The last bastion of the old St Ebbe's part 1

The Museum of Oxford carry out reminiscence workshops throughout the City and work with a network of organisations and people who are interested in Oxford's history. They have been very supportive of this project, connecting me with people who have been collecting, documenting, researching and reflecting on the history of St Ebbe's.

At the recent 'Memory Lane' event organised by the Museum, I met Ruth Waddle, archivist at the Oxford Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Ruth's links with the centre go back to 1964 when she was seconded to work there. She went on to train in social work and continued supporting people who are deaf and hard of hearing or have disabilities throughout her career. Since retiring Ruth has organised the extensive archives at the centre and researched into the organisation's history enabling her to share this with members of the public at anniversaries and 'Open Doors' events.

The Oxford Deaf & Hard of Hearing Centre seen from the bottom of Littlegate Street

Through a combination of campaigning and chance a few buildings survived the demolition of St Ebbe's. I will write more later about the row of medieval cottages on Turn Again Lane which were saved by the Oxford Preservation Trust. The nearby Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the bottom of Littlegate Street also survived. The organisation bought the freehold of this old chapel in 1957 and, as an institution it was possibly easier for them to avoid compulsory purchase orders and demolition than it was for the streets of housing. 

A drawing of the Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing thought to be by John Henry Brookes

The centre is made up of several buildings, including Mr Bulteel's chapel, a non-conformist baptist church built in 1832, an extension added on the back as a Sunday school room in 1884, the old manse which later became an undertakers and Tudor Cottage, which was built in 1647. Tudor Cottage revealed a surprise when renovations were carried out on the building in the 1980's. Whilst chipping plaster off the walls builders found a very old stone wall with an archway from an older monumental construction. This was a gateway and wall from the Blackfriars Priory of 1246. The only part of this historic structure still surviving.

Archway from the Blackfriars Priory 1246

It is difficult to photograph this grand structure in a small space surrounded by office paraphernalia. It is such a significant structure for St Ebbe's and Oxford, and so strange to find it in the cramped office of this small social enterprise. Seeing and touching these stones was a moving experience. They smell ancient and earthy and there's a sense of tangible connection with St Ebbe's distant past.

Archway from the Blackfriars Priory 1246

As well as saving some very significant buildings, the Oxford Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have archived the ephemera that is part of the organisation's day to day activities. They kept the kinds of items that most organisations would throw away - posters, flyers, letters and newspaper articles - giving a flavour of life at the centre and in the St Ebbe's area. The first two shown below - for the Grand Bazaar and Anniversary Bazaar - were manually typeset and printed by Halls, a local company who once had premises on nearby Brewer Street. The later posters were re-produced from hand-drawn originals, one of them - for the Food Fair - designed by an ex-student of  John Henry Brookes who studied at the Oxford Technical School which later moved to Headington to become the Oxford Polytechnic. The posters themselves give a sense of transitions during the 1970's. The changing technologies in the print seem to be mirrored by an evolving culture.

Ephemera from the collection at the Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

There is more to share from my visit to the centre, and I suspect there's much more to discover in their archives. I will post more about Ruth and her work at a later stage.

In the meantime, if you have memories of attending any of these fairs and events in St Ebbe's or have your own St Ebbe's memorabilia to share please get in touch at westgateoxfordarts@landsecurities.com