76:
161:
22:
151:
One can climb to the top of the tower for a view of the Oxford skyline. The tower is open
November – February: 10:00 – 15:00, March: 10:00 – 16:00, April – September: 10:00 – 17:00 and October: 10:00 – 16:00.
193:
in 1836, was buried in St Martin's churchyard in the grave of his first wife
Elizabeth Briggs and their two infant daughters. In 1900 the church was demolished to make way for road improvements and as a consequence the grave and tombstone were forgotten. It is probable the tombstone was made by
67:, both of which mean "crossroads". The Carfax Tower, also known as St Martin's Tower (the remaining part of the City Church of St Martin of Tours) is a prominent landmark and provides a look-out over the town.
408:
91:
of Oxford, where the Mayor and
Corporation were expected to worship, between about 1122 and 1896, when the main part of the church was demolished to make more room for road traffic and
83:
St Martin's Tower, popularly called "Carfax Tower", is on the northwest corner of Carfax. It is all that remains of the 12th-century St Martin's Church and is now owned by
106:
The tower is 74 feet (23 m) tall, and the City
Council stipulates that no building in central Oxford may be built higher than it (a rule broken by the
660:
621:
593:
670:
368:
514:
433:
373:
337:
541:
690:
211:
680:
665:
342:
576:
553:
522:
312:
126:
182:
on the southwest corner of Carfax, between St Aldate's and Queen Street) between two students and the taverner.
164:
111:
107:
122:
700:
100:
222:. For example, the university requires some students to reside within six miles (9.7 km) of Carfax.
685:
675:
695:
92:
275:
59:, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city. The name "Carfax" derives from the Latin
568:
215:
175:
96:
198:
of Oxford (father of Butler's second wife) or one of Gibbs's employees. The tombstone is still
144:
and installed in 1898. In 1938–39 the clock mechanism was replaced with an electric one made by
477:
195:
145:
40:
30:
202:
and can be seen behind the tower. There is a campaign to protect the tombstone for posterity.
95:
in the High Street became the City Church for 75 years. All Saints then became the library of
141:
219:
186:
48:
8:
611:
133:
125:
in 1676 and one cast by Keene two years later. They are rung on special occasions by the
88:
84:
52:
26:
256:
167:
75:
25:
St Martin's tower (centre left) and the HSBC building (right), seen from the corner of
441:
294:
572:
549:
518:
44:
533:
333:
236:
178:
of 1355 began with an altercation in the
Swindlestock Tavern (now the site of the
190:
231:
118:
654:
636:
623:
545:
506:
179:
137:
132:
There is a clock that chimes the quarter hours on a pair of bells cast by
602:
140:
in 1898. The clock's current dial and surroundings were designed by Sir
160:
121:
of six bells: five recast from the original ring by
Richard Keene of
463:
21:
338:"Carfax Tower Tower of the Church of St Martin Carfax (1047353)"
56:
257:"This webcam is on the 14th Century Carfax Tower, facing east"
218:, Carfax plays a role in the disciplinary regulations of the
478:"2021-22, Regulations for Residence in the University"
389:
332:
652:
531:
499:
16:Crossroads; central area of Oxford in England
464:"William Henry Butler, Mayor of Oxford 1836"
661:Buildings and structures demolished in 1896
205:
434:"Carfax Tower - City Sightseeing Oxford"
377:. Central Council of Church Bell Ringers
366:
293:Jenkins, Stephanie (11 September 2012).
274:Jenkins, Stephanie (11 September 2012).
159:
74:
20:
292:
273:
653:
603:"William Henry Butler (Carfax Oxford)"
600:
505:
395:
367:Williams, Michael (20 November 2011).
362:
360:
299:Oxford History: Mayors and Lord Mayors
280:Oxford History: Mayors and Lord Mayors
79:View from the top of St Martin's Tower
562:
511:Clockmaking in Oxfordshire 1400–1850
374:Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
671:Grade II listed buildings in Oxford
440:. 20 September 2022. Archived from
357:
13:
343:National Heritage List for England
14:
712:
586:
609:
515:Museum of the History of Science
313:"Oxford City Council Local Plan"
127:Oxford Society of Change Ringers
470:
456:
426:
401:
326:
305:
286:
267:
249:
108:Blavatnik School of Government
1:
691:Tourist attractions in Oxford
565:Oxford An Architectural Guide
509:(1989) . Simcock, A.V (ed.).
242:
101:St Michael at the North Gate
7:
500:Sources and further reading
225:
10:
717:
681:Road junctions in England
666:Former churches in Oxford
567:. Oxford & New York:
438:citysightseeingoxford.com
295:"The City Church, Oxford"
155:
563:Tyack, Geoffrey (1998).
542:The Buildings of England
513:(3rd ed.). Oxford:
170:beside St Martin's tower
112:Grade II listed building
103:became the City Church.
70:
569:Oxford University Press
482:examregs.admin.ox.ac.uk
216:University of Cambridge
176:St Scholastica Day riot
87:. It was the official
206:University regulations
171:
117:The tower still has a
80:
33:
369:"Oxford Carfax Tower"
163:
78:
24:
548:. pp. 306–307.
