The Eastgate Hotel (built 1899-1900) is where C.S. Lewis met Joy Gresham.
To our right are the gates and the astonishing east front of the Examination Schools building.
Built in 1882, on the site of the old Angel Inn, it was designed by Thomas Graham Jackson in his idiosyncratic "Neo Jacobean" style.
In 1850 the university introduced a new system of written examinations to replace the oral examinations which had become discredited. The Examination Schools were built to accommodate the examinations, as well as to provide additional space for lectures, which could no longer be accomomdated by the old schools building.
The building is lavishly decorated, cost three times the original budget, but launched Jackson's career.
He went on to design the Cricket pavilion in University Parks, did work in the same block on the Ruskin School of Drawing, and for the Oxford local Examinations Delegacy, worked on Lincoln College, Corpus Christi, Trinity, and Brasenose, and Oxford High School (now the university Social Studies Dept in George Street)
Merton street contains a number of attractive houses.
Beam Hall, opposite Merton Chapel is a 15th century Academic Hall, arranged on two stories, and constructed in stone with a large hall along the front, and service rooms at the back.
Founded 1264 by Walter de Merton to "make some return in honour of God's name for the abundance of his bounty towards me"
Merton has the best claim to be the earliest Oxford college, and it pre-dates any established idea of how a university college woould work. As a result the layout of the college developed organically. Front quad formed when the hall was built behind existing houses in 1266. Mob Quad was built in two stages: the treasury in the North East corner in 1288-91, and the South West ranges in 1373-8. It is Oxford's oldest quadrangle. Fellows quad was added in 1608.
The library is one of the oldest in England - and contains chained books.
Still on the left, beyond Merton, is Corpus Christi - one of Oxford's smallest colleges.
It was founded in 1512 by Bishop Fox of Winchester.
The earliest buildings at Corpus Christi college have hardly changed since they were originally built in 1517. The Fellows building was added in 1706-12.
Even if the college is not open to visitors, its worth peering through the gate for a sight of what must be the world's most complex sundial, stood in the middle of the quad. It dates from 1581, and is capped by a Pelican, the symbol of the college, and of its founder.
Apparently Corpus Christi has always had a reputation as being somewhat radical. It might say something of the nature of Oxford that this reputation is supposed to derive either from Archbishop Fox encouraging the study of Greek texts in the 16th century, or from from being the first college to allow women to dine as guests in 1963.
At the end of Merton Street we enter Oriel Square.
Ahead of us is the gateway to Christchurch college.
This entrance is not accessible to visitors, who need to walk round to the southern entrance.
Christchurch college is described in our third walk.
To the right is Oriel college.
The college is names after one of the original houses which contained an Oriel window. Its full name is "The provost and scholars of the house of the Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford, commonly called Oriel college, of the foundation of Edward the second of famous memory sometimes King of England"
"Oriel college" will do!
The original medieval buildings were swept away and replaced in 1620-2 (west and south ranges) and 1637-42 (north and east ranges).
Oriel was the last college to admit women (in 1984) and is best known today for its prowess in sports.
The high point of its intellectual reputation was in the 19th century when Dr Thomas Arnold, Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, and the founders of the Oxford movement (Keble, Newman and Pusey) were fellows.
A J P Taylor, gained a first here. But the most famous Oriel product of Oriel must be Cecil Rhodes, who we will turn to next.
There two exits from Oriel Square to the North.
We are going to follow Oriel Street, the more attractive easterly one.
But first we briefly enter King Edward Street - a dismal parade of yellow brick houses to view a plaque to Cecil Rhodes, a major player in colonial Africa, and in Oxford.
Rhodes went to South Africa at the age of 17 to become a farmer. Instead he made a fortune in the diamond mines, and returned to Oriel college to take a degree. By the time he returned to Africa he controlled around 90% of the worlds diamond resources, and was one of the worlds richest men.
His dream was now to unify Africa under British Rule.
| "I contend we are the first race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race. ....... I will work for the furtherance of the British Empire, for the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for the making of the Anglo Saxon race but one Empire. What a dream! But yet it is probable, it is possible" |
However, he was increasingly hampered by ill-health, distrust of his personal power, financial difficulties, scandal, and failed military initiatives - particularly the notorious Jameson Raid on Transvaal.
He never achieved his dream of a railroad from Cairo to the Cape.
