Sir – I’ve just read your intriguing item about Pope Benedict (Report, December 10) and felt the need to mention that while he will become the first reigning pontiff to visit Oxford, he is not the first pope with links to the city.
Nicholas Brakespear, who went on to become England’s only pope, Adrian IV, in 1154, was the first recorded incumbent of the church of St Margaret of Antioch in Binsey.
This plays a significant part in Reformation history, as it is the site of the healing Treacle Well that Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon visited in the hope of securing a male heir.
However, it is now most famous for its mention during the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland.
David Parkinson, Oxford
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