Merton College is one of the University of Oxford’s 38 constituent colleges. It dates from the 1260s and is said to have the very first quadrangle.
Former students include Thomas Bodley, founder of the Bodleian Library; TS Eliot and José Gutiérrez Guerra, former president of Bolivia. Although he spent his time as a student at Exeter College, JRR Tolkien (the author of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings) worked at Merton College as professor of English language and literature.
What to see at Merton College
Merton College Chapel dates from the end of the 13th century but additions were made in the 14th and 15th centuries.
It is believed that Merton’s Front Quad is the earliest collegiate quadrangle serving as a model for other quads at Oxford and elsewhere. However, many travel guides say that the college’s 14th-century Mob Quad is the original even though it was built after the Front Quad.
Both Front and Mod quads are relatively small but the newer 17th-century Fellows’ Quadrangle is much more impressive.
Most other buildings at Merton are newer, mostly dating from the Victorian period. These include St Alban’s Quad, the Grove building, the Old Warden’s Lodgings and the buildings on Rose Lane.
Visiting Merton College
Merton College is on Merton Street, which runs parallel south of High Street. The college is close to Oriel College and the Oxford Botanic Garden and it is less than a 10-minute walk into the heart of the city centre.
The entry fee for visitors is £3 (children under 5 are free) and your admission charge includes a brochure with a map of the college. It is open weekdays 2pm–5pm (or dusk if earlier) and on weekends 10am–5pm (or dusk if earlier).
Like other colleges at Oxford, Merton College is occasionally closed to the public for university events.
During summer (from July to September) there are daily tours of the college and the Old Library. The 50-minute tour costs an additional £5.
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