Dating from about 1040, St Michael at the North Gate is Oxford's oldest building. It is situated in the middle of the shopping area and is passed every day by thousands of people who scarcely give it a glance. Built during the late Saxon period, the two towers of the original north gate were later connected by the Bocardo prison which held the three martyrs (see Martyrs' Memorial) before they were burned at the stake. Their cell door is in the tower, as are a page from a 1437 set of churchwardens' accounts, some fine examples of church silver (including a 1562 chalice), and the great seal of King James I.
Christ Church Cathedral serves as a college chapel for Christ Church College, and is also the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford. The Anglican cathedral dates back originally to the 12th Century, and is a beautiful edifice that is famed for its high arches and towering pillars. In the 16th Century, the Cathedral was taken over by Cardinal Wolsey, and soon after by Henry VIII himself. The cathedral choir is one of the finest in the city.
Although mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the oldest parts of the church we now see are the 13th-century tower and 14th-century spire. Until specialized university buildings were available, St Mary's was used for university meetings, examinations and ceremonies. In fact, the flat-roofed extension which is now a cafe was once the university parliament building. It was in this church that Archbishop Cranmer was tried for heresy in 1555; where John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached his famous 1774 sermon; and where John Keeble delivered his Assize sermon (in 1833) which became the catalyst for the Oxford Movement.