The foundation stone was laid in 1871 and the church was consecrated on 10 April 1872 by John Mackarness, the Bishop of Oxford. It was originally intended for the church tower to have a spire and for the exterior to contain sculptures.
The carved door depicting St Frideswide arriving in Oxford. came from St Frideswide church in East London that was bombed in WWII. Known as the “Alice Door”, it was carved by the sisters of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland. The wooden angels brought to the church in the 1950s came from a home for women run by Anglican nuns.
