17. Jesus College

The main entrance door to the chapel of Jesus College. The chapel’s entrance porch was built in 1636 and replaced the original blocked doorway (which is still visible in the wall to the right). Building work on the chapel began in 1619, but in 1636, the College used a gift from an old member, Sir Charles Williams of Monmouth, to extend the nave at the west end and thereby make the ante-chapel smaller. This made it necessary to move the doorway and the College used the opportunity to provide a more impressive entrance. The inscription above the door ‘Ascendat Oratio, Descendat Gratia’ (Let prayer ascend, let grace descend) is contemporary with the entrance porch.