Brewer Street is a historic narrow street 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, south of Carfax. The street runs east–west, connecting with St Aldate's to the east and

St Ebbe's Street St Ebbes is a district of central Oxford, England, southwest of Carfax, Oxford, Carfax. St Ebbes Street runs south from the western end of Queen Street, Oxford, Queen Street. __TOC__ Overview The area takes its name from the parish church ...

to the west.

History

Originally, the area was occupied by butchers and slaughters, giving it the name Sleyng Lane (in 1478). The lane became known as Sleyne Lane (in 1690), Slaying Lane (in 1811), Slaughter Lane (in 1840). In 1772, it became Brewer Street and Lane. In 1932, the street was marked with a sign of "Brewers Street" at the St Aldate's end and "Brewer Street" at the St Ebbe's end. The latter was adopted on 14 January 1932. The current street name derives from a

brewhouse A brewhouse is a building made for brewing beer and ale. This could be a part of a specialized brewery operation, but historically a brewhouse is a private building only meant for domestic production. Larger households, such as noble estates, o ...

in the location, dating from the 17th century.

Institutions

Campion Hall, a

permanent private hall A permanent private hall (PPH) in the University of Oxford is an educational institution within the university. There are five permanent private halls at Oxford, four of which admit undergraduates. They were founded by different Christian denomina ...

of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, is on the south side. The hall is run by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. It is the only building in Oxford designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was opened in 1936. The building was Grade II* listed in 2000. Rose Place is further to the south.

Christ Church Cathedral School Christ Church Cathedral School is an independent preparatory school for boys in Oxford, England. It is one of three choral foundation schools in the city and educates choristers of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Chapels of Worcester College ...

, associated with Christ Church Cathedral and

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

close to the school on the other side of St Aldate's, is located at 3 Brewer Street. The school educates the

chorister A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

s for the cathedral and college. The house of Cardinal Wolsey, the founder of the college, is still used for teaching. Pembroke College, a college of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, is on the north side of the street, with its main entrance in Pembroke Square. Part of the

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

is preserved in the exterior wall of Pembroke College on Brewer Street. Other parts can be found in the gardens of New College and Merton College. In 2010, Pembroke College began a major new development south of the main site, to which it is linked by a bridge over Brewer Street. The new buildings were expected to be completed in 2012.

Famous people

The author

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...

(1893–1957) was born at 1 Brewer Street on 13 June 1893. The house is marked with a blue plaque.

Gallery

File:Campion Hall.jpg, View of Campion Hall, including the chapel, on the south side of Brewer Street. File:Campion Hall door.jpg, Doorway of Campion Hall on Brewer Street. File:Christ Church Cathedral School - geograph.org.uk - 792607.jpg,

at 3 Brewer Street.

References

{{coord, 51.7497, -1.2582, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title 1772 establishments in England Streets in Oxford Pembroke College, Oxford Campion Hall, Oxford