Leper's House and Bartlemas Chapel

At left you can see the southern end of a 12th century hospital for lepers, a long large hall. At right is the chapel that served them and their keepers (the chapel's a - probably 14th century - replacement). This is most of what remains of Bartlemas, a mile or so outside of the old city of Oxford, toward Cowley, which is now all part of East Oxford, incorporated into the city in the 19th century. It's a five minute walk from where I am living - down the hill to the bottom of Southfield Road, a short skip along the Cowley Road, then one turning quarter mile up a rutted, blackberry-lined-lane. As you enter the lane, you're watched over by a looming, Oxford University Blue "Private" sign announcing that Oriel College owns the land at the upper end; it's their sports field. This chapel doesn't belong to them, though (the old hospital is now a home; the photo above looks into its garden, into which I almost trespassed - unthinkingly, almost enchanted - drawn by some large, mysterious objects that live there, unseen here). Oriel apparently wants to build a high-rise student residence overlooking this scene (behind where I stood to take this). But the lane's other residents are hoping to mount a fight. My landlady, Anna, suggested I come have a look at the chapel. That same evening, after I'd taken my fill of pictures, I walked back out to the lane to find her coming up it to attend a meeting of the opponents to the proposed development. It was cloudy and rainy, and with my poncho on, she didn't recognize me.

Here's the front of the chapel.