This time took my road warrior skills to go again to jolly England with the Le Shuttle train service (see post), and my Ford ; towing along my good boys and wonderful Rex! It was a very nice trip going into the countryside and seeing several towns of wonderul architecture and history, This one is a must and one of our highlights of the trip, we will be back, eventually, Therefore, let me tell you about the University of Oxford ,colleges !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The renowned University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world, is located here, The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12C records. Of the hundreds of Aularian Houses, the medieval halls that led to the founding of the university and preceded the creation of the first colleges only St. Edmund Hall (established in 1225) remains. The rise of the colleges brought an end to the halls. The first colleges of Oxford were University College (1249), Balliol College (1263), and Merton College (1264). In 1546, Christ Church became the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford. This is a unique example of a college chapel being elevated to the status of a cathedral. Originally the priory church of St. Frideswide, the building had been enlarged and incorporated into Cardinal’s College shortly before it became the renowned Christ Church College. The university comprises thirty-nine colleges and six Permanent Private Halls (religious foundations). Today, teaching at Oxford University is divided into four main branches: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences, each further subdivided into departments, subdepartments, and laboratories. The colleges are: All Souls; Balliol; Brasenose; Christ Church; Corpus Christi; Exeter; Green; Harris Manchester; Hertford; Jesus; Keble; Kellogg; and Lady Margaret Hall. Linacre; Lincoln; Magdalen; Mansfield; Merton; New College; Nuffield; Oriel; Pembroke; Queen’s; St Anne’s; St Antony’s; St Catherine’s; St Cross; St Edmund Hall; St Hilda’s; St Hugh’s; St John’s; St Peter’s; Somerville; Templeton; Trinity; University; Wadham; and Wolfson; Worcester. The private halls are: Blackfriars, Campion Hall, Greyfriars, Regent’s Park, St Benet’s Hall, St Stephen’s House,and Wycliffe Hall.
The Balliol College is one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. The college is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The gardens of Balliol College contain magnificent flowers. The college is renowned for its notable alumni, including four former British prime ministers such as Boris Johnson, as well as Asquith, Macmillan, and Heath, and has produced the second-highest number of prime ministers from Oxford University. It was founded in 1263 by John de Bailleul, a Scottish lord of Picard origin, under the patronage of the Bishop of Durham. After his death on October 25, 1268, his widow, Derborgail de Galloway, made the foundation definitive: she bequeathed it property and, in 1282, formulated the college’s statutes. While Balliol College counted Adam Smith among its students, it was in the 19C that the College would, in part, inspire social liberalism. Traditionally, its students have been among the most politically engaged at the university: four Prime Ministers are alumni. Balliol also welcomes a very high number of international students.
The official Balliol College of Oxford : https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/
The Exeter College is one of the higher education institutions that make up the University of Oxford. Its main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street. Exeter College was founded in 1314 by Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter and later Treasurer to Edward II, who intended it to be a school for training priests for his diocese. For the first century of its existence, it was known as Stapledon Hall and was considerably smaller. The college expanded significantly from the 15C onwards and began offering dormitories to its students. Today, the college still stands on the exact spot where it was founded, on Turl Street, in the heart of Oxford. However, of the medieval buildings from that period, only Palmer’s Tower remains, a small tower-like structure near the chapel. The current main building was constructed in 1618, and the rest of the college was completed in 1710. The dining hall, with a chapel that no longer exists, was built in 1618. The remaining buildings, arranged around the front inner courtyard, were constructed between 1672 and 1710. In the 18C, the reputation of Exeter College declined, as it did for all the other Oxford colleges. The University reforms of the 1850s helped to end this period of stagnation.
The majestic chapel (1854–60, inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris) features richly colored stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes. Also impressive are the wooden pews for those attending services. There is also a valuable tapestry by the artist William Morris. The organ, of recent construction, produces an impressive sound in this large chapel. Also dating from this period are the library (1856), built in the 13th-century style, the Rector’s residence (1857) in Georgian style, and the row of buildings on Broad Street (1856). Today, all the sciences are represented here. Until 1978, it was not open to women, but in 1993 it became the first of the formerly male-only colleges to elect a woman, Marilyn Butler, as its head. After her term expired in October 2004, another woman succeeded her: Frances Cairncross, former editor of The Economist. The most famous former student of the 20th century might be the philologist and writer J. R. R. Tolkien, who later became a professor at Oxford University.
The official Exeter college of Oxford : https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/
The Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. It is located on Catte Street, opposite the main entrance to the Bodleian Library. Its two buildings are linked by Hertford Bridge, better known as the Bridge of Sighs. The college was founded in 1282 as Hart Hall. It only became Hertford College in 1740. Hertford’s library, with its collection of over 40,000 volumes, notably contains a first edition of Hobbes’s Leviathan. Among its alumni are John Donne, William Tyndale, Thomas Hobbes, Jonathan Swift, Evelyn Waugh, and Peter Pears.
