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History
The community at St Aldates dates back to Saxon times. It may have been one of three churches within the monastic precinct of St Frideswide.
The first major constructions, dating back to the 12th century, were the nave and chancel, the central strand of the building as it now stands. Since then, the church has been extended and remodeled at various times. The original tower built during the 13th century was rebuilt in its entirety in 1873. The south and north aisles - to the sides of the nave - were added in the 14th and 15th centuries respectively in order to accommodate the growing population of Oxford.
The modern church was developed during the nineteenth century, with a remodeling of the interior in 1832. Most notably, during the 46-year ministry of Canon Alfred Christopher, a highly regarded leader from 1859-1905, the north and south chancel aisles and the vestry were added.
Reordering St Aldates
In the 1990s, it was agreed appropriate to further remodel St Aldates to increase its capacity for ministry at the heart of a modern, energetic, world-class city at the dawn of the 21st century.
To maximise the internal space, pews were taken out, the floors replaced, the original granite pillars restored, state-of-the-art audio visual equipment installed and extensive restoration and redecorating of the interior conducted.
Most crucially, the north wall was knocked through and an ambient and spacious glass vestibule created. This opened the doors of the church to the main traffic flow along St Aldates street, where previously access was gained through the south door on Pembroke Square. Alongside hand-crafted furniture and granite stone to show an excellent welcome to visitors, the front graveyards were landscaped to provide a wide and welcoming entrance and to create a garden space for members of the public, local business people and visiting tourists who can often be found enjoying our hospitality as they take their lunch or catch some sun. The resulting transformation has allowed many curious visitors and tourists to enter the church in passing, with dozens having come to faith as a result, as well as provided an excellent public meeting facility for exhibitions, political meetings, conferences and more. The architectural project cost a total of £3m and required the church to meet for one year in a rented school hall. Completed in 2003, the project required the patience of all church members and the financial support of many individuals and families in the church who raised the vast majority of the funds. Giving on top of their regular tithes, these donors have literally been pillars of the community, paying for the structural facility that allows us to enjoy so much fruitful ministry. The final payment on the mortgage was made in the first part of 2008 and celebrated on Easter Sunday.
St Aldates became the northern most point of detectable Christian Saxon worship, when a fragment of a Saxon Cross was unearthed in excavations during the reordering. Further finds included lead-coated coffins, which meant only one thing: plague victims had been buried here. At an additional cost of £100,000, the site had to be painstakingly unearthed and documented and the coffins treated by bio-hazardous material teams.
 The Font
In the main church entrance area, you will find a medieval octagonal stone font which probably dates from 1336. The font was - and still is - used by the church to baptise individuals and their families.
 The East Window The famous East window is perhaps the most notable feature of the church. It is dedicated to Canon Christopher, who was Rector of St Aldates for 46 years in the late-nineteenth century. This stained glass window centres on the passion of Jesus Christ. He is pictured as risen Lord and King over all the world. Yet the scars of crucifixion remain on his hands and feet, representing the love Jesus showed for humanity on the cross. The text says the words of Jesus, ‘I am the light of the world’.
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The Saxon Cross
