The Martyrs’ Memorial is a Victorian Gothic stone monument at the junction of St Giles’, Magdalen Street, and Beaumont Street in Oxford, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and completed in 1843. It commemorates the Protestant bishops Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer, burned at the stake nearby in 1555–56. This guide covers what the monument is, what to see, how to find the actual burning site, and practical tips.
My personal Oxford recommendation
Oxford is a city of stories. You miss a lot of the walking around independently. This is a place where, much more than usual, it’s worth taking a walking tour.
I took the excellent Official Oxford University and City walking tour. It gave a great grounding on the city’s history, quirky university traditions and fascinating details on buildings you may otherwise miss. I recommend it, but there are other Oxford walking tours to choose from if you’d prefer a different theme.
Last updated: June 2026. The key thing many visitors miss: the actual execution site is not at the memorial — it is marked by an iron cross set into the road surface on Broad Street, approximately half a mile away. Most guides do not mention this distinction clearly.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Junction of St Giles’, Magdalen Street, and Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 3BD |
| Opening hours | Open access at all times; no set hours |
| Entry price | Free |
| Managed by | Public monument on a traffic island; maintained by Oxford City Council |
| Actual execution site | Iron cross in road surface, Broad Street (near Balliol College) |
| Nearest parking | Gloucester Green car park (~5 min walk); Park & Ride recommended |
| Typical visit length | 10–15 minutes |
Martyrs’ Memorial opening hours
The Martyrs’ Memorial is a free-standing outdoor monument on a public traffic island. It is accessible at all times, every day, with no opening or closing hours.
Martyrs’ Memorial ticket prices
Visiting the Martyrs’ Memorial is free. No ticket, no booking, and no admission charge of any kind.
The monument is not part of any commercial city pass scheme.
5 Oxford experiences worth booking
- 🎓 Take an Oxford University walking tour led by an alumni guide.
- ⚡ Explore Oxford’s Harry Potter filming locations on a tour including New College.
- 🚣 Embark on a scenic river cruise along the University Regatta course.
- 🕵️ Discover the Oxford of Morse, Lewis and Endeavour on a themed walking tour.
- 🏰 Hear dark historic tales on a guided visit to Oxford Castle and Prison.
How to get to the Martyrs’ Memorial
The memorial stands at the northern approach to Oxford city centre, where St Giles’ narrows into Magdalen Street and Beaumont Street branches west. It is immediately to the west of Balliol College.
By bus: The memorial is directly adjacent to the main bus corridor along Magdalen Street/St Giles’. Multiple city routes and Park & Ride services pass within a few metres. It is approximately 8–10 minutes’ walk north from Carfax along Cornmarket and Magdalen Street.
By train: Oxford station is approximately 10–15 minutes’ walk, heading east along George Street and then north up Magdalen Street.
On foot: From the Sheldonian Theatre and Bodleian Library, the memorial is approximately 3 minutes’ walk north along Parks Road or Catte Street, then left along Broad Street to St Giles’.
Parking
The monument is on a traffic island and has no associated parking. The nearest car park is Gloucester Green (approximately 5 minutes’ walk southwest). The Park & Ride network is recommended for visitors arriving by car.
How long to spend at the Martyrs’ Memorial
Allow 10 to 15 minutes at the memorial itself. Most visitors read the inscription, note the three figures, and then walk the 5 minutes east along Broad Street to find the iron cross marking the actual execution site. Combining both takes around 20–25 minutes.
Accessibility
The Martyrs’ Memorial stands on a traffic island surrounded by busy roads and bus routes. It is approached on foot via the surrounding pavements. The base of the monument has stepped tiers which cannot be climbed for safety and conservation reasons. The monument can be viewed and read at close range from pavement level without difficulty.
What to see at the Martyrs’ Memorial
The monument itself
The Martyrs’ Memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who later designed the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras and the Foreign Office in London. It was built between 1841 and 1843 and is modelled on the Eleanor Crosses — the 14 medieval wayside crosses erected by Edward I in 1291–94 to mark the funeral procession of his wife Eleanor of Castile. Three Eleanor Crosses survive (at Geddington, Hardingstone, and Waltham Cross); the Martyrs’ Memorial is styled as a deliberate Victorian echo of this medieval form.
The structure rises approximately 21 metres (70 feet) in three tiers. The lowest tier has three arched niches, each containing a seated figure of one of the three martyrs. From left to right they depict:
- Hugh Latimer (c.1487–1555) — Bishop of Worcester; holding a Bible
- Nicholas Ridley (c.1500–1555) — Bishop of London; holding a Bible
- Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556) — Archbishop of Canterbury; holding his hand in a gesture of outward reach, representing the account that at his burning he thrust his right hand — the hand that had signed a recantation of his Protestant beliefs — into the fire first, saying it had offended
The figures were carved by sculptor Henry Weekes in Caen stone brought from Canterbury Cathedral. The body of the memorial is magnesian limestone.
The inscription
The inscription on the base reads (in part, translated from Latin):
“To the glory and in grateful commemoration of His servants, who near this spot yielded their bodies to be burned, bearing witness to the sacred truths which they had affirmed and maintained against the errors of the Church of Rome…”
The key phrase — “near this spot” — is important. The memorial does not stand on the execution site.
Why was the memorial built in 1843?
