The University welcomes visitors throughout the year to enjoy its beauty and fascinating history, and is closed only on Christmas Day. However, Christ Church is a working academic and religious institution and so some areas may close, or be inaccessible, sometimes without notice. The Hall can sometimes be closed between 12pm and 2pm and the Cathedral closes for Choir Practice every day at 4:45pm.
Christ Church was originally founded by Cardinal Wolsey as Cardinal's College in 1524. The college buildings took over the site of St. Frideswide's Monastery, which was suppressed by Wolsey to fund his college.
The monastery dated back to the earliest days of Oxford as a settlement in the 9th Century AD. When Wolsey fell from power in 1529 the College became property of King Henry VIII. Henry re-founded the College in 1546 and appointed the old monastery church as cathedral of the new diocese of Oxford. The new institution of cathedral and university college was named Aedes Christi, which is rendered in English as Christ Church. It is due to its ecclesiastical function that Christ Church's principal, the Dean, is always a clergyman.
During the English Civil War (1642-1646) King Charles I lived at Christ Church. He held his Parliament in the Great Hall and attended services in the Cathedral. After the war and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the College was rewarded for its loyalty to the House of Stuart by being able to raise enough money to complete the main quadrangle (Tom Quad).
A former student, Sir Christopher Wren, was commissioned to design a new bell tower in 1682, which houses the bell, Great Tom, from which the tower and the quad get their names.
Christ Church has produced 13 Prime Ministers and numerous Cabinet ministers, Bishops and civil servants. The House's most celebrated political alumnus is William Gladstone who was Prime Minister four times during the 19th Century.
There are about 450 undergraduates and 150 Graduates at Christ Church.
Christ Church has been a site of religious worship since the 17th century. The present Cathedral was built in the 12th century.
The Picture Gallery (additional charge) contains an internationally important collection of old master paintings and drawings.
Many of the scenes in the Harry Potter feature films are shot in various locations of the College. The Great Hall was replicated in the film studios to create Hogwart's Hall. As Harry and the new first-years enter Hogwarts they are greeted by Professor MacGoonigal. This scene was shot on the 16th century staircase, which leads up to the Great Hall. The cloisters in Christ Church were first built 1000 years ago and it was here that Harry is shown the trophy his father won as a seeker in Quidditch.
Christ Church Memorial Garden was laid in 1926 to commemorate college members who fell in the First World War. Beyond the garden lies Christ Church Meadows, a large area of tranquil pasture in the heart of the busy city of Oxford, owned and maintained by Christ Church and bordering the rivers Cherwell and Isis. The Meadow is open to the public until dusk each day, and provides opportunities for picnics and river walks.
Categories 
Christ Church