Campion Hall is one of the four
permanent private hall
A permanent private hall (PPH) in the University of Oxford is an educational institution within the University. There are four permanent private halls at Oxford, three of which admit undergraduates. They were founded by different Christian denomina ...
s of the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
in England. A
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
hall, it is run by the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
and named after
Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion, SJ (25 January 15401 December 1581) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was ...
, a martyr and fellow of
St John's College, Oxford
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...
. The hall is located on Brewer Street, between
Christ Church and
Pembroke College. The buildings, along with many of the fixtures and fittings, were designed by Sir
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...
, his only buildings in Oxford. The hall also houses an extensive collection of religious art spanning 600 years; the pieces were collected primarily by Fr
Martin D'Arcy in the 1930s.
History
Origins
The origins of Campion Hall began on 9 September 1896 when Fr Richard Clarke, who was a former member of
St John's College, Oxford
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...
, opened a
private hall called Clarke's Hall. He was sent by his superiors from the
Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, in London to
St. Aloysius Church in Oxford to set up a hall for Jesuit undergraduates. He founded a small house at 40
St Giles', Oxford, and was the first master of the hall. On 10 September 1896 the hall had its first four students. The hall allowed Jesuits to study for degrees from the University of Oxford.
The rented accommodation that was originally used was too small and 15 months later the hall was moved to Middleton Hall at 11
St Giles', which was leased to the Society of Jesus until 1936.
Pope's Hall
In 1900, Fr Clarke died suddenly at
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
and, with his death, the hall ceased to exist. That year the hall was reopened as Pope's Hall under Fr O'Fallon Pope as master who continued to be master until 1915. In 1902, he purchased 14 and 15 St Giles' and, in 1903, 13 St Giles' was also bought.
Campion Hall
Fr O'Fallon Pope was succeeded by Fr Charles Plater and the hall again changed its name, this time to Plater's Hall.
In 1918, the hall was granted permanent status and changed its name to Campion Hall after St
Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion, SJ (25 January 15401 December 1581) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was ...
, an English Jesuit and
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
who had been a fellow at St John's College.
Permanent private hall
A permanent private hall (PPH) in the University of Oxford is an educational institution within the University. There are four permanent private halls at Oxford, three of which admit undergraduates. They were founded by different Christian denomina ...
s (PPH) within the University of Oxford were established for the reception of students on the condition that they are not for purposes of profit. Apart from Campion Hall, the other early permanent private halls were
St Benet's Hall from 1918 and
St Peter's Hall from 1929 to 1947. Permanent private halls have the same privileges as members of
colleges
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary education, tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding academic degree, degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further educatio ...
.
In 1921, Fr Plater died and Fr Henry Keane was appointed master, until his retirement in 1926. He was succeeded by Fr Ernest G. Vignaux, who was master until 1933. At that time, there were plans for the building of a new hall in Giles'. He was succeeded as master by Fr
Martin D'Arcy until 1945.
Moving to Brewer Street

In 1933, when Fr. D'Arcy became Master, the lease of the St. Giles property had only three years to run, so in 1935 a project of building in St. Giles was dropped and a new home was found in
Brewer Street.
[ Retrieved on 20 January 2013] The properties in St. Giles's were subsequently sold to
St. John's College.
Brewer Street, also known as 'Sleying Lane' was occupied in the medieval period by brewers and butchers. There is a long history of brewing in Oxford. Several of the colleges had private breweries, one of which,
Brasenose College
Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...
, survived until 1889. In the 16th century, brewing and malting appeared to have been the most popular trades in the city. By 1874 there were nine breweries in Oxford and 13 brewers' agents in Oxford shipping beer in from elsewhere, Brewer Street was no exception.
At Brewer Street, Campion Hall bought two buildings, one a large and ancient
lodging house, known as 'Micklem Hall', which in the past belonged to Hall's Brewery. It was owned by a brewer named Micklem (1820–1870). The second building was a garage which had once been the stables for the horses which pulled the Oxford trams. The garage was demolished, as well as some of the rooms of Micklem Hall, with others incorporated into the new building.
The new building was designed by
Sir Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...
and completed in 1936. The building was opened in June 1936, by
the Duke of Alba, Spanish ambassador to London, alongside Alban Goodier S.J., the former
Archbishop of Bombay
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay is a particular church celebrating the Latin Rite of worship, centred in the Bombay (Mumbai) city of the northern Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The archdiocese has been a Metropolitan see since i ...
, and
Julian Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Julian Edward George Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (22 April 1916 – 16 January 2011) was a British colonial administrator and hereditary peer.
Background and education
Asquith was the only son of Katharine Asquith, Katharine (né ...
.
The building was
Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
in 1954. It is the only building in Oxford designed by Lutyens, although in 1928 he did design the fountain in
Tom Quad at nearby Christ Church. The style of Lutyens's exterior has been compared to 17th-century
Cotswold architecture.
The chapel has a semi-circular
apse
In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
with a
baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent Architecture, architectural feature, particularly over Alta ...
,
and Lutyens provided chapel light fittings having red tassels like those on a
cardinal's hat.
[
In 1912 Lutyens had laid out ]New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
as the new capital of India. He devised an architectural Delhi Order there, with small bells hanging from the capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
s of the columns, and subsequently made use of it in his design for Campion Hall, including in the columns supporting the baldachin in the chapel.[
Fr. D'Arcy continued as Master of Campion Hall until 1945, when he was succeeded by Fr. Thomas Corbishley. In 2001, the Jesuit spirituality journal, ''The Way'', began to operate from Campion Hall.
