I finished my course, so today I am sharing pictures of Oriel Oxford, my college. I could have shared double the number of pictures, so there are things missing. The college is 698 years old, established in 1326, under Edward II. It is one of the smallest colleges by size, naturally for a college so close to the city centre. Oriel is between High Street and other colleges, so it couldn’t expand like others did.
This is the entrance to Oriel. The flag with the college’s coat of arms flies on top. Oriel has the 3 lions of England as its coat of arms.
The full name of the college is: The Provost and Scholars of the House of the Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford, commonly called Oriel College, of the Foundation of Edward the Second of famous memory, sometime King of England. I wrote it in Italics because it could have seem too long. As a student at Oriel I was an Orielensis, now, as an alumni, I am a Floreat.
Hall entrance is the one which is most photographed by tourists as it is visible when the door is open. It’s where we took our matriculation picture. This is the first quad. At Oriel, students are not allowed on the grass, unless there is a special occasion, so, about ~5 times per year.
Hall interior, set up for Formal in the picture above. The big portrait is of Edward II and on the opposite wall, seen in the picture below, is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth.
Painting of one of my tutors.
Besides the Hall is the Chapel.
This is the Chapel entrance.
The interior of the Chapel.
This is from a formal in the Senior Library. The Hall is under refurbishment this year, so in Hilary and Trinity we had Formal Halls in the Senior Library. Orielensis wear their gowns during Formal.
The view from the Senior Library, towards the second quad.
This is the third quad.
In this building is the Junior Common Room, used by undergraduates.
The library is big and lovely.
View from the library of the third quad.
Oriel has a tunnel between its main site and the Island site, these buildings. In here is the Middle Common Room, used by graduates.
This is the MCR, where most of events happen and where graduates spend their time socialising or learning.
Your college looks amazing! It is just how I would imagine it. The building is just beautiful and it is stunning inside! I love the library.
Congratulations on finishing your course. x
I loved seeing all this! It has a lovely, calming atmosphere about it. I guess I would have walked past it going from the train station to University College, which I did many times.
I looked on maps to see. Yes, from the train station to University college one needs to walk on High Street. Oriel is opposite of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, which belongs (or did in the past) to Oriel. The one near Radcliffe Camera, so you must have passed by Oriel many times.
The room in which I lodged overlooked the High Street with a view of the Radcliffe Camera.
Three cheers on finishing your course, Anca! The photos are beautiful — indeed, never having been inside one of the colleges, I had no idea what to expect. They are fabulous buildings, aren’t then? Lovely work, all.
They are fabulous, I agree, also very different. I’ve been to a few colleges and each of them has its own quirkiness.