On our first morning in Oxford, September 13th, we went out early to have breakfast at Brown’s Cafe in the Covered Market.
Our first Full English without the beans. We tried the fried bread instead of toast…never again. It tasted like some bad fried food at a Fair.
On the way to the Bodlein to get tickets for a tour we strolled around the Radcliffe Camera and The University Church of St. Mary. Early morning was a good time to be there before more foot traffic started.
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
From its beginnings over a thousand years ago, St Mary’s has witnessed the foundation of the University of Oxford and some of the most significant events in English church history.
Fellows of Oxford Colleges were regularly invited to preach at the church in the 18th Century – in the case of John Wesley, on three occasions.
Wesley’s years in Georgia, subsequent conversion experience and new found energy to spread the Gospel to all who would hear, had by 1741, distanced him from Oxford both physically and spiritually.
In 1741 he returned planning to deliver a condemnatory sermon at St Mary’s but was persuaded by a friend to substitute this criticism of Oxford’s lack of godliness for the sermon on the ‘almost Christian’, which he preached on 25th July 1741.
No such restraint applied in 1744 when towards the end of his sermon on ‘Scriptural Christianity’ he made a powerful attack on the University’s spiritual apathy. Not surprisingly, Wesley was not invited to give the University sermon again.
Indeed, he recognized that effect his sermon might have reflecting: “I preached I suppose the last time at St Mary’s. Be it so…. I have fully delivered my own soul.”
This time around I didn’t take photos inside the church because during the Mourning Period for Queen Elizabeth II most churches and cathedrals requested that visits were limited to signing of condolences. Many of the College chapels were closed during this period. On our visit in 2014, photos from the indoor of the church can be seen here.
These photos are from the High Street entrance to the University Church of St. Mary.
After our tour at Bodlein (which requires it’s own post) we returned to the Covered Market to M. Feller & Daughter traditional butcher to buy some lamb sausages, bacon, and a half dozen eggs. Then we made a stop at Sainsbury Grocery store for tomatoes, mushrooms, butter and other goodies to have at the apartment so we could make our own breakfast.
We took everything back to the apartment and regrouped to meet a tour guide for a 2-1/2 hour tour on Tuesday afternoon.
Back to the USA and Colville we are getting more in sync with the Pacific Time Zone.
Keeping Florida friends in our prayers!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
…the market sure is a colorful place. The church architecture points to the heavens.
So interesting to read the history of John Wesley’s time there. Sounds like he knew what would happen if he preached without restraint, but he made his choice.
The market looks very appealing, like a fun place to visit and shop. Great idea to prepare an English breakfast in your own space . . . without the fried bread! 🙂
Enjoyed reading of John Wesley’s determined sermon, the church is breath taking, I can only imagine how beautiful it was inside.
So happy you are getting isync with the time!
I must say, I am not familiar with fried bread, Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for visiting and for your sweet comment. Blessings,
Sue
Impressive!
When we lived in Scotland, ‘fried bread’ was French toast and good.
The market looks like a fun place to wander through. What amazing architecture in Oxford. I’m not fond of such big breakfasts – wouldn’t need any lunch, though!
Wonderful pictures. Blessings.
I love wandering around the covered market in Oxford. It’s been a while since my last visit. You certainly had a busy schedule on your first day.
What awesome structures there are in merry old England! Just breathtaking!!! I’m sure the rules had to change up a bit in light of the Queen’s passing. Awesome just the same.
Fried bread, huh? Hmmmmm…doesn’t sound much like anything I’d want, either! I had to look it up to see what the recipe is. Kinda like French toast, but not really. Hard pass!
So fun to follow along on this UK adventure! Looking forward to all your posts. I love buttered bread, toasted face down in the fry pan. Sorry your’s wasn’t good.
I like the story of John Wesley’s commitment to the gospel. It may have offended some, but brought truth and life to others. The architecture on those cathedrals is just amazing! How did they do it?