St Mary's Passage, Oxford *Original*

St Mary's Passage, Oxford

St Mary’s Passage (which was often called Radcliffe Street in the nineteenth century) runs northwards from the High Street between Brasenose College and the University Church of St Mary-the-Virgin. It has always been in the parish of the latter.

On the East side after passing the University Church it disappears into Radcliffe Square, which has the Radcliffe Camera (built in 1737–1749) in the centre.

On the West side after passing the side of the new buildings of Brasenose College (built in 1887), is the Grade II listed former City Arms pub, a seventeenth-century timber-framed building. It has an overhang above the door supported by fauns, and this is possibly the reason why this tiny alley is often said to have inspired elements of CS Lewis’ magical world in The Chronicles of Narnia. That may or may not be true, but it’s certainly a pretty little corner, tucked between High St and the much-photographed Radcliffe Camera.