Radcliffe Square towards church of St Mary the Virgin

Radcliffe Square is a square in central

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is surrounded by historic

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

and college buildings. The square is cobbled, laid to grass surrounded by railings in the centre, and is pedestrianised except for access. The square is named after John Radcliffe, a student of the university who became doctor to the King, made a large fortune, and left a significant legacy to the University and his college (

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

), which is nearby in the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

to the south. The centrepiece of the square is the circular and imposing

Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially known as the "Rad Cam" or "The Camera"; from Latin , meaning 'room') is a building of the University of Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–49 to house the Radcli ...

, a library (originally for science) paid for by John Radcliffe's legacy, built 1737–48.Geoffrey Tyack,
Oxford: An architectural guide
'.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1998.
Page 166
This is part of the Bodleian Library, the main building of which is situated immediately to the north of the square. The two are connected by a tunnel and there are many books stored under the square (with space for around 600,000 volumes). These books may be requested by readers. There used to be a small underground railway to transport books between the Radcliffe Camera and the main Bodleian site. To the west is

Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...

, one of Oxford's older colleges. To the east is

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...

, which only has fellows and no students, and is thus largely dedicated to research. A good view can be had through the gate leading to the square, since although these are normally locked, they consist of metal railings. The eastern side of the square forms part of

Catte Street Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.Ca ...

. At the southern side of the square is the

University Church of St Mary the Virgin The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Oxford church situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclusively of u ...

, with its tall spire. This is the official church of Oxford University and is where the

Oxford Martyrs The Oxford Martyrs were Protestants tried for heresy in 1555 and burnt at the stake in Oxford, England, for their religious beliefs and teachings, during the Marian persecution in England. The three martyrs were the Church of England bish ...

were tried for heresy. A good view of Radcliffe Square and the rest of central Oxford is available from the tower, which is open to the public for a charge. The square is widely regarded as the most beautiful in Oxford, and is very popular with tourists. There are no modern buildings to be seen, so it is also used as a setting for period films (e.g., '' Young Sherlock Holmes'', in which Brasenose featured as Sherlock Holmes' college). The square was also part of the venue for the Brasenose Quincentenary Ball in 2009 which celebrated 500 years of the college.

Gallery

Image:Bodleian-library.jpg, The

in Radcliffe Square, with the spire of St Mary's, the University church, behind. Image:All Souls College Oxford 20040124.jpg, The ornamental railinged gate of All Souls College on Radcliffe Square. Image:The mid eastern side of radcliffe square.jpg, The mid eastern side of Radcliffe Square, towards

. Image:The south east corner of Radcliffe Square from above.jpg, The south east corner of Radcliffe Square, as viewed from St Mary's, with

at the top of the picture. Image:Encaenia 2009 Radcliffe square.jpg, Radcliffe Square on the day of

Encaenia Encaenia (; ) is an academic or sometimes ecclesiastical ceremony, usually performed at colleges or universities. It generally occurs some time near the annual ceremony for the general conferral of degrees to students. The word is from Latin, mean ...

, 2009.

References

External links

Views around Radcliffe Square

360° QuickTime view

View in Radcliffe Square
from
The Charm of Oxford
', 1920
360° Panorama showing Radcliffe Camera and University Church at dusk
{{coord, 51.753357, N, 1.253988, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Squares in Oxford Tourist attractions in Oxford All Souls College, Oxford Brasenose College, Oxford