Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry
| Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry | |
|---|---|
 Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry | |
  Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry Location in Oxfordshire | |
| 51°45′28″N 1°11′53″W / 51.7577°N 1.1980°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP 55453 06839 |
| Location | Headington Quarry, Oxfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Diocese of Oxford |
| Archdeaconry | Oxford |
| Parish | Headington Quarry |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Tim Stead |
Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry, is located in the district of Headington Quarry, Oxford, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Oxford.
History
The church, designed by George Gilbert Scott, who also designed the Martyr's Memorial and the Exeter College Chapel, was built in 1848-49, to serve the spiritual needs of those living and working in the then-active quarry. Its foundation stone was laid on June 19, 1848 by Samuel Wilberforce, the son of William Wilberforce and then Bishop of Oxford, who consecrated the building on completion.[1]
The Lewis brothers, W. H. Lewis and C. S. Lewis, began attending here in 1930 and remained active in this church until their deaths, the latter in 1963 and the former in 1973.
Above the altar is the Christ in Glory stained glass window, installed in 1951 as a memorial to those who died in World War II. It was designed by Sir J. Ninian Comper. The cloth behind the altar was hung in 1994, and it represents the three angels who visited Abraham according to Genesis 18. The chancel organ was built by Kenneth Tickell and installed in 1992.
The church is known for its Narnia window, which features images from C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. It was installed in the north aisle in 1991 in memory of children George and Kathleen Howe, who died young. It contains a lamppost, the word "Narnia," Glimfeather the owl, the flying horse Fledge, the sword, shield, and bottle of cordial from the story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Dawn Treader, the castle Cair Paravel, Susan's horn and bow with quiver, and talking animals.
Notable clergy
Thomas Masterson (1849-1851), J. James (1851-1853), T. C. Browne (1853-1858), Samuel Waring Mangin (1858-1863), T. A. Wills (1863-1864), W. R. Haverfield (1864-1866), G. F. Wilgress (1866-1867), Arthur Dalton (1867-1870), Charles Pitman Longland (1870-1891), Charles Francis Harding Johnston (1891-1916), Philip Valentine Doyne (1916-1924), Wilfred Savage Thomas (1924-1935), Thomas Bleiben (1935-1947), Gerald C. Matthews (1947-1956), Ronald E. Head (1956-1990), Christopher Hewetson (1990-1995), Thomas D. Honey (1995-2007), and Tim Stead since 2007.
Graveyard
Attached to the church is a small graveyard, particularly noted for including the grave of C.S. Lewis.[2] C. S. Lewis died on November 22, 1963. The epitaph on his tombstone, chosen by his brother Warren Hamilton Lewis (buried in the same grave after his own death on April 9, 1973) and taken from Shakespeare's King Lear, reads "Men must endure their going hence." This quotation was the quotation on the family calendar the day the mother of Warren and Clive Lewis died, August 23, 1908.
Also notable is the grave of William Kimber, the "father of English Morris" as his tombstone reads.[3] Mrs. Janie Moore, the adopted "mother" of C. S. Lewis, who died on January 12, 1951, is also buried in the churchyard.
The churchyard contains the war graves of 6 British Army soldiers of World War I.[4]
References
- ^ Stephanie Jenkins. "Holy Trinity Church in Quarry". Retrieved 20 Nov 2013.
- ^ "C.S. Lewis Grave". C.S.Lewis Institute. Retrieved 20 Nov 2013.
- ^ "Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry". A Clerk of Oxford. Retrieved 20 Nov 2013.
- ^ [1] CWGC Cemetery Report, details from casualty record.