Visit Top University Colleges in Oxford

Christ Church Highlights, Magadalen Traditions, New College, Keble

Apr 21, 2009

Many colleges in Oxford open their doors to visitors, a wonderful chance to marvel at the architecture, enjoy the gardens and feel inspired by great men and women.

Medieval priory schools paved the way for the first university colleges and by the early 13th century, Oxford had earned its reputation for excellence. Today 38 self-governing colleges cater for the brightest students of all nationalities.

Not every college accepts visitors but those who do display opening times at the gate, varying according to venue and events. Most charge a small entrance fee. Individual visits are possible but for a real insight, the alternative is to join a guided tour, taking in some of the top university colleges in Oxford with occasional access to restricted areas. Tours start at the gate of Trinity College several times a day. Christ Church, Magdalen College, New College and Victorian Keble College are among the favourites.

Sometimes simply called The House, 16th century Christ Church College is the grandest of them all. It claims the largest quadrangle in Oxford, the largest Great Hall, dominated by a portrait of Henry VIII, an elegant bell tower designed by Christopher Wren and the only college chapel which is also a cathedral.

Within its walls, Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and 13 British Prime Ministers were educated.

Magdalen College Traditions

Set on 100 acres of grounds, Magdalen College is a gem among gems, a place to reflect in the cloistered quadrangle, walk along the river and watch the deer grazing in the park.

Magdalen is rich in traditions, as ancient as some of its glowing honey-coloured buildings. On May Day soon after dawn, choristers sing Grace in Latin from the top of the tower while on St John’s Day, the University sermon is preached from an outdoor pulpit and the grounds covered in rushes to remember St John in the wilderness.

Tucked away in a narrow lane, New College is surprisingly spacious and light with a beautiful chapel and cloisters around the lawn. It was built in the 14th century to recruit new clergy and replace those who died in the Black Death.

Crenellations and mini turrets adorn its stately buildings and the garden is enclosed by the old city wall. Treasures from the college are on display in the Ashmolean Museum and the Museum of Oxford.

Keble College along Parks Road does not charge an entry fee and visitors may wander around the quadrangle, peep through the door of the long nave-like dining hall and see the chapel with its highly praised pre-Raphaelite painting, the Light of the World.

Unlike most others, Keble College is a Victorian building of red brick, enhanced by a cream-coloured zigzag pattern. Financed by public subscriptions for the benefit of poor students, it was built by William Butterfield with immaculate attention to detail. It’s a brilliant example of Victorian Gothic style.

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