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Chapel of St Mary
Chapel of St Mary
Chapel of St Mary the Virgin at Smith Gate
Octagonal Chapel
	View of the chapel from Catte Street
	51°45′17″N 1°15′15″W / 51.7547090°N 1.2540970°W
OS grid reference	SP 51583 06487
Location	Catte Street, Oxford
Address	Hertford College, Oxford OX1 3BW, England
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Christian
History
Former names	Chapel of Our Lady at Smith Gate; St Catherine's Chapel
Status	Closed
Founded	1520
Dedication	St Mary
Architecture
Functional status	Common room for Hertford College
Heritage designation	Grade II listed building
Designated	12 January 1954
Architectural type	Chapel
Style	Gothic
Completed	1520
Closed	1537
Specifications
Number of floors	2
Materials	Stone
Administration
District	Oxfordshire
Diocese	Oxford
Parish	Oxford St Mary the Virgin with St Cross and St Peter-in-the-East

The octagonal Chapel of St Mary at Smith Gate is a former chapel in Oxford, England, now part of Hertford College.^[1] It is located on Catte Street, opposite the Clarendon Building.

History

The first chapel of St Mary at Smith Gate already existed in the late 14th century, originally known as the Chapel of Our Lady at Smith Gate.^[2] It was just north of the Oxford city wall, but was part of the defences of the Smith Gate,^[3] at the junction of Catte Street and New College Lane.^[4] Students prayed at the chapel before their disputations at the Divinity School. In 1366, it was described as the little tower of Smith Gate with the statue of the Virgin on it.^[5]

In 1520, the chapel was rebuilt, reputedly by William de Hyberdine of Canterbury College.^[5] It became unused in 1537 and was thus deconsecrated, with statues and a reredos moved to St Peter-in-the-East.^[2] In 1575, Queen Elizabeth I granted the building to John Herbert and Andrew Palmer. However, this did not take effect and in 1583, the city leased the building to Henry Toldervey as a house, with the land behind it.

The building was also known as St Catherine's Chapel, due to the figure over the entrance.^[2] However, in March 1844, Mr Rooke of Oriel College informed the Oxford Architectural Society that the figure was actually St Mary. In 1898, the city exchanged the building with George Fisher for a house in St Aldate's.^[5] During 1894–1923, the building was used as a shop, including by the Holywell Press. It was designated as 29 Broad Street.^[2] In 1923, the building became part of Hertford College. It has been restored by the college and integrated into its New Quad, connected to the older part of the college by the Bridge of Sighs.

In 1954, the building was Grade II listed.^[6]^[7]

The building now serves as the Middle Common Room (MCR) for graduates at Hertford College in the New Quad, with a kitchen below.^[8]^[9]

References

^ "Chapel of St Mary the Virgin at Smithgate" (PDF). The Hertford College Magazine. No. 15. UK: Hertford College, Oxford. April 1926. pp. 8–10. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "No. 29: Former Octagonal Chapel". Broad Street, Oxford. UK: Oxford History. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ "The Smith Gate and its Chapel". City Wall. UK: Oxford History. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
^ "The Medieval Town Defences in Hertford College" (PDF). The Hertford College Magazine. No. 68. UK: Hertford College, Oxford. Spring 1982. pp. 3–8. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Eleanor Chance, Christina Colvin, Janet Cooper, C. J. Day, T. G. Hassall, Mary Jessup, and Nesta Selwyn (1979). "Churches". In Crossley, Alan; Elrington, C. R. (eds.). A History of the County of Oxford. Vol. 4, the City of Oxford. London. pp. 369–412. Retrieved 11 January 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "Hertford College, Chapel of St Mary at Smiths Gate". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ "Hertford College, Chapel of St Mary at Smiths Gate". UK: Historic England. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ "Hertford College". An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of Oxford. London. 1939. pp. 57–59. Retrieved 11 January 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "Graduate Life". hertfordmcr.org. Retrieved 11 January 2023.