Christ Church

Christ Church does everything on a scale that makes other colleges look like parish halls. Founded by Cardinal Wolsey and then refounded by Henry VIII, it is the world's only institution that serves simultaneously as a college and a cathedral. The dining hall inspired the Hogwarts set (though the films were shot at a replica in Leavesden), and visitors regularly gasp when they walk through the door. It is typically the first college visitors seek out. They're not wrong, but be prepared for crowds and a stiff admission charge.

Christ Church from the meadow — the classic south-side view across the grass. Photo: OxfordLocal.

What to look for

• Tom Quad and Tom Tower — The largest quadrangle in Oxford, dominated by Wren's Tom Tower. Great Tom, the bell inside, still rings 101 times at 9:05pm every evening, once for each original scholar. Stand in the centre of the quad after dark if you can; the acoustics are striking.
• The Hall — That staircase, those portraits, the hammerbeam roof. Yes, it looks like Hogwarts. But the real draw is the collection of paintings: Gainsborough, Reynolds, and a portrait of Lewis Carroll, long associated with the college.
• Christ Church Cathedral — England's smallest cathedral, tucked inside the college. The Burne-Jones stained glass is the highlight and routinely overlooked by visitors rushing through to the hall.

Royalist headquarters, 1642-46

For four years during the English Civil War, Christ Church was the seat of King Charles I. After the king lost London to Parliament in 1642 he made Oxford his capital, the deanery his palace, and the Great Hall the meeting place of the King's Oxford Parliament — the rival assembly he summoned in January 1644 to legitimise the Royalist cause. The Queen was lodged at Merton, the Privy Council met at Oriel, the French ambassador and the Palatine princes Rupert and Maurice stayed at St John's, the arsenal was at All Souls, the magazine at New College, and the Osney mills made gunpowder. Requisitioned college plate was melted down at New Inn Hall to mint the so-called Oxford Crowns.

The siege came in three stages. In May 1644 King Charles slipped out of the city by night with 2,500 musketeers, riding to Worcester before Parliamentarian commanders Essex and Waller could close the trap. The second siege was lifted in June 1645 — Fairfax was diverted to chase the king to Naseby — but on the evening of 29 May 1645 a "bullet of IX lb. weight" fired from Marston struck the north wall of the Great Hall. The mark is still pointed out. The third and final siege began in May 1646; by then the war was effectively over, and the city surrendered on honourable terms in late June. Charles had already left in disguise on 27 April, riding north to throw himself on the mercy of the Scots.

Visiting

Christ Church charges one of the highest admission fees in Oxford and enforces timed entry. Book online through the college website before you visit so you are not turned away at the gate. The meadow, accessed from the south side, is free and makes for a far better walk than most visitors realise. Follow the path along the Thames to the boathouses. Mornings are quieter; by early afternoon, the tour groups dominate.

Frequently asked questions

Is Christ Church the Harry Potter college?

The college's Great Hall is widely cited as the inspiration for the Hogwarts dining hall. The films themselves were shot on a full-scale replica built at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, not in the hall itself, but the staircase up to the hall did appear on screen. Christ Church is the college most visitors arrive in Oxford wanting to see for this reason.

Can you visit Christ Church?

Yes — Christ Church is open to paying visitors most days of the year, with timed entry booked in advance through the college's official website. Closures happen for college events and on parts of the cathedral schedule, so check before travelling. The meadow on the south side is free to enter and open daily.

Why does Christ Church have a cathedral inside it?

Christ Church is the only academic institution in the world that is simultaneously a college and a cathedral. The cathedral, one of the smallest in England, is the seat of the Bishop of Oxford as well as the college chapel — a dual status that dates from Henry VIII's 1546 refoundation.

What is Great Tom and when does it ring?

Great Tom is the bell that hangs inside Tom Tower over the main gate. It rings 101 times every evening at 9:05 pm GMT — once for each of the 100 original scholars of the college, plus one extra stroke added in 1664. The 9:05 timing is "9 pm Oxford time", which sits five minutes behind London.

Who designed Tom Tower?

Sir Christopher Wren — better known for St Paul's Cathedral — designed Tom Tower to crown the gatehouse of Wolsey's Great Quadrangle (Tom Quad). The bell in the tower, Great Tom, predates Wren's tower.

Did Lewis Carroll go to Christ Church?

Yes. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland under the pen name Lewis Carroll, was associated with Christ Church for most of his adult life. His portrait hangs in the Great Hall.