Christ Church College, Oxford

Christ Church is the largest of the Oxford University colleges. It grandeur owes much to the pride of one man, its founder, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey was himself a former member of Magdalene College. He became Master of Magdalene in 1500, but that was merely a brief stopover on his meteoric rise to power as chief advisor and chaplain to Henry VIII.

In 1525 Wolsey, also founder of Hampton Court Palace, acquired the Augustinian priory on the site of St. Frideswide's Abbey. Wolsey cleared away much of the housing and other buildings around the courtyard of the monastery, he left the enormous monastery church, the cloister, refectory, Chapter House and Priory, and used them as part of the complex of new buildings around the great Quadrangle (now known as Tom Quad). By the time of Wolsey's death in 1529 the college was still incomplete - not surprising considering the scope of Wolsey's project.

The college was originally called Cardinal College, but after Wolsey's death Henry VIII took over the college and it was renamed Henry VIII's College. In 1545 the dean of the college "gave" the college and all its possessions to the King. On the same day the Bishop of Oxford also "gave" the see of Osney to the crown. Henry then combined the see and the college in a unique establishment called Christ Church. The church of St. Frideswide in one stroke became the chapel of Christ Church and the Cathedral of Oxford.

Oxford boasts one of the world's greatest and oldest universities. The grandest of all the colleges is Christ Church, home to Oxford's cathedral and university's quad. You can go and see the great dining hall, which was used as inspiration for the Hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. The college has also recently been used for the filming of the new Philip Pulman film (to be called by the US title 'The Golden Compass'), starring Nichole Kidman, and a remake of Brideshead Revisited

For further information about Christ Church College Oxford, please click here.

Copyright © Christ Church, Oxford 2008