Touring the Brasenose College of Oxford University

Visiting the world’s oldest English-speaking institution is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The University of Oxford has a global reputation for academic achievement, with globally recognised instructors who deliver excellent instruction. I became more aware of the magnificent surroundings with each step I walked inside the Oxford university’s Brasenose. It’s a castle with a college! From the architectural splendour to the elite parts, I was delighted to be here and to have the opportunity to tour the school where Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Former Prime Minister David Cameron, Michael Palin, and Bruce Kent all attended.

With origins dating back to 1096, Oxford is the world’s second-oldest surviving university. Brasenose is one of the numerous colleges that make up the prestigious University of Oxford. Students from various backgrounds and schools are admitted to each college. It’s a very varied neighbourhood where all pupils share a passion for learning. As I walked about, I realised that the majority of the kids here ride bicycles. I always envisioned Oxford students driving around in expensive automobiles in my thoughts. It was a joy to see them grounded and hung in a natural state.

After Henry II allegedly barred English students from visiting the University of Paris, Oxford University flourished dramatically from 1167 onwards. Oxford University has been a hotbed of discussion and controversy in science, theology, and the arts for almost nine centuries. However, because I came from an academic background, a trip to Brasonese college was also exceptional. I’ve been teaching for over 25 years and have developed a passion for education and all things linked to it. Visiting Oxford was a dream come true for me.

While I was here, I discovered that Oxford’s first colleges were founded in the thirteenth century. Following that, it grew out into 38 component colleges. Each college at Oxford is a self-governing entity with its own set of rules and authorities. Oxford welcomed female students in 1878, but the tradition of awarding degrees to women did not take hold until 1920. By 1974, every Oxford institution had opened its doors to female students. I made it a point to visit the Brasonese libraries while I was in town.

With over 100 libraries, Oxford has the most comprehensive library system in the UK, so getting to explore the one in Brasonese was a real treat. Brasenose College has two great libraries that include over 60,000 volumes and publications and are open 24 hours a day. The 16th-century Main Library, recently renamed the Del Favero reading room, is located on the upper floor. Until 1897, this section of the Greenland Library was limited to college scholars and members. An enormous apartment with a barrel-vaulted painted ceiling showing explanatory parts of the Radcliffe and All Souls Colleges sits on the first floor over a prior place of religious isolation.

This library’s open space is split into 16 alcoves, each with a laptop linked to the wifi network. A spiral staircase connects the Del Favero Reading Room to the Smith Reading Room, which was newly built. This collaborative study space has a snug-relaxed lounging area and plenty of USB connections, from books kept in old arcades to height-adjustable tables. Books in art, physics, music, computing, chemistry, engineering, medicine, mathematics, geography, and biological sciences may be found in the Smith Reading Room.

The current history and diplomacy collections are housed in the 1951 History Library, which is adjacent to Smith Reading Room; and features two Tudor chimneys that were rebuilt after the 1950 fire. Brasenose also houses a sizable and spectacular collection of antique books and manuscripts from the sixteenth century. Brasenose had a surplus of 100 volumes by the mid-sixteenth century and roughly 2,500 books written before 1641. Brasenose College is a diverse community with a long legacy of educational transcendence, located in the heart of the metropolis!

This college is formally known as King’s Hall, and it is one of Oxford’s constituent colleges. Sir Richard Sutton, a distinguished barrister, and William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, created it in 1509. This magnificent building was built by Powell and Moya, and the name Brasenose was derived from the name of a bronze knocker that previously adorned the hall door. Through a connecting door, the college is linked to Lincoln College. Every year on Ascension Day, members of Brasenose College enter Lincoln College through this entrance. It was a pleasure to be here. While in London, you must ‘definitely’ visit this college.

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