He died in 1902, at the age of 49, leaving a considerable proportion of his wealth to Oxford University.
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Whereas I consider that the education of young colonists at one of the universities of the United Kingdom is of great advantage to them for giving breadth to their views, for their instruction in life and manners, and for instilling into their mind the advantage to the colonies as well as to the United Kingdom for the retention of unity of the empire...
And whereas I also desire to encourage and foster an appreciation of the advantages which I implicitly believe will result from the union of the english speaking peoples throughout the world... And whereas a good understanding between England Germany and the United States of America will secure the peace of the world... Now therefore I direct my trustees... to establish for male students the sholarships hereinafter directed to be established, each of which shall be of the yearly value of £300 [£200 for German Scholars] and shall be tenable at any college in the University of Oxford for three consecutive academical years Rhodes' will |
He funded re-building at Oriel college, which included a controversial statue of Rhodes above those of Kings Edward VII and George V.
And he also founded Rhodes Scholarships.
His intent was no less than to promote harmony among nations by producing an international ruling elite: under British influence, but drawn from the commonwealth and other leading nations, such as the United States and Germany.
Men were to be selected, not only on academic qualifications, but also for ability at sport, integrity, and for demonstrating qualities of leadership.
And to spice things up a bit, I offer three alternatives:
The first part of Turl Street, before it is cross by Market Lane and Brasenose Lane, contains variety of attractive little shops, and on the right, Lincoln college.
The second part contains two further colleges: Jesus on the left, and Exeter on the right.
Lincoln was founded 1427 by the bishop of Lincoln, Richard Fleming, who was known for his persecution of John Wyclif for unorthodoxy.
He established the college to "defend the mysteries of scripture against those ignorant laymen who profaned with swinish snouts it most holy pearls". He left the college the livings from three parishes, but died shortly after the foundation, leaving the college relatively poor, with the result that much of the 15th century building escaped improvement.
The Chapel quad (to the south) was added in 17th century.
Ironically, for a college founded to preserve orthodoxy, John Wesley was a fellow of Lincoln, and first founded the religious group known as the Holy club, or Methodists here.
More recent undergraduates include John Le Carre, Sir Osbert Lancaster, the cartoonist, and T.S. Geisel (Dr Seuss)
While at Oxford, Lawrence took a canoe down the Saxon underground waterway which flows from Hythe Bridge, near Worcester college, to the War Memorial garden near Christ Church college (walk 3)
It was an archeological dig in Syria during his final year that first introduced Lawrence to the arab world, and his role in the desert war. His book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was written under a two-year fellowship from All Souls.
Harold Wilson, the labour politician and prime minister was also educated at Jesus college, and lectured in economics at Oxford before becoming director of economics and statistics at the ministry of fuel and power, then MP for Ormskirk. He resigned in 1951, but on being re-elected as MP for Huyton, began his meteroic rise (youngest cabinet minister since Pitt) to become prime minister in 1964.
Exeter was founded in 1314 by Bishop of Exeter, which makes it the fourth oldest college.
Exeter doesn't seem to have been too troubled by academic or sporting prestige, but it does claim one of the more interesting lists of ex-students..
The buildings are mainly Victorian remodelling, but it is worth exploring for two reasons.
Firstly, the "Fellows garden", which rises in the far corner to an elevated walkway which provides fine views over Radcliffe Square, and Radcliffe camera.
And secondly, for George Gilbert Scott's chapel which was built 1854-60, loosely modelled on St Chappelle in Paris.
The chapel contains a tapestry (to the right of the Altar) which was designed by Burne Jones, and manufactured by William Morris, who met here as students.
From Exeter college we continue north up Turl street, then left into Broad street (which was described in the first walk).
I have tried to avoid covering the same ground twice in these walks, and this is just about the only place where I have failed. In mitigation, it is only a short stretch, and a fairly interesting one. This end of Broad Street is covered in the first walk, starting at Trinity College.
This time, at the end of Broad Street, we turn right, beside the overgrown churchyard of St Mary Magdalen.
The church dates from the 14th century, and was restored and extended by Gilbert Scott. It is a centre of Anglo Catholicism, and the interior is apparently highly embellished, but it is usually locked.
So into St Giles, a broad thoroughfare feeding traffic into Oxford from the North.
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