Oxford
Martyrs' Memorial
Marking the darker side of Oxford's past
St Giles
Corner of Magdalen Street & Beaumont Street
Oxford, Oxford OX1 3AE
For years, students have attempted to persuade visitors to Oxford that this spire-shaped memorial at the south end of St Giles is the tip of an underground cathedral. In fact, it commemorates a sombre event: the burning at the stake of three martyrs in Oxford during the reign of Queen Mary. Bishops Latimer and Ridley were martyred in 1555 and Archbishop Cranmer in 1556. In the 19th century, a public appeal was launched, resulting in this memorial which was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built in 1843. Cranmer (holding his Bible) faces north, Latimer (with head bowed and arms crossed) faces west and Ridley faces east.
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