The memorial was built nearly 300 years after the events it commemorates. Its construction was specifically motivated by the Oxford Movement of the 1830s and 1840s, in which a group of Oxford scholars — including John Henry Newman, Pusey, and Keble — sought to move the Church of England closer to Roman Catholic tradition. The Martyrs’ Memorial was erected in deliberate opposition to this movement, as an assertion of Oxford’s Protestant heritage. Within a few years of its completion, Newman himself converted to Roman Catholicism and was later made a Cardinal.
The restoration
The memorial deteriorated significantly during the 20th century. A full restoration was completed in 2002 as part of the 75th anniversary programme of the Oxford Preservation Trust. It was cleaned, repaired, and repointed at that time.
The actual execution site: the iron cross on Broad Street
The Oxford Martyrs were not burned at the site of the memorial. They were burned on what is now Broad Street, outside the city walls — just east of where Balliol College now stands.
An iron cross set flush into the road surface marks the approximate spot. It is located in the centre of Broad Street, in front of the gates of Balliol College, approximately 400 metres east of the memorial. Look for it in the road itself, not on the pavement.
- Latimer and Ridley were burned here on 16 October 1555.
- Cranmer was burned at the same location on 21 March 1556.
Cranmer’s execution is particularly noted in accounts of the time: having signed a series of recantations under pressure, he publicly retracted them at the stake and pushed his right hand into the flames first, in penance for having signed with that hand.
The iron cross in the road is small and easy to miss. Approach on foot along Broad Street from the St Giles’ end and look for it roughly in line with the Balliol College main gate.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| The execution site is on Broad Street, not at the memorial | The iron cross in the road on Broad Street, in front of Balliol College, marks the actual burning site. Most visitors who see only the memorial have not found the spot that history refers to. |
| You cannot climb the memorial | The stepped base is viewable from the pavement but cannot be ascended. Climbing on the monument is not permitted. |
| It sits on a busy traffic island | The memorial is surrounded by Oxford’s main bus corridor and Magdalen Street. Take care when crossing to view it closely. |
| The Church of St Mary Magdalen is immediately adjacent | The church next to the memorial has a free-to-enter interior with a notable wildflower churchyard garden. Worth a few minutes if you are in the area. |
| Bocardo Prison Door | The door of the cell in which Cranmer was held before his execution is preserved in the Saxon Tower at St Michael at the North Gate, approximately 10 minutes’ walk south. |
Frequently asked questions about the Martyrs’ Memorial
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Martyrs’ Memorial free? | Yes, completely free. It is an open-air public monument accessible at any time. |
| Is this where the martyrs were burned? | No. The memorial is approximately 400 metres west of the execution site. The burning site is marked by an iron cross set into the road surface on Broad Street, in front of Balliol College. |
| Can you climb the Martyrs’ Memorial? | No. The memorial cannot be climbed. It is viewable from pavement level. |
| Who is commemorated? | Hugh Latimer (Bishop of Worcester, burned 1555), Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of London, burned 1555), and Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury, burned 1556). |
| Is the memorial open on Sundays? | Yes — it is an outdoor public monument on a traffic island, accessible at all times with no set hours. |
Things to do near the Martyrs’ Memorial
- St Mary Magdalen Church (immediately adjacent) — A medieval church with a notable wildflower churchyard, free to enter. John Henry Newman, the leader of the Oxford Movement that partly prompted the memorial’s construction, served as vicar here from 1824 to 1843.
- Ashmolean Museum (~2 minutes’ walk south, Beaumont Street) — One of the world’s great art and archaeology museums, immediately south of the memorial.
- Broad Street and the Balliol/Bodleian complex (~5 minutes’ walk east) — The iron cross marking the execution site, Balliol College, the History of Science Museum, Sheldonian Theatre, and Bodleian Library are all in this direction.
- Saxon Tower (~10 minutes’ walk south, Cornmarket Street) — The oldest building in Oxford, with the door of Cranmer’s prison cell on display.
- Clarendon Building (~5 minutes’ walk east, Broad Street) — The 1715 Hawksmoor building that originally housed Oxford University Press, viewable from the street.
What to visit tomorrow: similar memorial monuments and Reformation sites within two hours
- Latimer and Ridley burning site, Broad Street, Oxford — The iron cross in the road on Broad Street is easily missed; if you came to the memorial, walk east and find it.
- Bocardo Prison Door, Saxon Tower (~10 minutes’ walk) — The surviving door of the cell where Cranmer was imprisoned, displayed in the Saxon Tower at St Michael at the North Gate.
- Foxe’s Book of Martyrs connections, Salisbury (~60 miles south) — The martyrdoms are described in detail in John Foxe’s work, widely reprinted in the 16th century. Salisbury Cathedral‘s library holds significant Reformation-era documents.
- Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield (~80 miles north) — The cathedral where many Reformation controversies played out; contains memorials to the English martyrs and significant pre-Reformation stonework and glass.
- Blenheim Palace, Woodstock (~10 miles north) — For visitors interested in the broader Stuart period that followed the Reformation, Blenheim offers context on 17th and 18th century English power.
More Oxfordshire travel
Other Oxfordshire travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Enjoy the highlights of Oxford University, including the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the History of Science Museum, the Bridge of Sighs and the Sheldonian Theatre.
- What to see at Oxford’s Bodleian Library: Guides to Convocation House, the Divinity School and Radcliffe Camera.
- 9 reasons to visit Oxford, England.
- Shudder at dark tales of incarceration at Oxford Castle and Prison.
- Oxford city centre attraction guides: The Museum of Oxford, the Story Museum and Carfax Tower.
