The Collegiate System (Part II)
- December 16, 2002
- Rated 3 of 5 by
meadowlark from Boston, Massachusetts
For the less adventurous, an alternative to random wandering through college is to pay £5 for a guided walking tour. There are several guides leaving from in front of Trinity as well as from the tourist office in Gloucester Green (near the bus station). These are general good but take you to a lot of random, less interesting bit--ie big time suck. For those tired of walking, the bus tours are a good option £8-£11 and you can jump on and off all day, a seat on the top of the double-decker buses will allow you to actually look over the wall into some of the colleges. Not recommended on rainy days since sitting up top is uncomfortable and down on the bottom you can't see anything.
From journal Only in Oxford
Editor Pick
The Collegiate System (Part I)
- December 16, 2002
- Rated 4 of 5 by
meadowlark from Boston, Massachusetts
"Where is Oxford University?" you might ask upon arriving. The answer is all around, mixed among shops, pubs, and churches. There are 39 colleges, 60+ departments, and many associated groups as well. The colleges are independent in both the way they govern and finance their college. Colleges provide housing, food, and tuition (in Britain this means "teaching") in the form of tutorials with 1 or more students and a fellow (teaching member of the college) for their students.
Tourists will be most interested in visiting the older colleges for their pre-19th century architecture and famous members. Most colleges admit visitors during the morning and afternoon and charge a nominal fee of £1-2 per person. Since during medieval times, the colleges provided not only housing but protection they are surrounded by big stone walls. Look for the large wooden doors at most colleges, which will lead you to the lodge. The lodge is the information hub of the college where students get their mail and knowledgable porters will take your money and give you instructions. It is recommended that you look for them immediately since if you just try to wander in, they can get very irritated and deny you entry to the rest of the college.
Inside most of the older colleges is a maze of several quads. Quads (coming from the word quadrangle, we think) refer to the patches of carefully manicured grass surrounded by the various college buildings. Whatever you do, do not walk on the grass. The highlights of most colleges are their chapel, dining hall, library, and gardens. Try to avoid meal times if you would like to see the halls. Also most colleges have a regular schedule of church services (some have evensong every night); these are free and are a great way to see the chapel and, if you are lucky, here an excellent choir. Most services last only 45-60 minutes and are traditional Anglican services.
Notable colleges for generally wandering through the quads are Magdalen, New, St. John's, and Christchurch although taking in a few smaller colleges such as Lincoln or Exeterwill provide nice surprises. All Soul's is difficult to get in but worth a look from the gates on Catte Street or the top of the University Church tower. The most impressive chapels (in size) are Christchurch cathedral, Keble, New, and Merton while my favorite evensong service during term time is at Lincoln. New, Magdalen, and Christchurch all have boys choirs that sing almost daily; New is undoubtedly the best and has the potential to bring one to tears with their high clear voices. By far the best gardens are at Trinity, Worcester (which has a big pond!) and St. John's. The dining halls are best at Balliol (my personal favorite), Christchurch (very large), and Lincoln (a very cozy one). The library at St. John's has many rare texts, beautiful ceilings & shelves, and even a cannonball that was once shot at the college when it was under seige.
From journal Only in Oxford