St Swithuns Tower and the Old Grammar Hall, Magdalen College Oxford
by Terri Waters
Title
St Swithuns Tower and the Old Grammar Hall, Magdalen College Oxford
Artist
Terri Waters
Medium
Photograph
Description
The ancient turreted building called the Grammar Hall now contains a few sets of undergraduates' rooms but in the past these building have had many uses.
Magdalen Hall was established on Oxford High Street, but land was also acquired beyond the city walls and established a new college dedicated to St Mary Magdalen.
Bishop Waynflete wanted his new college to be the largest and most impressive in Oxford, and provided an exceptional range of college buildings, and a huge income to maintain 40 Fellows and 30 students. The site now occupied by the college had been used by the Hospital of St John, and for a decade the college occupied the old Hospital buildings.
In 1467 the site was totally enclosed by a stone wall, known not surprisingly as Longwall. The Chapel, Hall, Library, and Cloisters were begun in 1478 and finished 3 years later. The Hospital's hall became the new college kitchens and parts of the Hospital chapel are incorporated into the range of buildings facing onto High Street. The Hospital's late 13th century hall now serves as the college bar.
The grounds of the college stretch over 100 acres of woodland beside the river. Included in the grounds is Deer Park, which houses Magdalen's 300 year old herd of deer. An unfounded rumour holds that the number of deer must equal the number of college Fellows.
Uploaded
December 16th, 2017
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