Oxford

Oxford was only 15 minutes from where we were staying so we headed up there and went to church. We decided on St Clements as their net presence seemed to indicate they were Christ centred without the pomp and ceremony.

The service was good. Medium sized congregation with quite a few young families. Quite a few gorgeous little Afro English babies running around.

We did a brisk walk after the church into the heart of Oxford. We couldn't tarry too long as we only had another hours parking left.

We walked past some of the famous university colleges.

Lots of people riding bikes

Our destination was the Martyrs Memorial.

The Martyrs' Memorial is a stone monument positioned at the intersection of St Giles', Magdalen Street and Beaumont Street, just outside Baliol College and it commemorates the 16th-century "Oxford Martyrs"

At this spot in the time of Mary 1, the English Reformers, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, the great preacher and theologian of the English Reformation were burnt at the stake in the middle of cobble stoned Broad Street Oxford. Thomas Cramner who wrote the Prayer book still used today, was burnt at the same spot on 21st March 1556.

It is a sobering thought to look at the spot where they were burnt. We sat on the steps of the memorial and Geoff read out a first hand account of the event which was chilling.

As they were being led away to die Latimer famously comforted Ridley, "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley play the man. We shall this day by God’s grace light such a candle in England as shall never be put out."

Cranmer was a serious reformer with a mild and peaceful and timid disposition. Imprisoned by Queen Mary, he signed various recantationa of his Protestant beliefs, stating his support of the Catholic Church. However, she, rightly, doubted that he really meant them. He was told that he would be able to make a final recantation but this time in public during a service at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. He wrote and submitted the speech in advance. At the pulpit on the day of his execution, he opened with a prayer and an exhortation to obey the king and queen, but he ended his sermon totally unexpectedly, deviating from the prepared script.

He renounced the recantations that he had written or signed with his own hand since his degradation and imprisonment, and stated that he would punish his right hand by burning it first.

He was pulled from the pulpit and taken to where Latimer and Ridley had been burnt. As the flames drew around him, he fulfilled his promise by placing his right hand into the heart of the fire and his dying words were, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… I see the heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."

Interestingly, the same vision the first martyr Stephen saw!

Oxford was really bustling and full of people.

It's a shame we didn't have more time but we were both hanging out for our Sunday Roast so hurried back to the car and drove on.

We found this lovely old pub on the way to Warwick and feasted on Pork roast dinner.