# University College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide

> A quintessential High Street college whose big draw is the striking Shelley Memorial, alongside a run of famous names from science, literature and politics.…

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- Structured JSON: https://above.guide/oxford/ai/pages/colleges/university-college.json
- 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 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](<https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/>)

Founded  1249

Where  Central

Access  Open to Public (Ticketed)

Type  College

The college

### A closer
*look.*

High Street, central Oxford

**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.

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

Explore around University College

 The map will load when you reach it.

51.7525°N, 1.2522°W [Get directions](<https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=51.7525,-1.2522>)

On the same walk

### Closest to
*this one.*

[1 min walk **The Queen's College** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/the-queens-college>)[2 min walk **Oriel College** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/oriel-college>)[2 min walk **St Edmund Hall** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/st-edmund-hall>)[2 min walk **All Souls College** Central](<https://above.guide/oxford/colleges/all-souls>)

On a visit

### Don’t *miss.*

1. 01  Shelley Memorial marble monument in its domed chamber
2. 02  Twin Gothic quadrangles on the High Street
3. 03  17th-century chapel with painted glass
4. 04  Long claim to being Oxford's oldest college

Connected to

### Notable
*names.*

- Percy Bysshe Shelley (poet, expelled)
- Stephen Hawking (physicist)
- Bill Clinton (US President, Rhodes Scholar)
- Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson (Prime Ministers)

Before you go

#### Visiting University College

Open to Public (Ticketed). Published visitor access: Daily 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00; closed for events. Admission: Adults £5; concessions £3; free to current Bodleian Card holders, Univ alumni, prospective students and children under 8. College events, services and exams can still close areas at short notice.

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

Founded

1249

Area

High Street, central Oxford

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 univ.ox.ac.uk ↗](<https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/>)
- [Reference identity en.wikipedia.org ↗](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_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)