Magdalen College

Notable former students include Sir John Betjeman, Dudley Moore, Erwin Schrödinger, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Wolsey as well as King Edward VIII, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser and former Canadian prime minister John Turner.

What to see at Magdalen College

Magdalen Tower, facing High Street, is a major landmark for anyone entering central Oxford from the eastern end of the city. The bell tower, dating from the late 15th and early 16th century, is a focal point for the annual May Morning event that is held on 1 May.

When you enter the college past the porters’ lodge, you will first see the relatively small St John’s Quad and from here you can pass through the ornately-decorated Founder’s Tower to access the Great Quad.

The 15th-century Great Quad (also known as The Cloister) is the main area of the oldest part of the college with the chapel and hall at its southern end.

The chapel is an impressive medieval building with ornate carvings and stained glass windows.

The college includes extensive parkland including The Grove (also known as the Deer Park), just north of the main college buildings, where one can often spot deer particularly if you visit during winter or spring. Other parklands at Magdalen include The Water Meadow, a large meadow on an island in the River Cherwell that is surrounded by Addison’s Walk, and the Magdalen College Fellows’ Garden on the eastern bank of the River Cherwell.

Visiting Magdalen College

Magdalen College is one of Oxford’s most visitor-friendly colleges although it also one of the more expensive colleges to visit. They have staff on hand to look after visitors, a gift shop and a cafe. During busier days in the peak summer season, they also run guided tours.

The college covers a large area to the east of central Oxford that is intersected by the River Cherwell and the main buildings that most people come here to see are less than a 10-minute walk from the city centre. It is close to the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Magdalen Bridge where you can rent punts.

Visitors to Magdalen College enter through the visitors’ entrance on High Street next to the porters’ lodge.

As this is a working college, certain areas are off-limits to visitors and you are asked not to enter staircases, college rooms or any area signposted as private. Also, the hall is usually closed to visitors at lunchtime.

The admission charge is £6 (£5 for children, students and visitors aged over 60) and each group of visitors is given a small guide with a map showing what you are able to see at Magdalen.

During busier days in the peak summer season, guided tours run at 11am and 3pm. These tours cost a £10 (including the entry fee) and include some areas not open to the public such as the Longwall Library Quad.

The Old Kitchen Bar and Riverside Terrace serve tea, coffee, cakes and light lunches and are open to all visitors.

As it is comprised of historic buildings, many areas of Magdalen College are not accessible for visitors with wheelchairs. With a wheelchair, you are able to visit the quads, the chapel and the Old Kitchen Bar. However, the dining hall is not wheelchair accessible (there is a wheelchair lift but it only operates during meal times when the hall is closed to tourists) and neither is the Riverside Terrace. The main visitor entrance is not wheelchair accessible but there is a bell you can ring for the porter to let you in.

Like other colleges at Oxford, Magdalen College is occasionally closed to the public for university events.