Tithe Barn converted into a Chapel
A large stone tithe barn in Crown Road, Wheatley was bought by the Catholic Church in 1962 and converted into chapel of ease named Our Lady of Lourdes and is served by the Parish Priest from Corpus Christi, Headington.
The barn, part of the old Rectory Farm, which was formerly owned by Magdalen College, is believed to be about 300 years old.
The plans were drawn up by a Headington architect, Mr Peter Little, in a Gothic style to harmonise with the Tudor buildings nearby.
The conversion took place when Fr Davenport was the Parish Priest, to mark the Silver Jubilee of Corpus Christi Church. Before that Mass had been celebrated in Wheatley in a chapel in the grounds of the Military Hospital and subsequently in the Anglican Parish Church Hall and then in a room at the Merry Bells Village Hall.
More recently a new porch and disabled ramp were added.
The Roman Catholic congregation in Wheatley volunteered to work on the conversion of the barn with the works starting in February 1962 and it took 18 months to complete.
Few papercuts survived showing the building of the chapel.