The official Hertford College of Oxford : https://www.hertford.ox.ac.uk/
The Keble College is a college of the University of Oxford, founded in 1870 by Edward Pusey (an English clergyman and Anglican polemicist. An eminent professor of Hebrew at Christ Church, Oxford, he was one of the early promoters of what would become the ‘Oxford Movement’) in honor of John Keble (a British clergyman, poet, and theologian, a major figure in the Oxford Movement) (who sought to reconcile Anglican theology with Catholicism). The college is located on Parks Road, near the University Museum and the university parks. Keble is now one of the largest colleges in Oxford. In a small chapel within the college church is kept a painting by Holman Hunt, called “The Light of the World”.
The official Keble college of Oxford : https://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/
The Trinity College with a full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Thomas Pope is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford; it is located on Broad Street. It is surrounded by a railing, rather than a wall, giving the college a more open and accessible appearance than many others in Oxford. The college occupies a spacious site, consisting of four main courtyards, and is particularly known for its large and attractive gardens, which include a small wooded area. Despite its size, Trinity College is relatively small in relation to the number of students. The buildings of Trinity College also have many notable features. At the top of the West Tower rest four statues of women, representing astronomy, geometry, medicine, and theology. The chapel, relatively modest in size compared to others in Oxford, was the first college chapel to be designed entirely in the Neoclassical style. The renowned architect Sir Christopher Wren is said to have assisted in its design. The site where Trinity College now stands was formerly Durham College. This college was founded in 1286, around the same time as the oldest Oxford colleges still standing today. The only surviving building of Durham College is on the east side of the courtyard and houses the old library, which dates from 1421. Trinity College was founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas Pope, following the destruction of Durham College, whose foundations are still those of Trinity.
The official Trinity College of Oxford : https://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/
The Wadham College is one of the colleges of Oxford University. It was founded in 1610 by Dorothy Wadham (née Petre) in memory of her husband, Nicholas Wadham. Among its early students were Robert Blake and John Wilmot. John Wilkins’ lectures were very popular, and his students, such as Christopher Wren, were instrumental in the creation of the Royal Society in 1662. Laurent Rooke also taught there. In 1669, the college acquired its clock, built by Joseph Knibb. Between1648-59, Wadham became a focus of scientific interest within Europe. The College became the regular meeting place for the nucleus of experimenters who, after 1660, became the Royal Society. This informal ‘Philosophical Club’ of astronomers, anatomists and chemists met at the Warden’s Lodgings as friends of Wilkins The College was founded for men only and it was not until 1974 that the statutes were altered to allow the admission of women as full members at all levels; Wadham was one of the first Oxford Colleges to make this change. The Holywell Music Room, Europe’s oldest custom built concert hall, built in 1748, for concerts, lectures and conferences Wadham’s architectural heritage spans a variety of building styles from the classical Oxford Gothic of the original buildings to the contemporary lines of the new Undergraduate Centre. Out of the approximately 500 Wadham men (past and present) who joined up during the First World War, 68 died. A war memorial bearing their names is located on the wall of the William Doo Undergraduate Center.
The official Wadham College of Oxford : https://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/
The Oxford Martin School was founded in 2005. It was made possible through the vision and generosity of Dr James Martin , who established the school with the largest benefaction made to Oxford in its history. The School invests in research tackling “the most pressing global challenges and opportunities of the 21st century”. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach to issues such as climate change, migration, and the future of humanity , The Oxford Martin School is a research and policy unit at the Social Sciences Division of the University of Oxford. The school is located in the original building of the Indian Institute. It is named after its benefactor, James Martin, author of the books The Wired Society and The Meaning of the 21st Century.The flagship publication for the School’s research is Our World in Data, which is published jointly with the Global Change Data Lab. The publication’s mission ‘Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems’ is closely aligned with the School’s mission. The publication’s research team is based at the School. Our World in Data is the largest scientific open-access publication based at a university worldwide and widely used in policy institutions
The official Martin school of Oxford : https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/about
The official Oxford University : https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures
The City of Oxford on its heritage : https://www.oxford.gov.uk/visit-oxford
The Oxford University on sights of Oxford : https://www.ox.ac.uk/visitors/visiting-oxford
The Oxford tourist office on its heritage : https://www.experienceoxfordshire.org/
There you go folks , do dare drive in jolly England, it’s an adventure of a lifetime, and you will be back !!! as we have lol! Until another round chasing Sherlock we will be saying elementary my dear Watson to you all. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Unviersity of Oxford, colleges !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 