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 St Aldate's () is a street in central Oxford, England, named after Saint Aldate, but formerly known as Fish Street. The street runs south from the generally acknowledged centre of Oxford at Carfax. The Town Hall, which includes the Museum o ...

to the east and St Ebbe's Street 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 in the location, dating from the 17th century.

Institutions

Campion Hall Campion Hall is one of the five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is run by the Society of Jesus and named after Edmund Campion, a martyr and fellow of St John's College, Oxford. The hall is located on Brewer St ...

, a permanent private hall 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 Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...

and was opened in 1936. The building was

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 2000. Rose Place is further to the south. Christ Church Cathedral School, 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 offering ...

close to the school on the other side of St Aldate's, is located at 3 Brewer Street. The school educates the choristers for the cathedral and college. The house of

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

, 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 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 Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...

. 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 A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

Gallery

File:Campion Hall.jpg, View of

, 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, Christ Church Cathedral School 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