The Parishes of the High
Nineteenth century: five parishes
The "long high street of the little town", as Oscar Wilde described the High, once straddled four separate parishes. The table below shows how the street was split up into separate parishes in the nineteenth century, and the situation today. For ease of reference, the present occupants of the buildings are given in the right-hand column.
| Nos. | 19th century | Currently | Present occupants | |
|
N |
1-5 | St Martin’s | St Michael at-the- Northgate parish |
Lloyd’s Bank to Middle of Ryman’s |
| 6–27 | All Saints | Middle of Ryman’s
to Middle of Brasenose | ||
| 28–32 | St Mary the Virgin parish | Middle of
Brasenose to All Souls College | ||
| 33–60 | St Peter in the East* | Former St Cross parish |
No. 33 (now Links Communications) to Magdalen College | |
| [Numbering resumes on the other side of Magdalen Bridge] | ||||
|
S O U T H S I D E |
61–89 | St Peter in the East* | Former St Cross parish |
Botanic Garden to Middle of University College |
| 90–112 | St Mary the Virgin parish | Middle of
University College to Middle of Shepherd & Woodward |
||
| 113–139 | All Saints | St Michael at-the- Northgate parish |
Middle
of Shepherd & Woodward to Middle of Crew Clothing Co. |
|
| 140–143 | St Martin’s | Middle of Crew Clothing Co. to Edinburgh Wool Mill | ||
* Note: St Peter-in-the-East Church was temporarily closed for the period from July 1836 to November 1844, and the parishioners were transferred for eight years to St John the Baptist Church (now Merton Chapel)
Above This metal St Michael's Cross is on the wall of Brasenose in the High Street, opposite Oddbins. It originally marked the boundary of the parish of St Mary-the-Virgin and All Saints, but now that the latter has been taken into the parish of St-Michael-at-the-Northgate, it is chalked with that church's initials, SMNG.
Above This St Andrew's Cross is incised at the eastern end of All Souls College's High Street frontage. As it marks the old boundary of St Mary-the Virgin parish with that of St Peter-in-the East and is nothing to do with St Michael's, it has no chalk marking.
Twenty-first century parishes
Following the closure of a number of churches in central Oxford, the High Street is now divided into three parishes, namely:
West end of the High
Now in St Michael at the Northgate Parish
In 1896 when St Martin’s Church at Carfax was demolished, St Martin’s Parish was united with All Saints Parish
In 1971 when All Saints Church became Lincoln College Library, St Martin & All Saints Parish was united with St Michael at the Northgate Parish
Middle of the High
No change: still in St Mary the Virgin Parish
East end of the High
Now in St Cross Parish
In 1891 St Peter in the East Parish was united with St John the Baptist Parish (Merton College Chapel)
In 1957 St Peter in the East & St John the Baptist Parish was united with St Cross Parish
But St Cross Church closed down in 2008, and its parish is likely to be taken into that of St Mary the Virgin.
