St Michael at the Northgate
The City Church of Oxford from 1971 to the present
The above photograph shows St Michael-at-the Northgate Church prior to 2025, when a handrail balustrade
was installed at the top of the tower (planning permission 24/01668/FUL) and the weather vane removed
When All Saints’ Church in the High Street was converted into a library in 1971, St-Michael-at-the-Northgate (now the United Benefice of St Michael with All Saints and St Martin’s) became the City Church.
A wrought-iron stand with the city arms at its head (where the mayoral insignia were placed when the mayor and corporation attended service) was brought here from All Saints and placed near the front pew.
The engraving below shows St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church in 1834, looking down Ship Street. Its Saxon tower, which dates from around 1050, then had battlements at the top, and they can still be seen below, as well as in
this photograph of 1860.
Above: the plaque put on the roof by the plumbers who must have worked on the lead in 1765: T. Parker and I. Slater.
See also:
- The first city church (St Martin’s)
- The second city church (All Saints)
