Finding Narnia in Oxford

A few weekends ago, all the best laid plans I’d made fell apart.  Fair to say, real life wasn’t working out. Thanks, Covid. Refusing to be disheartened, I set out to find a bit of escapism.

Actually, what I decided was we’d go off in search of Narnia.

Well, not literally. I wasn’t intending to go poking around in any wardrobes, but I’d heard there was a little bit of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe magic to be found in the Oxford suburb of Headington Quarry.

C.S Lewis and the City of Oxford

There is a strong connection between CS Lewis, writer of the Chronicles of Narnia, and the city of Oxford. He lived in the city ,wrote there and in the streets of Oxford found inspiration for the world he created.

The city that welcomed and inspired him also became his final stop. C.S Lewis is laid to rest at the Holy Trinity Church in the Oxford suburb of Headington.

It’s a surprisingly modest grave for for such a celebrated man. So much so, it could easily be missed although there is some helpful signage. The inscription threw up a couple of new-to-me facts. One: the ‘C’ stands for Clive. For some reason I always presumed it was Charles…Charles just seemed like a writerly name.

Two: Despite seeming to be the quintessential English gent, C.S Lewis  was actually born in Belfast. There you go. Every day a school day.

The Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry, Oxford.

The church is found in the suburb of Headington Quarry ( for satnav use postcode OX3 8NX, Quarry Road) which itself has a lovely village feel. You approach the church vis a leafy lane, leaving the noise and bustle of daily modern life behind.

The church itself  is modest, but lovely.

Colourful prayer cushions and pretty flower arrangements create colour and warmth in the interior. Shelves of well -loved children’s books suggest that this truly is a family friendly place to worship. And, yes, there were lots of copies of the Narnia books.

C.S Lewis began attending this church in the 1930’s and remained actively involved until his death in 1963.

C.S Lewis & The Narnia Window

But Narnia isn’t just immortalized on the bookshelf. When C.S Lewis attended this church, he had his favourite pew. One close to a window. As a tribute to the man and the world he imagined, the glass in that window has been replaced with an etched glass imagining of his most famous work.

It is a thing of  whimsical beauty. The pictures I managed to take really don’t do it justice. You’d think an etched glass window might not catch the eye the in a church of colourful cushions and traditional stained glass windows but it stands out beautifully in its simplicity.

There is a little sadness is how the window came to be, though. It was paid for with funds left to the church by the Howe family. George and Kathleen Howe lost both of their children at a young age. Upon their death, money was gifted to the church to create a window in their memory but with free choice as to the subject. It’s a touching tribute and the families names have been added below.

We’d planned to head into Oxford itself to explore some more Narnia themed spots, but rain stopped play. And when I say rain, I mean a torrential down pour. And none of us really dressed for it.

And Finally, Something Completely Different…

In good humour, we decided to call it a day. The Narnia themed sights of Oxford will be there for another time.. Even the kids in the Chronicles of Narnia knew when to retreat and head back to the wardrobe. We didn’t have a wardrobe to retreat to, so we went for a McDonalds instead. Consumed in the car as the restaurant wasn’t open yet. But Mr THL saved the day again, finding us the best space in the carpark. Table for five, space with a view. You’ve just got to laugh and make the better of it sometimes, hey?

Despite the weather and some mild disappointment due to cancelled plans, we did round off our day in Oxford with a real laugh-out-loud moment. Are you ready for something completely different?

This. The Headington shark. Dropped into the top of a completely normal house on an otherwise non-descript street. Its bonkers. And brilliant. That shark probably felt right at home the way the rain was coming down. Not the best picture, snapped from the car. I wasn’t getting out again.

That was our weekend. Whimsical, bonkers and wet with a side order of determined positivity. I hope yours was lovely, too.

If you like this you might also enjoy Library Love @ The Lit & Phil Newcastle and We’re all mad here….

Helen x