Merton College Chapel, Gothic church in Oxford, England
Merton College Chapel is a Gothic church building set within the grounds of Merton College in Oxford, England. It is made up of a long choir, tall stained glass windows, and a stone vaulted ceiling that rises above the wooden pews and altar.
Work on the chapel began in 1290, and the choir with its east window was finished by 1294. The building was never fully completed to its original plan, which is why it lacks a nave and transept to this day.
The chapel is still used daily for prayer and choral singing, and visitors during term time can attend evensong to hear the college choir. The sound of the organ and voices carries through the stone interior in a way that feels very much part of everyday college life.
The chapel is reached through the college grounds, so visitors should enter from the main college gate rather than looking for a street entrance. During term time, services take place every day and the chapel is more likely to be open and active.
Twelve of the original fourteen 13th-century stained glass windows are still in place in the side walls of the chapel. This makes them among the oldest surviving pieces of medieval glass still in their original location anywhere in Oxford.
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