St Mary Magdalen's Church, Oxford

A Saxon wooden church was built outside the Saxon walls of the city of Oxford, just beyond the North Gate. This church was burnt down in 1074, so Robert D'Oyly, the Norman Constable of Oxford, had single-aisle chapel built to replace it. In 1194 Saint Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, had the church rebuilt. Work of that period survives in the east wall of the chancel wall and in the south aisle, and the altar dedicated to St Thomas Becket. By 1235 the church had an altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chancel was rebuilt late in the 13th century. In 1320 the Carmelites founded a chapel in the south aisle, which survives as the present Lady Chapel. The west tower was built between 1511 and 1531.…