Buses rumble. Cars queue. But have you ever paused to consider the story beneath the traffic of Frideswide Square? This isn’t just another Oxford junction. Frideswide Square bears the name of Oxford’s very own patron saint.
Frideswide Square is a tapered rectangle of space. It is a major traffic hub in Oxford. But it has a history far older than the cars and buses that now dominate it.
Let’s journey back to the 7th century. St Frideswide lived. She was a local leader. Legend says she could invoke God’s help and perform miracles. She established the first church in Oxford.
The story of Frideswide is woven into the very fabric of Oxford. She is the patron saint of both the city and its university. Oxfordshire Day is also known as St Frideswide’s Day. It is held every year on the 19th October. This commemorates her death.
One famous tale tells of a Saxon prince. He wanted to marry Frideswide. She refused. He pursued her. She fled. With God’s help she took refuge in Oxford “by means of hidden ways”.
The pursuing prince passed through the town gates. He was struck blind. Realizing his wrong, he sent messengers to Frideswide. He recovered his sight as quickly as he had lost it.
Frideswide is said to have traveled to Bampton and Binsey. At Binsey, she brought forth a spring of healing water. This is known locally as Treacle Well. It is said to heal those who drink from it or pray there. The well still stands in the grounds of Binsey’s St Margaret’s Church. It is dedicated to St Frideswide.
The miracles of Frideswide are numerous. She returned the sight of a blind girl. She kissed a man suffering with leprosy. He was healed immediately.
After her death in 735, her cult became evermore popular. A shrine was dedicated to her at St Frideswide’s Priory. Her shrine became a site of pilgrimage. Frideswide’s miracles continued to heal the sick. Catherine of Aragon visited Frideswide’s shrine in 1518. She prayed for the birth of a healthy son.
Frideswide’s story continues to echo. Her church was destroyed in the St Brice’s Day massacre. A priory was built in its place. It was dedicated to her as St Fridewide’s Priory.
Cardinal Wolsey founded a new college in Oxford around St Fridewide’s Priory. This became Christ Church. Henry VIII turned St Frideswide’s Priory into Oxford’s Cathedral. Christ Church Cathedral stands at the site of Frideswide’s Anglo-Saxon church. Her shrine remains there. It is the oldest monument the cathedral has to offer.
Her relics went missing during the Reformation. They reappeared 23 years later. This occurred during the burial of a protestant woman. Their remains were mixed together. They were buried in the floor of the Cathedral in an unmarked spot. They remain there to this day.
Frideswide is a legendary figure in Oxford. She was invoked in Chaucer’s The Miller’s Tale. Her miraculous ‘Treacle Well’ appears in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Frideswide Square is named in her honor. St Frideswide’s School also bears her name. The square itself underwent a transformation in 2015. The goal was to create a more attractive public space. This aimed to move it away from being a congested area. The redesign removed traffic lights. It made use of shared spaces.
So next time you find yourself in Frideswide Square. Remember the saint. Remember her miracles. Remember her legacy. It’s a story etched in stone and whispered on the wind. A story that continues to shape the city around it.