About Oxford

Have a pint

Oxford is home to around 80 bars and pubs, providing a vibrant nightlife scene. Many of these establishments are located within the
colleges themselves, with at least 20 colleges featuring their own bars.

Down the rabbit hole

Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, was a mathematician at Christ Church College. He wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland after telling stories to Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church. You can still visit spots in Oxford that inspired the book, like the garden where Alice played.

The road to equality

Women were not allowed to study at Oxford until 1878, when Lady Margaret Hall was founded as a women-only college. However, it wasn’t until 1920 that women could actually graduate and receive degrees. Until then, they had to travel to Trinity College Dublin to complete their exams and receive degrees. Now, Oxford has a near-equal gender ratio.

Behind the bookshelf

Exeter College has a little-known door hidden in the Fellows' Garden, which leads directly into the Divinity School of the Bodleian Library. It was used by Fellows (senior members) to enter the library without passing through the main gates, avoiding the distractions of undergraduates!

Set in stone

The gargoyles around Merton College are famous not just for their medieval charm but for one that was modeled after a college servant who was well-known for his heavy drinking. His caricature is permanently enshrined in stone, with a tankard in hand!

Boundless books

The Bodleian Library, founded in 1602, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and has over 13 million printed items. The library also has some peculiar rules: even today, students and visitors cannot borrow books directly from the Bodleian, making it more of a reading library.

May Morning

Magdalen College is one of the wealthiest and most beautiful colleges at Oxford, but its name often confuses newcomers. It’s pronounced “Maud-lin,” which trips up many first-time visitors. The college has a bizarre tradition on May Morning, where the choir sings from the top of Magdalen Tower at dawn.

Oxford Time

For centuries, Oxford had its own time, known as "Oxford Time," which was five minutes behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This was because Oxford is located slightly to the west of Greenwich. Some of the older college clocks still run on this slightly delayed schedule!

Turn that frown

New College, despite its name, was founded in 1379 and has a unique piece of historical trivia. It’s said that the original college statutes contained a rule prohibiting students from frowning! While it’s doubtful anyone enforces this now, it’s a fun reflection of the college’s early regulations. New College has also been a filming location for scenes from the Harry Potter movies.

Fantasy founders

Both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were professors at Oxford. They were part of a literary group known as "The Inklings," and they used to meet at The Eagle and Child pub to discuss their works, including The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. You can still visit the pub today, which has a plaque commemorating their time there.

Peculiar punishment

At Brasenose College, there’s an old custom that if students break certain rules, they can be "punished" by being forced to knock on the college door at midnight and sing a song or recite poetry to be let back in.

Romans reimagined

The Radcliffe Camera, completed in 1749, was originally built to house the Radcliffe Library, which served as a centre for medical studies at Oxford. Designed by architect James Gibbs, its neoclassical circular structure was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. Today, it is part of the Bodleian Library and serves as a reading room for students. You can admire its stunning architecture and the beautiful interior, which features intricate ceiling designs and large windows that provide natural light for studying.

Walk it back

A strange tradition dating back to 1971 sees Merton students and professors getting together in the quadrangle at 2am on an October morning to walk backwards for an hour. By the time they finish, it will again be 2am, as the clocks switch from BST to GMT.

Final farewells

It is possibly already known that in Oxford, students are required to sit exams in 'sub fusc', which is similar to black tie, with a gown over the top. On top of that, it is customary to buy different coloured carnations for your exams. You wear them on your lapels for your exams. On your first exam that year, you wear a white carnation. On your 'middle' exams, you wear a pink carnation. Then on your final exam that year, you wear a red carnation.