Central · Founded 1249
University College
A quintessential High Street college whose big draw is the striking Shelley Memorial, alongside a run of famous names from science, literature and politics.
Official site ↗Founded 1249. Traces its foundation to a 1249 bequest by William of Durham and is one of the colleges claiming to be Oxford's oldest, wrapped in a later legend of a founding by King Alfred.
A largely 17th-century frontage of two Gothic quadrangles along the High Street, with the domed Shelley Memorial chamber housing a white marble monument to the drowned poet.
Don’t miss
- Shelley Memorial marble monument in its domed chamber
- Twin Gothic quadrangles on the High Street
- 17th-century chapel with painted glass
- Long claim to being Oxford's oldest college
Notable names
Percy Bysshe Shelley (poet, expelled) · Stephen Hawking (physicist) · Bill Clinton (US President, Rhodes Scholar) · Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson (Prime Ministers)
Visiting
A central High Street college with limited casual access; opening to view the quads and Shelley Memorial depends on the college's current policy and should be checked in advance.
Opening hours, admission and current access change often — check the official site before you go.