About The Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy
Situated in the heart of Oxford on Rose Place, just off St Aldate’s, the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy offers a welcoming space for worship, study, and community life.
The building provides conference facilities for groups of all sizes, as well as holiday accommodation for individuals and families, with Single, Twin, Double, and Ensuite Rooms available in one of the city’s most historic and atmospheric settings.
Known as The Old Palace or the Bishop King’s Palace, it was originally the residence of Oxford’s first Bishop, Bishop King, in the 1540s. The current impressive frontage dates from 1628, and inside, visitors can still see traces of its earlier occupancy alongside the ornate Jacobean-era decorations, including the striking ceiling of the ‘Blue Room’.
Before Catholic students were formally allowed at Oxford, a group of undergraduates founded the Oxford University Catholic Club, later renamed the Newman Society. In 1917, the Newman Trust, established in 1904 to support the Chapel and Chaplaincy, purchased the Old Palace—thanks to a generous gift of another Oxford property by the Duke of Norfolk.
Following restoration in 1920, Fr. Arthur Stapylton Barnes, the fourth Chaplain, moved in. The Chapel opened on the second floor (now the Assistant Chaplain’s room), and the Newman Society held meetings in the Blue Room. The buildings as we know them today—including the Chapel, Newman Room, library, and student accommodation—were completed in 1972, after redevelopment to support the growing Catholic student community.
