Magdalen College (
"mawdlin") is one of the constituent colleges of
the University of
Oxford in England.
of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment
College was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete, Bishop of
The founder's statutes included provision
for a choral foundation of men and boys (a tradition that has
continued to the present day) and made reference to the
pronunciation of the name of the College in English. Another unrelated
college named Magdalen Hall adjacent to Magdalen College eventually
became part of Hertford College.
by some as one of the most beautiful of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, Magdalen is also one of the most
visited. It stands next to the River Cherwell and has within its grounds a deer park and Addison's Walk. Magdalen College School also lies nearby. The large, square
Tower is a famous Oxford landmark, and it is a tradition
since the days of Henry VII
that the college choir sings from the top of it at 6 a.m. on
May Morning. The college's current
president, Professor David Clary
FRS, was earlier a
Fellow and Senior Tutor at Magdalene
The College's students recently voted to change the name of the
Junior Common Room (JCR) to 'Gryffindor' after the house featured
in the Harry Potter
The college has large grounds, close to the city centre.
stretch north and east from the college, and are most of the area
bounded by Longwall
Street, the High Street (where the porter's
lodge is located), and St Clement's.
The deer in the Grove
The Grove (Deer Park)
This large meadow occupies most of the north west of the college's
grounds, from the New Buildings and the Grove Quad up to Holywell
Ford. During the winter and spring, it is the home of a herd of
. It is possible to view the meadow (and
also the deer) from the path between New Buildings and Grove Quad,
and also from the archway in New Buildings.
In the 16th century, long before the introduction of the deer, the
grove consisted of gardens, orchards, and bowling greens
. During the Civil War
, it was used to house a regiment
of soldiers. At one point in the C19th it was home to three
traction engines belonging to the works department of the
The Meadow (bounded by Addison's Walk)
triangular meadow lies to the east of the college, bounded on all
sides by the River
Addison's Walk in Autumn
the spring, it is filled with the flower Fritillaria Meleagris
(commonly known as Snakeshead
), which gives it an attractive green-purple colour.
These flowers grow in very few places, and have been recorded
growing in the meadow since around 1785. Once the flowering has
finished, the deer are moved in for the Summer and Autumn. In wet
winters, some or all of the meadow may flood, as the meadow is
lower lying than the surrounding path. All around the edge of the
meadow is a tree-lined path, Addison's Walk. It is a beautiful and
tranquil walk, favoured by students, dons, and visitors alike. It
also links the college with Holywell Ford, and the Fellows'
The Fellows' Garden
The Fellows' Garden
Located to the north east of the Meadow, directly behind the new
building of the Oxford
Centre for Islamic Studies
. This long and (fairly) narrow garden follows
the Cherwell to the edge of the University Parks .
In spring, the ground is covered with
flowers. In summer, there are some flowers, many different shrubs,
and the varied trees provide dappled cover from the sun. It is
linked to Addison's Walk by a bridge.
The Great Tower was built between 1492 and 1509, and is an imposing
landmark on the eastern approaches to the city centre. The hall and
chapel were built at similar times, though both have undergone some
changes in the intervening years.
The cloister and the New
The Cloister or Great Quad was built in 1474-80 and has been
altered several times since then. In 1822, the north side was in
bad shape, and was knocked down while most of the fellows were away
from college (only a small group of fellows were in favour of
demolishing it). It was rebuilt shortly afterwards. In the early
1900s, renovations were performed, and it was returned to a more
mediaeval cha