The Pope shines a light on an underrated gem of Catholic architecture
The Pope is about to talk at St Mary's College, Oscott, bringing to a close his extraordinarily successful state visit.
Take a look at the Oscott chapel as the Pope speaks. Most of the great Catholic buildings in Britain were taken over by the Anglican Church after the Reformation, but some splendid examples have been built since then. One of them is Oscott – which got the full medievalist treatment in 1838 from the greatest of all Victorian Gothic architects, AWN Pugin, the man behind the Houses of Parliament.
Walls, ceiling and chancel arch are all covered with typically Puginesque bright colours and high medieval designs. The stained glass, based on 14th century work, is designed by Pugin. Other artefacts are genuinely medieval, collected by Pugin – 15th century Flemish retables, a 17th century confessional from Louvain and an exceptional 1500 lectern, built in Maastricht; the lectern from which Newman made his Second Spring sermon in 1852. A wonderful and rare collection.
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