In front of St Mary's church lies Radcliffe square.
Proposals began to emerge in the early 1700's for a forum at the heart of the university.
But it took until 1749 for this wonderful arrangement of buildings to be created.
The architecture spans almost 500 years from the tower of St Mary's church to completion of the Radliffe camera (right).
The key elements are:
It was Hawksmoor who originally suggested a circular building in the form of a mausoleum. James Gibbs proposed a more practical rectangular building.
Various sites were considered and rejected before the present location was chosen.
By the time the land had been purchased Radcliffe had been dead for 30 years, and Hawksmoor had died. Radcliffe's trustees chose Gibbs as the architect, and persuaded him to adapt Hawksmoors design.
The result, in my humble opinion is the finest building in Oxford.
The interiour is reported to be equally fine, but unfortunately, is not open to the public.
Saint Mary's church is rich in architectural and historical interest, and worth taking time to explore.
This is the parish church of Oxford, and was used for university ceremonies and for meetings of the university ruling body (the convocation), from the thirteenth century until the Sheldonian theatre was opened in 1669.
The tower of St Mary's church provides one of the finest rooftop views of Oxford.
Coffee is available in the Convocation hall.
All Souls was founded in 1438, and is the only Oxford college which does not admit undergraduates.
"Front Quad", the range of buildings near the high street, was built in 1438. "North Quad", more visible from outside the college, was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in highly romanticised, mock gothic style, and built between 1716 and 1733. Hawksmoor was clerk to Wren, and assistant to Vanburgh at Blenheim Palace.
The sundial on the north wall of north quad was originally built for the front quad in 1658.
Since Christopher Wren was bursar at the time it is thought that he was responsible for its design.
Brasenose is named after a bronze sanctuary knocker, which was originally attached to the college gate.
It was stolen by dons and students in 1333 and taken to Stamford, in Lincolnshire, where they intended to form another university.
In 1890 it was rediscovered.
To recover the knocker the college had to buy the building, to which it was attached.
The knocker was returned to Oxford, where it is hung behind the high table.
| "Brasenose is famous for being the only university college named after a nose" |
| Tour Guide overheard |
The old quad is Tudor, though the top floor was added later.
There is a fine sundial on the west side.
To east, the dining hall contains the original "Brazen nose".
Reached from the north, this quadrangle contained the lecture rooms of the university. We begin with the Divinity School.
The Divinity School itself is reached through the door on the west side of the quadrangle. It was begun first, around 1430, and the quadrangle added much later. Building of the divinity school was plagued by lack of funds, until 1478 when Thoms Kemp, Bishop of London gave 1000 marks on a promise of everlasting fame. The building was finally completed in 1488. The vault of the divinty school is one of the great achievements of medieval architecture, and not to be missed.
Above the divinty school is Duke Humphrey's library, which formed the basis of today's Bodleian.
In 1613 work began on replacing lecture rooms for other subjects, in the form of the schools quadrangle.
Each discipline had a single room, and the doors are still marked with the subject. On the ground floor: Moral Philosophy, Grammar & History, Metaphysics, Logic, Music, Natural Philosophy. On the first floor: Law, Greek, Arithmetic & Geomotry, Astronomy, Rhetoric, Anatomy & Medicine.
Finally, a third floor was eadded to store books from the Bodleian.
On the east side, the tower (which was used to house university funds) is faced with the five classical orders of column: (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite) and a statue of King James presenting his collected writings to a lady representing the university while the trumpet of fame is blown.
To the right, crossing New College Lane is a stone bridge connecting two buildings of Hertford college.
This was built in 1913, and is known universally as the bridge of sighs.
As we pass the junction with New College Lane we are crossing the original line of the city walls, and moving "outside" the walled town, for the first time.
We are now at the corner of Broad street, where we turn left.
This junction is one of four points where this walk intersects with the
second,
and the only point where it intersects with the
third.
It is the starting point for the description of both of the other walks.
 |
||||||
|
|
|
||||