Statement of significance
Part of the history of Oxford and particularly the development outside North Gate in the 17th century.
Architectural interest
Outline Plan: Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles
There are two separate parts to the Meeting House – the older building, directly on St Giles which is Grade II listed and the more modern Meeting house mid-way down the garden. The oldest part of the Meeting House complex combines 17th, 18th and 19th century architecture, character and fittings. It contains a datestone inscribed ‘W. P. 1660’. The new Meeting house was built in1954-5 with a traditional design referencing neo-Georgian and Cotswold vernacular. It was designed by Thomas Rayson, a reputable Oxford architect. After WW2 the adjoining property at No 42 was also purchased and the brick wall dividing the two properties removed. In 1982 a garden room extension to the main house was built from designs by Alan Bristow. The properties contain a flat and various meeting rooms.
Historical Development
Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’
Quakers began to meet regularly in Oxford in 1654 and by the 1680’s had settled at Richard Bettice’s house in New Inn Hall Street (the meeting room is extant above the present newspaper shop at Bonn Square). They were particularly badly persecuted by both students and dons but by 1687 managed to buy some land behind 63-64 St Giles for both a Meeting House and a burial ground. It was completed in 1688, including an entrance from Pusey Lane. Numbers attending meetings dwindled and although the property was maintained it was was eventually sold in 1867. However the Meeting revived in 1888 and numbers continued to grow, despite the venue changing some four times until 1939 when 43 St Giles was purchased.
Context and Setting
Rosa zanthina “Canary Bird’
The property is orientated from north-east at St Giles to south-west at Pusey Lane at the rear. The area of the whole property including buildings is 1330m2 forming a long rectangular plot of length including buildings of 93m, and width of 13m–16m. The main entrance is in the older building at 43 St Giles where there are meeting and social rooms, offices and a library. The new Meeting house is 35m away, in the west part of the garden. The entrance is to the north, facing the main garden, and a narrow passageway on the north side leads to the rear garden and eventually to a rear entrance from Pusey Lane.
The boundary walls are made of stone, brick or a combination. Stone walls dominate with brick copings. Close to the older building on St Giles, the walls to the north are brick on the upper half, with curved brick copings, whereas nearer to the modern Meeting house, the walls of the main garden are stone throughout. Stone walls dominate in the rear garden. The variations reflect changes in ownership, use and repairs of the gardens and buildings on this part of St Giles.
The Garden
The garden is divided into two parts by the presence of the newer Meeting house half-way down the garden. The larger main garden lies immediately behind the older building at 43 St Giles, while the rear garden lies behind the Meeting house further to the west. In addition, there are small narrow flower beds in front of the buildings on St Giles. The area of main garden is 545m2, approximately 36m x 15m. The area of the rear garden is 350m2, which is approximately 27m x 13m.
Apple tree in round bed looking north
The main garden is well decorated with side borders around a central lawn with four small circular beds, each planted with young trees of apple (x2), rowan, and magnolia, and each tree surrounded by alliums, tulips and other flowers. There is a tall silver birch tree set part-way down the north border. For socialising, there are six or more benches here, some children’s play equipment and gazebos when required.
To the rear of the library of 43 St Giles, at the north-east corner, is a wisteria and nearby is a single yellow Rosa xanthina Canary Bird The side border along the south-east wall is planted with small trees and shrubs (roses, hydrangea, clematis, mahonia, jasmine and an Amelanchia tree) underplanted with common perennials. The north border of the main garden has a fig tree, Pittosporum, acer, apple tree, hebe, choisia, Keria, rosemary, Comfrey – Knit Bone, Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’, plus common perennials as in other parts of the garden. There are numerous pots planted with perennials, mainly set near the buildings, notably with olive trees and camelia.
Red twisted hazel against brick infill in north wall
Near the narrow passageway past the newer Meeting house on the north side is a purple curly witch-hazel which lies in front of a brick insert in the stone wall – potentially a filled-in doorway. To the east of this is a raised rock garden, with an acer behind which a table and bench are secluded by the surrounding plants.
Beyond the passageway is the rear garden at the south-west end of the property. Joining the back of this building is a small triangular area dominated by mature old-fashioned roses and peonies. A central lawn has borders on three sides. The north-east border has virginia creeper, clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine, a lilac tree, viburnum and forsythia. At the west end are maintenance areas plus honesty, olive shrubs and a mature Black Walnut tree. In the north border are soft fruit bushes including, raspberry, rhubarb and other berry fruits, and an insect house made of wooden pallets. Nearer to the Meeting House is another substantial walnut tree.
The garden is pretty and peaceful. It is both structured and relaxed, an effect which is inviting to people to sit and enjoy it. Despite being in the centre of Oxford it is quiet but enjoys plenty of birdsong. The garden is maintained by a weekly gardener. Unusually for most meeting houses this garden never incorporated a burial ground and it is not used for memorials for ashes today.
Address
43 St Giles, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3LW
District Council
Oxford City
Grid Ref
NGR: SP 51094 06770
Sources of Information
Online
Heritage Quakers (2016): Quaker Meeting House, Oxford [Online]. Available at:
https://heritage.quaker.org.uk/ (Accessed 1 May 2025)
British History Online: Protestant Nonconformity and other Christian Bodies – Society of Friends.Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol4/pp415-424 (Accessed April 2025)
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the Friends of Oxford Meeting for their help and welcome.
