Christ Church, Oxford: A Legacy of Learning, Architecture, and Influence
Christ Church, formally titled "The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth," stands as a unique institution in the academic world. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, it is the only academic institution that also serves as a cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Oxford. As of 2022, the college had 661 students.
Historical Overview: From Wolsey's Vision to Royal Foundation
The story of Christ Church begins with Thomas Wolsey, a prominent figure in the early 16th century. In 1525, Wolsey, then at the height of his power, embarked on a plan to establish a new college called Cardinal College. He acquired land that had previously belonged to St Frideswide's Priory, using funds from the dissolution of other priories to finance his ambitious project. Construction commenced on the hall, laying the foundation stones for what was to become a grand institution.
However, Wolsey's fall from power in 1529 led to the suppression of Cardinal College in 1531. In 1532, King Henry VIII, to whom Wolsey's property had escheated, refounded it as King Henry VIII's College. The King's vision for the college evolved further in 1546, following his separation from the Roman Catholic Church and the acquisition of significant wealth. He re-established the college as Christ Church, solidifying its place in history.
Christ Church's sister college in the University of Cambridge is Trinity College, Cambridge, founded the same year by Henry VIII.
Architectural Marvels: A Blend of Styles and Influences
Christ Church boasts a collection of architecturally significant buildings that showcase a variety of styles and influences. The college's grounds contain a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower (designed by Sir Christopher Wren), Tom Quad (the largest quadrangle in Oxford), and the Great Dining Hall, which was the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War.
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Tom Quad and Tom Tower
Tom Quad, the largest quadrangle in Oxford, stands as a testament to the college's grandeur. The quad is the largest in Oxford, measuring 264 feet by 261, and it would have been cloistered were it not for Wolsey’s demise in 1530 - the pillars and arches on which the cloister would have rested are still visible on the outside of the buildings. Dominating the skyline is Tom Tower, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1680s. Christopher Wren was commissioned to design a clock tower to crown the St. Aldate’s gatehouse. Plans were approved in late spring of 1681, Christopher Kempster was appointed as builder and work were completed by Michaelmas of 1682.
Great Tom, the bell in the tower, is rung 101 times at 9 pm Oxford time (9:05 pm GMT/BST) every night, once for each of the 100 original scholars of the college, plus one more stroke added in 1664. In former times this was done at midnight, signalling the close of all college gates throughout Oxford. Since it took 20 minutes to ring the 101, the Christ Church gates, unlike those of other colleges, did not close until 12:20 am. When the ringing was moved back to 9:00 pm, Christ Church gates still remained open until 12.20, 20 minutes later than any other college.
The Great Dining Hall
The Great Dining Hall is another architectural highlight, renowned for its historical significance and aesthetic appeal. Completed alongside the kitchens in the 1520s, the Hall has been in almost constant use since the 16th century. Until the 1870s this was the largest Hall in Oxford. The walls are adorned with a number of portraits, each celebrating famous members of the college from WH Auden to Professor Judith Pallot. At the far end, the founder of Christ Church, Henry VIII, is portrayed. The table at the far end of the Hall is known as High Table and it is here that senior members of the college dine. Light enters the Hall through a series of stained glass windows celebrating Christ Church’s vibrant heritage.
Other Architectural Features
The New Library provides a striking contrast with the rest of the Peckwater area. The Library’s vast Corinthian columns offset the elegance of the Peckwater buildings. Peckwater is one of the earliest pure Palladian buildings in England, a style derived and inspired by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio and strongly based on the symmetry, perspective and values of the formal temple architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was built at the start of the 18th century to accommodate undergraduates, the function it retains today. The design of the building is by Henry Aldrich, Christ Church’s most ‘Renaissance’ Dean.
Built on the site of the medieval Canterbury College, after which the quad takes its name, the buildings here originally housed undergraduates at Christ Church. Today, rooms in Canterbury are mainly used by university tutors as the location for tutorials. Since the 1960s, Canterbury has also provided access to Christ Church Picture Gallery.
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Christ Church Cathedral: A Place of Worship and History
Christ Church is unique in that it houses Christ Church Cathedral, one of the smallest cathedrals in England, which also serves as the college chapel. The cathedral was originally the church of St Frideswide's Priory. The first church on the site of the cathedral was a nunnery and parish church which was burnt during the St Brice's Day massacre in 1002; it was re-founded as a priory of Augustinian canons by 1122. The priory was suppressed in 1524 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who intended to demolish the church in order to found a new college on the site.
In 1546, Henry VIII transferred to it the recently created See of Oxford from Osney. Most of the Cathedral was built at the end of the 12th century as the priory church for the Augustinian Canons who resided there. The church has undergone considerable alteration since then; most significantly, the interior was redesigned in the 19th century by the gothic revivalist architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott.
