Radcliffe Square towards church of St Mary the Virgin

Radcliffe Square is a square in central

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It is surrounded by historic

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

and college buildings. The square is cobbled, laid to grass surrounded by railings in the centre, and is pedestrianised except for access. The square is named after John Radcliffe, a student of the university who became doctor to the King, made a large fortune, and left a significant legacy to the University and his college (

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...

), which is nearby in the High Street to the south. The centrepiece of the square is the circular and imposing

Radcliffe Camera The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially known as the "Rad Cam" or "The Camera"; from Latin , meaning 'room') is a building of the University of Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in a Baroque style and built in 1737–49 to house the Radclif ...

, a library (originally for science) paid for by John Radcliffe's legacy, built 1737–48.Geoffrey Tyack,
Oxford: An architectural guide
'.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1998.
Page 166
This is part of the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

, the main building of which is situated immediately to the north of the square. The two are connected by a tunnel and there are many books stored under the square (with space for around 600,000 volumes). These books may be requested by readers. There used to be a small underground railway to transport books between the Radcliffe Camera and the main Bodleian site. To the west is Brasenose College, one of Oxford's older colleges. To the east is

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full me ...

, which only has fellows and no students, and is thus largely dedicated to research. A good view can be had through the gate leading to the square, since although these are normally locked, they consist of metal railings. The eastern side of the square forms part of Catte Street. At the southern side of the square is the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, with its tall spire. This is the official church of Oxford University and is where the Oxford Martyrs were tried for heresy. A good view of Radcliffe Square and the rest of central Oxford is available from the tower, which is open to the public for a charge. The square is widely regarded as the most beautiful in Oxford, and is very popular with tourists. There are no modern buildings to be seen, so it is also used as a setting for period films (e.g., ''

Young Sherlock Holmes ''Young Sherlock Holmes'' (also known with the title card name of ''Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear'') is a 1985 American mystery adventure film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus, based on the characters ...

'', in which Brasenose featured as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

' college).

2024 University of Oxford pro-Palestinian campus occupations - Radcliffe Camera July

The square was also part of the venue for the Brasenose Quincentenary Ball in 2009 which celebrated 500 years of the college. In 2024 Radcliffe Square became the site of a second Palestinian solidarity encampment during the 2024 University of Oxford pro-Palestinian campus occupations.

Gallery

Image:Bodleian-library.jpg, The

in Radcliffe Square, with the spire of St Mary's, the University church, behind. Image:All Souls College Oxford 20040124.jpg, The ornamental railinged gate of All Souls College on Radcliffe Square. Image:The mid eastern side of radcliffe square.jpg, The mid eastern side of Radcliffe Square, towards

. Image:The south east corner of Radcliffe Square from above.jpg, The south east corner of Radcliffe Square, as viewed from St Mary's, with

at the top of the picture. Image:Encaenia 2009 Radcliffe square.jpg, Radcliffe Square on the day of Encaenia, 2009.

References

External links

Views around Radcliffe Square

360° QuickTime view

View in Radcliffe Square
from
The Charm of Oxford
', 1920
360° Panorama showing Radcliffe Camera and University Church at dusk
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