532:Sherwood, Jennifer;
276:"St Martin's Church"
220:University of Oxford
187:William Henry Butler
134:John Taylor & Co
701:Transport in Oxford
633: /
601:Wilkes, DC (2009).
444:on 28 February 2022
146:Gents' of Leicester
85:Oxford City Council
39:is the junction of
637:51.7520°N 1.2577°W
614:. Britain Express.
597:for Carfax, Oxford
571:. pp. 96–98.
517:. pp. 55–58.
172:
168:K2 telephone kiosk
93:All Saints' Church
81:
34:
686:Squares in Oxford
676:History of Oxford
544:. Harmondsworth:
534:Pevsner, Nikolaus
413:Visit Oxfordshire
212:St Mary the Great
45:Cornmarket Street
708:
696:Towers in Oxford
648:
647:
645:
644:
643:
642:51.7520; -1.2577
638:
634:
631:
630:
629:
626:
615:
606:
596:
582:
559:
528:
493:
492:
490:
488:
474:
468:
467:
460:
454:
453:
451:
449:
430:
424:
423:
421:
419:
405:
399:
393:
387:
386:
384:
382:
364:
355:
354:
352:
350:
334:Historic England
330:
324:
323:
321:
319:
309:
303:
302:
290:
284:
283:
271:
265:
264:
253:
237:Battle of Carfax
716:
715:
711:
710:
709:
707:
706:
705:
651:
650:
641:
639:
635:
632:
627:
624:
622:
620:
619:
592:
589:
579:
556:
525:
502:
497:
496:
486:
484:
476:
475:
471:
462:
461:
457:
447:
445:
432:
431:
427:
417:
415:
407:
406:
402:
394:
390:
380:
378:
365:
358:
348:
346:
331:
327:
317:
315:
311:
310:
306:
291:
287:
272:
268:
255:
254:
250:
245:
228:
208:
191:Mayor of Oxford
189:, who had been
165:Grade II-listed
158:
97:Lincoln College
73:
63:via the French
51:(west) and the
17:
12:
11:
5:
714:
704:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
617:
616:
612:"Carfax Tower"
607:
598:
588:
587:External links
585:
584:
583:
577:
560:
554:
529:
523:
507:Beeson, C.F.C.
501:
498:
495:
494:
469:
466:. 17 May 2008.
455:
425:
409:"Carfax Tower"
400:
388:
356:
325:
304:
285:
266:
247:
246:
244:
241:
240:
239:
234:
232:Carfax Conduit
227:
224:
210:Comparable to
207:
204:
180:Santander Bank
157:
154:
72:
69:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
713:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
658:
656:
649:
646:
613:
610:Ross, David.
608:
604:
599:
595:
591:
590:
580:
578:0-19-817423-3
574:
570:
566:
561:
557:
555:0-14-071045-0
551:
547:
546:Penguin Books
543:
539:
535:
530:
526:
524:0-903364-06-9
520:
516:
512:
508:
504:
503:
483:
479:
473:
465:
459:
443:
439:
435:
429:
414:
410:
404:
398:, p. 58.
397:
392:
376:
375:
370:
363:
361:
345:
344:
339:
335:
329:
314:
308:
300:
296:
289:
281:
277:
270:
262:
258:
252:
248:
238:
235:
233:
230:
229:
223:
221:
217:
213:
203:
201:
197:
192:
188:
183:
181:
177:
169:
166:
162:
153:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
130:
128:
124:
120:
115:
113:
109:
104:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
77:
68:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
32:
28:
23:
19:
618:
564:
537:
510:
485:. Retrieved
481:
472:
458:
446:. Retrieved
442:the original
437:
428:
416:. Retrieved
412:
403:
391:
379:. Retrieved
372:
347:. Retrieved
341:
328:
316:. Retrieved
307:
298:
288:
279:
269:
260:
251:
209:
199:
184:
173:
150:
138:Loughborough
131:
116:
105:
82:
64:
61:quadrifurcus
60:
49:Queen Street
36:
35:
18:
640: /
594:Map sources
538:Oxfordshire
418:17 December
396:Beeson 1989
381:17 December
349:17 December
110:). It is a
89:City Church
53:High Street
41:St Aldate's
31:St Aldate's
27:High Street
655:Categories
625:51°45′07″N
318:26 October
243:References
196:John Gibbs
142:TG Jackson
55:(east) in
628:1°15′28″W
487:5 January
448:4 October
123:Woodstock
65:carrefour
47:(north),
43:(south),
536:(1974).
226:See also
214:for the
185:In 1865
261:Webcams
200:in situ
194:either
575:
552:
521:
263:. BBC.
156:Events
99:, and
57:Oxford
37:Carfax
71:Tower
573:ISBN
550:ISBN
519:ISBN
489:2022
450:2022
420:2014
383:2014
351:2014
320:2016
174:The
119:ring
29:and
136:of
657::
540:.
480:.
436:.
411:.
371:.
359:^
340:.
336:.
297:.
278:.
259:.
148:.
129:.
114:.
605:.
581:.
558:.
527:.
491:.
452:.
422:.
385:.
353:.
322:.
301:.
282:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