The Choir
There has been a choir at the cathedral since 1526, when John Taverner was the organist and also master of the choristers. The main choir, the Christ Church Cathedral Choir, as of 2024 is directed by Peter Holder. It consists of twelve adults (six professional "lay-clerks" and six student "academical clerks") and sixteen choristers (boys aged 7-13 from Christ Church Cathedral School). The choir was all male until 2019, when they welcomed alto Elizabeth Nurse as their first female clerk. They sing in university term time, at Christmas and Easter, and have an extensive touring and recording programme.
In May 2019, Frideswide Voices, a local group created to provide opportunities for girls to sing for the liturgy in the chapels of Magdalen College, New College, and Christ Church, were re-founded as a permanently endowed part of the Cathedral's choral foundation. The choristers are aged 7-14 and are drawn from schools around Oxford. They sing Evensong once a week with the clerks of the Cathedral Choir, and perform alongside the boys of the Cathedral choir in certain concerts and services.
Bells and Stained Glass
The cathedral has a ring of 12 bells hung for full circle ringing. As well as the bells used for ringing there are also two other bells. The litany bell of c.1410 is also historically important. The Bourdon bell is Great Tom. The Cathedral possesses a fine collection of stained glass, the oldest being the 14th-century Becket Window in the Lucy Chapel. It is one of very few images of Thomas Becket to survive the Reformation.
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Academic Life and Governance
The head of the college is the Dean of Christ Church. Christ Church is unique among Oxford colleges in that its Head of House, who is head of both college and cathedral, must be an Anglican cleric appointed by the Crown as dean of the cathedral church. The dean lives on site in a grand 16th-century house in the main quadrangle. The college's activities are managed by a senior and a junior censor (formally titled the Censor Moralis Philosophiae and the Censor Naturalis Philosophiae) the former of whom is responsible for academic matters, the latter for undergraduate discipline.
The governing body of Christ Church consists of the dean and chapter of the cathedral, together with the "Students of Christ Church", who are not junior members but rather the equivalent of the fellows of the other colleges. The governing body of Christ Church now has around 60 members.
Christ Church has one of the largest history groups in Oxford. We admit twelve new students each year - producing a lively, varied, interactive set. We have three specialist college tutors and so, together with the college lecturer, we can teach a large part of the syllabus in college, and offer close personal attention. We have an outstanding history collection in the college library, and funds to help with research projects and discovery trips.
Grounds and Environment
Christ Church sits in approximately 175 acres (71 hectares) of land. This includes the Christ Church Meadow (including Merton Field and Boathouse Island), which is open to the public all year round.
Although apparently ornamental, the pond and fountain at the centre of Tom Quad, now adorned by a statue of Mercury, was not designed as a decorative feature. Its first role was as a ready source of water in the event of a fire - and with good reason: in the mid-17th century, a disastrous fire near the cloisters had destroyed the house of a Canon. The statue at the centre of the reservoir has been through several incarnations.
Cultural Impact and Notable Associations
The college buildings and grounds are the setting for parts of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, as well as a small part of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. More recently it has been used in the filming of the movies of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and also the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel Northern Lights (the film bearing the title of the American edition of the book, The Golden Compass).
Distinctive features of the college's architecture have been used as models by a number of other academic institutions, including the NUI Galway, which reproduces Tom Quad. The University of Chicago, Cornell University, and Kneuterdijk Palace have reproductions of Christ Church's dining hall (in the forms of Hutchinson Hall, the dining hall of Risley Residential College, and the Gothic hall of Kneuterdijk Palace, respectively). ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand, after which the City of Christchurch is named, is itself named after Christ Church, Oxford.
Notable Alumni
Notable former students of the college have included politicians, scientists, philosophers, entertainers and academics. The college's alumni include 13 British prime ministers (the highest number of any Oxbridge college), as well as former prime ministers of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Thirteen British prime ministers have studied at the college including, Anthony Eden (Prime Minister 1955-1957), William Ewart Gladstone (1828-1831), Sir Robert Peel (1841-1846) and Archibald Primrose (1894-1895). Other former students include Charles Abbot (Speaker of the House of Commons 1802-1817), Frederick Curzon (Conservative Party statesman 1951-), Nicholas Lyell (Attorney General 1992-1997), Nigel Lawson (Chancellor of the Exchequer 1983-1989), Quintin Hogg (Lord Chancellor 1979-1987) and William Murray (Lord Chief Justice 1756-1788 and Chancellor of the Exchequer 1757). From outside the UK, politicians from Canada (Ted Jolliffe), Pakistan (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto), Sri Lanka (S. W. R. D.
Other notable alumni include King Edward VII, King William II of the Netherlands, William Penn, writers Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland) and W. H. Auden, philosopher John Locke, and scientist Robert Hooke. Two Nobel laureates, Martin Ryle and John Gurdon, studied at Christ Church. Albert Einstein is also associated with the college.
Visiting Christ Church
Christ Church welcomes visitors throughout the year. Visitors will need to book a ticket in advance via their online booking system. Tickets are released on a weekly basis. There are several options when you visit Christ Church College, Oxford.
Dining
Yes, visitors can enjoy meals in the Great Dining Hall where students usually dine during term time. There is also a cafe located in the Meadow Building offering light refreshments and stunning views over Christ Church Meadow.
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