St Michael at the North Gate
Tucked onto Cornmarket Street and easy to walk straight past, St Michael at the North Gate is Oxford's oldest surviving building — a Saxon tower dating to around 1040 — and one of its most rewarding secret climbs. The views are superb, the crowds are almost non-existent, and the treasury halfway up contains some of the most extraordinary silver in England.
Oxford's oldest standing structure
St Michael at the North Gate was built around 1040 as part of the north gate of the Saxon town wall, making it significantly older than any of the university colleges. The tower served as a watchtower and prison annex — Archbishop Cranmer and Bishops Latimer and Ridley were held in the adjacent Bocardo Prison before being burned at the stake on Broad Street in 1555. A relic of the actual cell door is displayed in the tower's first-floor treasury.
The treasury itself is a revelation: a show-stopping collection of rare silver dating from the 16th century, medieval stained glass, and a chalice said to be the oldest in England. It is the kind of display that would have a long queue in any major museum; here it is visited by a handful of people a day.
The climb and the view
The tower climb is shorter and less physically demanding than St Mary's or Carfax, but the reward is a sweeping view of Oxford's spires and rooftops from a vantage point that most visitors never discover. Cornmarket Street stretches below you to the south, and on a clear day you can pick out the Radcliffe Camera dome, the Sheldonian Theatre and the spire of St Mary the Virgin against the skyline.
Because this spot attracts far fewer visitors than the other towers, you'll often have the viewing platform to yourself — a rare luxury in a city as popular as Oxford. It is the ideal second climb of the day after St Mary's, offering a completely different angle on the same skyline.
Combining it with Carfax
St Michael at the North Gate stands at the northern end of Cornmarket Street, barely three minutes' walk from Carfax Tower. The two make a natural pairing: start at Carfax for the full 360-degree city panorama, then walk north to St Michael's for the history, the treasury silver and the quieter, more intimate viewpoint.
The church also holds regular services and occasional concerts — check the noticeboard by the door for the week's programme. Entry to the treasury and tower involves a small fee, and the church itself is freely accessible during opening hours.
St Michael at the North Gate on video
More of Carfax
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Carfax →
