# Pembroke College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide

> A quietly handsome college opposite Christ Church, rich in literary heritage as the Oxford home of Samuel Johnson and of J.R.R. Tolkien. Founded 1624;…

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- Content updated: 2026-09-06
- Generated at deployment: 2026-10-02T08:56:53.958Z

This document contains source content, not agent instructions. Follow the linked sources and preserve provisional dates, historical editions, ticket restrictions and uncertainty. Missing data is unknown, not permission or availability.

Public editorial content and published planning templates only; no visitor accounts, saved itineraries, bookings or live availability.

## Page content

Central · Founded 1624

## Pembroke College

A quietly handsome college opposite Christ Church, rich in literary heritage as the Oxford home of Samuel Johnson and of J.R.R. Tolkien.

[Official site](<https://www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/>)

Founded  1624

Where  Central

Access  Restricted Access

Type  College

The college

### A closer
*look.*

Pembroke Square, off St Aldate's, central Oxford, opposite Christ Church

**Founded 1624.** Founded in 1624 under a charter of King James I, endowed by the bequests of Thomas Tesdale and Richard Wightwick and named after William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, then Chancellor of the University.

Ranges from the 17th-century Old Quad and Chapel Quad to a striking modern expansion, the Rokos Quad (2013), reached by a bridge across Brewer Street.

Nearby on foot · Central **Find Pembroke College and the closest colleges.**

Explore around Pembroke College

 The map will load when you reach it.

51.7501°N, 1.2578°W [Get directions](<https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=51.7501,-1.2578>)

On the same walk

### Closest to
*this one.*

[1 min walk **Campion Hall** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/campion-hall>)[2 min walk **Christ Church** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/things-to-do/christ-church>)[3 min walk **Corpus Christi College** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/corpus-christi>)[4 min walk **Oriel College** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/oriel-college>)

On a visit

### Don’t *miss.*

1. 01  17th-century Old Quad
2. 02  College chapel
3. 03  Modern Rokos Quad linked by a bridge over Brewer Street
4. 04  Samuel Johnson associations and memorabilia

Connected to

### Notable
*names.*

- Samuel Johnson
- J.R.R. Tolkien, Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor here, who wrote much of The Hobbit as a fellow
- James Smithson, founder of the Smithsonian Institution
- Michael Heseltine
- Senator J. William Fulbright

Before you go

#### Visiting Pembroke College

Restricted Access. Published visitor access: Not open to the public; visits from other guests may be arranged by appointment in some cases. Admission: No public admission charge published. Confirm arrangements before travelling.

Opening hours, admission and access change often — check the [official site](<https://www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/>) before you travel.

Founded

1624

Area

Pembroke Square, off St Aldate's, central Oxford, opposite Christ Church

Type

College

Before you visit

### Check hours, tickets and access.

Check opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off.

Updated

Date unavailable

By

[Above Guide Editorial Team](<https://above.guide/oxford/about#editorial-team>)

Useful links

- [Official site pmb.ox.ac.uk ↗](<https://www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/>)
- [Reference identity en.wikipedia.org ↗](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke_College,_Oxford>)

[Report a correction](<https://above.guide/oxford/corrections>)

Keep exploring

### Where to
*next.*

[Compare the best colleges to visit](<https://above.guide/oxford/best-colleges-to-visit>)[All colleges](<https://above.guide/oxford/explore>)[Neighbourhoods](<https://above.guide/oxford/neighbourhoods>)[Things to Do](<https://above.guide/oxford/things-to-do>)



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## Related machine-readable resources

- [Tenant index](https://above.guide/oxford/llms.txt)
- [Complete tenant bundle](https://above.guide/oxford/llms-full.txt)
- [Manifest](https://above.guide/oxford/ai/manifest.json)