September 2011 - Project Update

In the last month the project team have been busy preparing for the appointment of our main contractor, which will be announced shortly. Once we have the contractor on board we will be able to create a more detailed programme for the works and firm up logistical details for the staff at the church so they can make necessary preparations.

Meanwhile, Lucinda has been settling in and getting to know her colleagues and useful contacts. Lucinda has started to work with Pegasus School on a series of visits by the pupils to look at different aspects of the church. The Heritage Lottery Fund are very keen on maintaining an element of participation for visitors and school children to learn about the conservation of the church. Lucinda and I are looking at a range of different ways to achieve this.

Sophie Slade, Project Coordinator

St Mary's embarks on exciting new restoration project

In January 2010, University Church was awarded a £3.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the conservation and refurbishment of the church building, and the development of new learning and interpretation resources. 

As the work gets underway, visitors to the church will notice that access to certain areas is restricted whilst improvements are made. Fear not! This blog will provide you with a photographic record of the works which are being carried out behind-the scenes, together with photos of events and activities, and insights from members of the team.

St. Mary’s has been a site of Christian worship and the focus of lively religious, political and moral debates for over seven hundred years. The church was once a meeting place for the university governing body (The Congregation) and the Chancellor’s Court, as well as being home to the first Oxford University Library. The building has also played host to a number of key historical events from the trial of Cranmer in the 16th century, to the birth of the Oxford Movement and the founding of Oxfam, to name but a few.

Despite periods of intermittent remedial work, no comprehensive restoration has been undertaken since the late nineteenth century, and the interior has remained unaltered for several generations. The gradual increase in use over the centuries has placed considerable strain on the building and its facilities which means that the majority of the building’s fabric is now beyond mere maintenance.

After long and careful consultation with the local community, national bodies, and professional advisers and a rigorous application process, University Church was awarded a £3.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the conservation and refurbishment of the church building and Old Congregation House, and the development of new learning, interpretation and volunteering programmes.

Throughout this period we will be creating a number of new opportunities for members of the community, including groups and schools, to become involved with the project. If you would like to find out more about how you can be a part of this exciting new development, please contact us.

Lucinda Williams, Heritage Education & Volunteers Officer