Christ Church: Oxford’s Crown Jewel

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit one of Oxford’s most prestigious colleges.

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 one of England’s preeminent art critics and historians. 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. A list of former students reads 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, having inspired writers, served as a film location, and become a model for schools across Europe, the United States, and Australia.

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