Architecture in Oxford, 2007
Oxford is called the city of dreaming spires, and I had forgotten how wonderful the architecture in this university town really is. As with many places, I think I did a few too too many trips here on overcast days with collge students in the 1990s. Replace that with freedom, sun and a camera, and the city can be a bit more fun. Speaking of students, I was reminded that this city's reputation for having preppy, intellectual-looking students riding bikes around and stopping into pubs is well-deserved - it really is the way you picture it.
The High Street, where our bus deposited us. It was something like 12 C with sunny skies - not typical February weather.
Another view of the High Street.
I thought it was funny that some of the gargoyles were recent enough to be geeky - another near this one was wearing glasses.
The distant dome of the Radcliffe Camera ...
... and some bikes alongside it.
The Radcliffe Camera was designed by James Gibbs in the mid-18th century to house a library It still houses some of the collections of
Oxford University's main academic library, the Bodleian Library.
One of my favorite architects, Nicholas Hawksmoor, was the person who proposed making the building round. I think this was a good idea.
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I didn't realize this before, but Gibbs also designed a couple famous London churches, St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square and St Mary-le-Strand on the Strand
(I often get the latter confused with St. Clement Dane).
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Andrea stands at the the Bridge of Sighs. It's part of Hertford College, was built in 1914, and is named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. It looks nothing like the Venetian bridge, however.
This is typical.
A rather large bust outside the Sheldonian Theatre. The Sheldonian Theatre is where commencemnet ceremonies happen. If I recall correctly a bit of the first Harry Potter film was
shot in part of the Sheldonian.
Another view.
Some buildings along Broad Street.
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We stopped into this pub, the Lamb and Flag on St Giles, and ended up walking across the street to the Eagle and Child for lunch. Both are nice, and both were frequented by
a group called the Inklings, which included C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein and C. Williams. They wrote a letter to the proprietor that is on the wall in the Eagle and Child.
Down the street is the oldest musem in England, the Ashmolean Museum.
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The Martyrs Memorial at St Giles, right near the museum, is a memorial to a few bishops who were the last people in Oxford to be burned at the stake.
A reflection of the Martyrs Memorial.
Christ Church College is one of the oldest and most famous colleges in Oxford. It has medieval bits and designed-by-Christopher-Wren bits, with a couple Harry Potter bits to round it off.
The entrance to Christ Church College ...
... except visitors enter through The Meadows, along the side of the college.
The fields near The Meadows.
This is the only college chapel that is also a cathedral, and supposedly the spire is the oldest in England.
This dining hall provided the inspiration for the one in the Harry Potter films.
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The hall leading to it was actually used in the films.
It should be recognizeable to anyone who has seen them.
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Me at Christ Church College's quadrangle.
The tower at the left was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
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Some details of the quadrangle.
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The chapel spire at Merton College.
The arrowhead pattern of the gates reminded me of jets, and look what flew by.
It doesn't look like much, but these are the gardens of Christ Church College, where Lewis Carroll created the story of Alice in Wonderland for Alice Liddell, the headmaster's daughter.
The twisted tree is the one in which the Cheshire Cat was sitting.
.jpg "Flower on wall near Merton College (modified)")
Again, not typical weather for early February.
After leaving Christ Church I paused to try to puzzle something out.
A street in Oxford.
The Bear pub was our last stop of the day. It claims to be the oldest pub in Oxford, but I am told that a few pubs make this claim. It might be accurate to say that it is the successor
to a very old inn of the same name that used to take up the area to the right of it.
