About Christ Church, Oxford
Founded in 1546, Christ Church College at the University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges of Oxford University. It is also one of the largest colleges with a vibrant and diverse academic community where over six hundred undergraduate and graduate students explore a wide range of subjects.
It is home to Christ Church Cathedral, which has its own world-famous choir – the Christ Church Cathedral Choir. It is unique among Oxford colleges in that the cathedral is both the college chapel as well as the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford.
Also uniquely among Oxford colleges, Christ Church has an important collection of Old Master paintings and drawings housed in the purpose-built Picture Gallery. Other facilities include the Art Room and the Music Room.
All the college’s gardens and Christ Church Meadow lie within the Grade 1 landscape included in the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.
Like the other colleges, Christ Church is an independent charity, but it also forms part of the University of Oxford. Undergraduate teaching takes place partly in college (in tutorials) and in university lecture rooms or laboratories.
The college boasts an illustrious list of alumni that includes 13 British Prime Ministers and 17 Archbishops. It is also famous for its connection with two fictional figures – Alice in Wonderland, the creation of the 19th-century mathematics tutor Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), and Harry Potter (the film version of Hogwarts was partly based on Christ Church Hall).
Located an easy walk of no more than a few minutes from Oxford city centre, the college comprises an unquestionably grandiose set of buildings worthy of a tour and offers a range of visiting experiences. Look out for the college’s spectacular dining room, the Great Hall, full of long tables, the grand portraits of past scholars, and the hammerbeam roof which dates back to 1529.
