Historic churches · London
Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church
Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church — Roman Catholic church in Cambridge.

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Cambridge · 0.9 km
- Free entry
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1880. Designed by Archibald Matthias Dunn. Built in the Gothic Revival style. Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building. Affiliated with Catholic Church. Wikidata describes it as: "Roman Catholic church in Cambridge". Coordinates: 52.1988°, 0.1273°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, also known as the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM), is an English Roman Catholic parish church located at the junction of Hills Road and Lensfield Road in southeast Cambridge. It is a large Gothic Revival church built between 1885 and 1890, and is a Grade I listed building. It is the tallest building in Cambridge at 65 metres (213 ft) tall (including the spire).
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, also known as the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM), is an English Roman Catholic parish church located at the junction of Hills Road and Lensfield Road in southeast Cambridge. It is a large Gothic Revival church built between 1885 and 1890, and is a Grade I listed building. It is the tallest building in Cambridge at 65 metres (213 ft) tall (including the spire).
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
After its opening, the church saw a great rise in the number of Catholics in the parish. This was partly due to Fr Robert Benson's reputation as a preacher, as well as Mgr Scott's work as parish priest. OLEM also hosted the 1921 Bible Congress, the greatest Catholic gathering in Cambridge since the English Reformation. Between 1922 and 1946, the church was used by the Cambridge Summer School of Catholic Studies. In a 1941 air raid, a small bomb struck the sacristy, blowing a six-foot hole in the roof and another in the wall of the Sacred Heart chapel. The blast also shattered most of the windows and collapsed part of the organ gallery. The repairs, including replacement windows to the…
Architecture
The building, one of the largest Catholic churches in the United Kingdom, is designed in the Gothic revival style and follows the traditional cruciform layout.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.1988, 0.1273
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- District
- Cambridge
- Parish
- Cambridge, unparished area
- Postcode
- CB2 1JR
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cambridge
- Established
- 1880
- Nearest railway station
- Cambridge — 0.9 km
- Official site
- www.olem.freeuk.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q130562 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Cambridge Parkers Piece Catholic Church.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Museums · London
Polar Museum
Polar Museum — museum in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
Museums · London
The Polar Museum
The Polar Museum — a museum in england-london, United Kingdom.
Historic houses · London
Scott Polar Research Institute
Scott Polar Research Institute — a Grade II*-listed historic house in england-london, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · London
Wanstead House
Wanstead House — house in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
Hotels · London
Gonville Hotel
Gonville Hotel — a hotel in england london.
Escape rooms · London
Lockhouse Escape Games
Lockhouse Escape Games — a escape room in england-london, United Kingdom.
Other works by Archibald Matthias Dunn
📷 3Abbeys & priories · Scottish Lowlands
Our Lady and St Joseph's Church
Our Lady and St Joseph's Church — church building in Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom.
📷 3Museums · Scottish Lowlands
Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens — An arts and heritage venue with a year-round calendar of events and exhibitions.
Other places from this era
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Saints Church
All Saints Church — church on Jesus Lane in central Cambridge, England.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Saints Church, West Dulwich
All Saints Church, West Dulwich — church in West Dulwich, London.
📷 5Historic churches · London
Christ Church
Christ Church — church in Hampstead, London.
📷 5Historic churches · London
Christ Church Ware
Christ Church Ware — church in Ware, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
More places in this region
📷 5Historic churches · London
Abney Park Chapel
Abney Park Chapel — grade II listed church in the London Borough of Hackney, England,UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
Albion Chapel
Albion Chapel — church in London, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Hallows Bread Street
All Hallows Bread Street — church in City of London, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Hallows Honey Lane
All Hallows Honey Lane — church in City of London, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church?
- Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church is in Cambridgeshire, London, United Kingdom (postcode CB2 1JR), in the parish of Cambridge, unparished area.
- When was Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church built?
- Built or established in 1880. Designed by Archibald Matthias Dunn.
- Is Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church a listed building?
- Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
- Is Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church free to visit?
- Yes, Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church is free to enter.
- How do I get to Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church?
- The nearest railway station is Cambridge, about 0.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CB2 1JR.