Christ Church: Oxford’s Crown Jewel

The Meadow Building is Christ Church’s main entrance and was built for undergraduate students in the 19th century. Details of the structure—including pinnacles on the central tower and stone tracery in the windows—were inspired by Venetian Gothic architecture. Designed by famed Irish architect T.N. Deane, the Meadow Building’s Gothic architectural style was popularized in the Victorian period by John Ruskin, a Christ Church alumnus and England’s preeminent art critic and historian. Serg Zastavkin/Shutterstock

Founded in 1546, the historic complex of Christ Church—combining an Anglican cathedral and one of Oxford University’s colleges—is nothing short of unique. Lists of former students read like a who’s who of English cultural, intellectual, and political life. The buildings are among the most exemplary and influential of English academic architecture—inspiring writers, serving as a filming location, and becoming a model for schools across Europe, America, and Australia.

Parts of Christ Church date back to a 12th-century monastery, St. Frideswide’s Priory, whose chapel became the cathedral’s core. Originally, it was built in the Norman style, a type of Romanesque architecture that later developed into Gothic. The choir, transepts, nave, and main tower were originally constructed in the late Norman style. Intermediary stylistic developments can be seen throughout the building, including the decorated Gothic of the Latin Chapel.

Beginning in 1525, the monastery became the core around which Cardinal Thomas Wolsey began construction of Cardinal College. The project consisted of extensive renovations, incorporation of nearby structures, and new construction.

After a premature halt in 1529, completion of the complex was set in motion by King Henry VIII. In 1546, he founded Christ Church College and transformed the chapel into the cathedral of the new Diocese of Oxford. Over the following decades, the school that Wolsey planned was largely completed in the moderately classicized gothic style.

Other additions and renovations followed: From 1681 to 1682, the bell tower, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was constructed. The strictly Palladian style Peckwater Quadrangle was added in the early 18th century.

The last major renovations were made during the Victorian era’s Gothic Revival. These include Sir Thomas Deane’s Meadow Building and the cathedral renovation by John Billing and Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Decorated with paintings of former students and members, the Great Hall is among the most magnificent parts of Christ Church College’s Tom Quad. The school's founder, Henry VIII, is portrayed on the wall at the far end. The Great Hall’s vaulted ceiling, constructed by Humphrey Coke in the 16th century, is one of the finest examples of Renaissance carpentry. Stained glass windows allow plenty of filtered light to enter the Great Hall and celebrate Christ Church’s vibrant heritage. agsaz/Shutterstock

The Great Quadrangle—often called "Tom Quad"—is the largest quad in Oxford. In 1681, baroque architect Wren designed Great Tom, the bell in the belfry of Tom Tower, to harmonize with the rest of the Gothic architecture. Planned as a 16th-century cloister, the walkway's pillars and arches are still visible on the outside of the buildings. Aside from decorative beauty, Tom Quad’s pond and fountain first functioned as a water reservoir in the event of a fire. Serg Zastavkin/Shutterstock

Built in the 13th century, the cathedral’s Lady Chapel was among the first Gothic additions and largely retains its original appearance. White and pale gray stone, the combination of elegant carving with relatively unadorned simplicity, and the light-filled interior are all typical of Early Gothic architecture. Pablo L  Mendoza/Shutterstock

With its vast Corinthian columns, the New Library in Christ Church’s Peckwater Quad departs from the predominant gothic aesthetic in favor of Palladianism. The architectural style is derived by Venetian architect Andrea Palladio and based on the symmetry and perspective found in ancient Greek and Roman temples. Henry Aldrich—clergyman, architect, composer, and classical scholar—designed the buildings in the early 18th century. Serg Zastavkin/Shutterstock

Christ Church Cathedral, formerly St. Frideswide's Priory, was originally built in 1122 but has witnessed centuries of architectural developments. In the 19th century, the cathedral’s interior was redesigned by Scott, the Gothic Revivalist architect. The cathedral’s crown jewel is the circa 15th-century stone vaulted chancel ceiling—the finest example in England. The sides of the long choir stalls have sculptured religious scenes and are topped by sculpted animals and angels. DAVID ILIFF/CC BY-SA 3.0

Designed by Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones, the stained-glass window depicting St. Cecilia (center) is one of five windows he designed for Christ Church Cathedral. Cecilia’s semi-inclined head closely resembles the famous portrait “Lady Lilith” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Her features and stylized hair recall women in numerous Pre-Raphaelite works and is a perfect complement to the cathedral’s Gothic architecture. (Christoph Matthias Siebenborn/ CC BY 3.0)

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