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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · London

Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church

VictorianFree admission♿ Wheelchair accessible

Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church — Roman Catholic church in Cambridge.

Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church, historic churches in Cambridgeshire

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°.

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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
Cambridge0.9 km
Official site
www.olem.freeuk.com

Sources

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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.