Interior of University Church

The University Church of St Mary the Virgin, perched on the north side of Oxford’s High Street, is widely regarded as the spiritual and historical heart from which the University of Oxford emerged. A church has occupied this site since Anglo‑Saxon times, with the oldest surviving element—the tower—dating to the 1270s, and the ornate spire following in the early fourteenth century . In the early 14th century, the first university library and convocation hall were added, making St Mary’s the university’s original administrative and academic centre . The church later hosted the trial of the Oxford Martyrs in 1555 and remains a Grade I listed Gothic landmark with enduring cultural and spiritual significance