Campion Hall hosts the Jesuit academic community within University of Oxford and has an international student body, admitting graduate students in Humanities and Social Science subjects, and occasionally in other disciplines.
In 2018, the Laudato Si' Research Institute was started at Campion Hall. It has the aim of conducting and fostering inter-disciplinary research on issues relating to integral ecology.
]
Lost Michelangelo
In 2011, a painting " The Crucifixion of Jesus" which had been hanging in a hall of Campion Hall, was thought to have been a long-lost Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
masterpiece worth £100 million. The painting was bought by Fr. Martin D'Arcy when he was Master of Campion Hall at a Sotheby's
Sotheby's ( ) is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine art, fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
auction in the 1930s. Some experts argue that the painting dates from towards the end of Michelangelo's life when his eyesight was failing, so is more likely to be a painting by Marcello Venusti.
The painting was removed from its position on a wall in Campion Hall and sent to the Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...
where it is on display.
''The Way''
''The Way'' is a spirituality journal that publishes articles quarterly to an international readership through an editorial board on subjects relating to contemporary Christian spirituality and operates out of Campion Hall. It was founded in 1961 by its editor James Walsh. He was joined by William Yeomans, Denise Critchley-Salmonson and Philip Caraman, who also edited '' The Month''. Originally it was located in Heythrop Park
Heythrop Park is a Grade II* listed early 18th-century country house southeast of Heythrop in Oxfordshire. It was designed by the architect Thomas Archer in the Baroque style for Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury. A fire in 1831 destroyed ...
. In September 1970, it moved to Beaumont College
Beaumont College was between 1861 and 1967 a Public school (UK), public school in Old Windsor, Old Windsor in Berkshire. Founded and run by the Society of Jesus, it offered a Roman Catholic public school education in rural surroundings, while l ...
and Michael Ivens joined the staff. In May 1972, it moved to Southwell House in West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden. Neighbouring areas includes Childs Hill to the north, Frognal to the east, Swiss Cottage to the south-east, South Hampstead to the south and Kilburn to the south-west.
The neighbourh ...
. In 1978, it moved again, this time to Campion House in Osterley in 1978. In the early 1980s, it moved to Heythrop College
Heythrop College, University of London, was a constituent college of the University of London between 1971 and 2018, last located in Kensington Square, London. It comprised the university's specialist faculties of philosophy and theology with soc ...
's new location in London, as part of the Institute of Spirituality there. James Walsh stood down as editor and Philip Sheldrake, David Lonsdale and later Lavinia Byrne became editors. In 1992, Jacqueline Hawkins became the editor. In 2001, it moved to Campion Hall and Philip Endean with Elizabeth Lock became editors two years later. It was relaunched and ceased publishing the annual supplement. In 2008, Philip Endean was replaced by Paul Nicholson.
Laudato Si' Research Institute
The Laudato Si' Research Institute was also based out of Campion Hall. It was founded in 2018 and named after the encyclical by Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
. It was founded by its current director Celia Deane-Drummond to conduct multidisciplinary research on the environmental issues present in the world. Celia Deane-Drummond also edits the international journal '' Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences''. It has links with a master's degree programme operating out of the London Jesuit Centre on theology, ecology and ethics. It is currently working on establishing the Laudato Si' Research Network to encourage global research collaboration. On 21 February 2020, its new offices in Albion House, Oxford were opened by the Master of Campion Hall, Nicholas Austin.
Masters
*Fr. Richard Clarke (1896–1900)
*Fr. O'Fallon Pope (1900–1915)
*Fr. Charles Plater (1915–1921)
*Fr. Henry Keane (1921–1926)
*Fr. Ernest G. Vignaux (1926–1933)
*Fr. Martin D'Arcy (1933–1945)
*Fr. Thomas Corbishley (1945–1958)
* Fr. Anthony Doyle (1958–1962)
* Fr. Derek Hanshell (1962–1965)
*Fr. Edward Yarnold (1965–1972)
*Fr. Benjamin Winterborn (1972–1978)
*Fr. Paul Edwards (1978–1985)
*Fr. Peter Hackett (1985–1989)
*Rev. Dr. Joseph Munitiz (1989–1998)
*Rev. Dr. Gerard J Hughes (1998–2006)[ Retrieved on 20 January 2013.]
*Rev. Dr. Peter L'Estrange (2006–2008)
*Fr. Brendan Callaghan (2008–2013)
*Rev. Dr. James Hanvey (2013–2018)
*Rev. Dr. Nicholas Austin (2018– Present)
See also
* Permanent private hall
A permanent private hall (PPH) in the University of Oxford is an educational institution within the University. There are four permanent private halls at Oxford, three of which admit undergraduates. They were founded by different Christian denomina ...
* List of Jesuit sites in the United Kingdom
* List of Jesuit educational institutions
The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) in the Catholic Church have founded and managed a number of educational institutions, including the notable secondary schools, colleges, and university, universities listed here.
Some of these universities are in t ...
References
External links
Official website
''The Way'' website
Laudato Si' Research Institute website
{{Authority control
Universities and colleges established in 1896
Residential buildings completed in 1935
Grade II* listed buildings in Oxford
Grade II* listed educational buildings
Jesuit universities and colleges in England
Permanent private halls of the University of Oxford
Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford
Works of Edwin Lutyens in England
1896 establishments in England
Cotswold architecture