Today started early with a quick breakfast at the cottage before driving to Oxford, where we parked on the outskirts of town and took a bus in. The city was already packed when we got there at nine in the morning, and it only got busier as the day went on. We started our tour by climbing the St. Mary’s Church tower, and the first thing you see after ascending 137 steps is the magnificent Radcliffe Camera. Closed to the public, it is the principal reading room for the university's undergraduates.
Across the street from the Camera is All Souls College, whose multiple spires epitomize everything that is Oxford. And while the general public can't enter the college, you certainly get a fabulous view from above.
Now that we had a better understanding of the university's splendour we toured the world-famous Bodleian Library. Pictured here is the Tower of the Five Orders, which stands above the main entrance to the library's quadrangle and displays the five classical orders of architecture (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite, if you care). Tourists aren't allowed very far into the working parts of the library, but the parts we did see were fabulous.
Our tour started in the Divinity School (seen here), the university's first examination school, and continued through Duke Humfrey's Library (used as the Hogwarts Library in Harry Potter), Convocation House, and Chancellor's Court, both of which are used for official functions.
After a very rushed lunch we lined up to tour Christ Church College, whose Dining Hall was used as a model for the Great Hall at Hogwarts (Julia is forcing these Harry Potter references upon me) and, I will admit, feels pretty magical.
The college's most recognizable building is the Tom Rower, pictured here across the giant Tom Quad (I thought it was almost too big). Off to one side of the quad is Christ Church Cathedral, the only cathedral in the world that is also a college chapel.
Not wanting to waste any time, we quickly walked to Exeter College, where we toured the chapel, quad, and even found my dad's old window. Then it was off to New College; founded in 1379, it's not really new at all. Personally I much preferred it to Christ Church as it felt more intimate and was blissfully quiet.
The highlight of the tour were the cloisters and the quadrangle they enclosed (yes, they were used in Harry Potter). I don't usually like working outside, but I would definitely read on these benches if I had the opportunity.
The last tour of the day was of Magdalen College, which I think was my favourite of the bunch (although it really is a win-win). As with the other tours, we visited the multiple quads, the Chapel, and the Hall.
What makes Magdalen different from the other colleges is that behind the main cluster of buildings is a huge lawn, the fantastic neo-classical New Building, and grounds which include a river and a deer park.
Western has a beautiful campus, but really, this is just not fair.
Completely exhausted, we headed back to the bus, peeking inside Baliol College, Trinity College, and Rhodes House along the way. Oxford is an amazing place - the architecture is glorious, the city is a true university town, and you can feel the university's history, reputation, and presence everywhere you go. I can't wait to go back, maybe even as a student of some sort! We shall see. By the time we got back to the car it was mid-evening, and after hopelessly driving around looking for dinner we returned to The Plough for another great meal.
Tomorrow, we have another busy day as we explore the many sights of Gloucestershire.
GWV
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