Oxford Photo Gallery - Christ Church

Founded in 1525 as Cardinal College, Christ Church charges an expensive admission that you can pre-book online in advance. Perhaps because they are used to seeing lots of visitors, it is very structured upon arrival to register for your self-guided tour and to head inside. The journey begins at the Meadow Gate on the Broad Walk. On the other side is the Tom Quad, which is framed by the 17th century Tom Tower, whose bell, Great Tom, has been heard across Oxford since 1684 to signal curfew time for students to return to college. The 101 himes are rung at 9:05pm, which is Oxford time for 9pm that was retained even after GMT was adopted in 1852. The first major interior space to visit is the Bodley Tower, where I climbed up the staircase to reach the Great Hall. Built in the early 19th century, the fanned ceiling design is actually far older, having been installed before the 17th century civil war. The Great Hall was completed in the 1520s and was the larest hall in Oxford until the 1870s. The portraits on the walls show famous members of the college, and they have a fairly distinguished group of alumni, including 13 British Prime Ministers. This hall was featured in the Harry Potter films as Hogwarts' dining hall. Built in the beginning of the 18th century for undergraduates, the Peckwater Quad showcases the Palladian style. The cathedral dates from the end of the 12th century, when it was a priory church. The college sits on the site of a former monastery. Sir George Gilbert Scott redesigned the interior in the 19th century. Yes, admission is expensive, but there was plenty to see to make that investment worthwhile.