate campanile, that is visible from the surrounding area. The church was built on land donated by the local merchant and former Oxford mayor William Ward.[5] It was consecrated in 1869 by Bishop Wilberforce of Oxford and the campanile was completed in 1872.

The poet John Betjeman wrote a poem about St Barnabas Church.[3][6]

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Today

The church is still known today for its Anglo-Catholic ceremonial, which draws people from far and wide.[citation needed] The service is led by a very good choir, who have published two CD recordings. The History of the Church was written by Mr Roger Nicholas Dixey, who attended the church for many years; it was completed by Miss Anne Abbley, another loyal attender.[citation needed] The current incumbent is the Reverend Jonathan Beswick.[7]

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Gallery

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References

  1. ^ a b Warr, Elizabeth Jean (2011). The Oxford Plaque Guide. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. pp. 39–41. ISBN 978-0-7524-5687-4. 
  2. ^ Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "St Barnabas, Church of". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. p. 378–379. ISBN 0-333-39917-X. 
  3. ^ a b "St Barnabas, Oxford". A Church Near You. The Church of England. 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012. 
  4. ^ History, St Barnabas Church.
  5. ^ William Ward: Mayor of Oxford 1851/2 and 1861/2, Mayors of Oxford.
  6. ^ "St Barnabas Church". Jericho Living Heretage Trust. Retrieved 11 December 2012. 
  7. ^ Contact details, St Barnabas Church.
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Further reading

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Last modified on 7 May 2013, at 00:24