Oxford's Colleges - Active England Tours

Educating the best and brightest for over 900 years

This internationally famous seat of learning is not only the most well known educational institution in the world, it is also the oldest and one of the most picturesque. Full of history, tradition and fascination – the colleges of Oxford are a highlight on our tours and a place that begs to be discovered.

THE COLLEGES

Unusually for Britain, it is not actually one single university. It is a collegiate system made up of 38 colleges and private halls, educating around 15,000 students a year.

Each college is its own self-governing organisation. Typically each has its own dining hall, student lodgings, common room and library. And most importantly their own unique set of traditions, as well as an obligatory coat of arms.

An average Oxford college has around 500 students, the largest college is Saint Catherine’s with 799 and the smallest is All Souls’ with just 8 postgraduate students.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Its origins can be traced back as far as 1096, although there is no official opening date. The first colleges began to be built during the 13th century.

It was six centuries later that women began to attend: in 1878 the first women were finally permitted to study at Oxford. However, this was only for shorter courses, they weren’t awarded degrees until 1920.

Over the years the respect and status of Oxford University as a place of educational excellence has grown, and it has become synonymous with those of superior intellect.

FOLKLORE

There is another version of how the Oxford University began. Legend has it that there was once a king who wanted to marry a beautiful, yet deeply religious princess called Frideswide. The princess ran to Oxford in hopes of finding protection from the king’s intentions in a nunnery. But the king followed, only to become suddenly blind. After listening to Frideswide he agreed to free her, his blindness was cured and she went on to set up a nunnery that would later become Christ Church Cathedral.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS

Dating back to the 16th century, Christ Church is possibly Oxford’s most famous college, and also the home to Oxford’s fabulous Cathedral and Christ Church Meadow. You’ll also find Tom Tower there, and its bell which tolls 101 times every night.

Lady Margaret Hall is quite a bit newer than some of the other colleges, founded in 1878. It is located on the edge of the city centre, near the lush University Parks. Sitting prettily on the banks of the River Cherwell, it was this college that made it possible for women to study at Oxford for the first time.

Magdalen (“Maud-lin”) was founded in 1458, its chapel and ancient cloisters make it a really fascinating place to explore. It has its own deer park and sits opposite the university’s famous Botanical Gardens.

STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE POND

So many of America’s brightest have spent some period of time at Oxford. Here are a few of the USA’s great minds that have passed through.

Edwin Hubble received his Master’s Degree at Oxford. This world-famous American astronomer would later discover the Milky Way, develop a theory on the expansion of the universe and have a telescope named after him. He was also the first Rhodes scholar.

The Massachusetts-born writer Dr Seuss, the creator of amazing children’s classics such as the Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, started an MA in English Literature but never finished.

Another, very well known Rhodes scholar was Bill Clinton. The man who would become President of the USA in 1992 studied at Oxford in 1968.

Many other extremely influential figures spent time at Oxford. These include Susan Rice – the US Ambassador to the United Nations, political leader George Stephanopoulos, as well as Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and David Souter US.

More recently, Rachel Maddow, host of her own hit show, was a Rhodes scholar. She received her decorate in Political Science in 2001.

ON THE BIG SCREEN

The colleges of Oxford aren’t only famous for their brains, they’re also well renowned for their good looks, so much so that they often feature in TV and film.

All of the Harry Potter films feature Harry’s place of learning – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And the amazing dining room and its impressive staircase were both based upon the dining room at Christ Church, Oxford.

With much of Oxford’s architecture protected, it retains many original features. Screenplays based around the gorgeous city include Brideshead Revisited, Shadowlands, Howard’s End, Young Sherlock Holmes, Quills and An Education.

Strangely Oxford has even been used as the location for a few action movies. Famous adventures filmed in Oxford include The Italian Job, A Fish Called Wanda, The Bourne Ultimatum, Tomorrow Never Dies and even X-Men: First Class!

The colleges of Oxford are so rich in heritage that listing all its fascinating facts and regaling its hidden tales could almost become an academic subject in its own right. Many of the world’s most famous minds have passed through its doors, including prime ministers, presidents, authors and scientists. Inspirational, beautiful and totally unique, it is hardly surprising that for many it is a stepping-stone to greatness.

All the Active England walking and bike tours start and end in Oxford, and you will have lots of time exploring this historical city.

Oxford’s Colleges

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