Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin was one of the most remarkable scientists of the 20th century and she made Oxford her intellectual home. Born May 12th, 1910, Hodgkin became a pioneer in the field of X-ray crystallography, a technique used to determine the three-dimensional structures of biomolecules. It was a field in its infancy when she began, but through her persistence and brilliance, it was transformed into

Oxford is a city rich in traditions, but few are as cherished — or as early in the day — as May Morning. Each year, on the 1st of May, thousands gather at dawn below Magdalen Tower to hear the Magdalen College Choir welcome the day with hymns sung from the tower at 6 a.m. What follows is a joyful mix of music, dancing, and

Oxford may be best known for its dreaming spires and scholarly traditions, but it also holds some fascinating connections to one of the greatest writers in the English language: William Shakespeare.

Trinity College has recently unveiled a unique work from the collaboration between two of the UK’s most celebrated artists: sculptor Antony Gormley and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College. This striking new artwork, a cast iron door designed by Gormley and inscribed with a poem by Armitage, now stands beside the iconic Stuart Gates on Parks Road. According to legend, these

Every year, 10th February marks St Scholastica’s Day, a lesser known but significant date in Oxford’s history. While it honours St Scholastica, the twin sister of St Benedict, in Oxford, the date is infamous for one of the bloodiest town-and-gown conflicts ever recorded: the St Scholastica’s Day Riot of 1355. The riot was a defining moment in the struggle between Oxford’s university community (sometimes referred

Recently the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Mr. James Macnamara, Stepped into Oxford to join a group of Oxfordshire residents on a tour of Magdalen College. Step into Oxford is a venture started by a previous High Sheriff, Amanda Ponsonby, who was keen to find events suitable for older people as some were experiencing increased isolation and loneliness due to the Covid pandemic. The Oxford Guild

There’s a stunning exhibition currently on in the Weston Library on 'Chaucer, Then and Now'. Among the books and other objects displayed are the oldest extant manuscript of 'The Canterbury Tales', some beautifully illuminated versions, one showing a man writing who may be Chaucer himself, and representations of the 'Tales' from different periods, different countries and even in different media. Chaucer is particularly famous for

On 22nd November 1963 headlines around the world reported events in Dallas, Texas. President John F Kennedy had just been shot as he rode in a motorcade through the city. A few hours earlier, in a house just outside Oxford, a 64-year-old professor of English Literature breathed his last, his death and that of Aldous Huxley the same day overshadowed by the events in the

5th November 2023 saw the removal of some of the most iconic figures of Oxford’s architecture. Most of the Muses who stand aloft the Clarendon Building in Broad Street were removed by crane for restoration. Originally “The Printing House”, as it was known, the Clarendon Building was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and completed in 1715. Since 1832, just after the Printer – The Oxford University

Oxford is famous for punting, but it is also renowned for its wordplay and puns (well, it is the home of the Oxford English Dictionary). Countless lexicon-loving academics have shown their delight in double meanings and the sheer joy of mucking about with words. Ox Origins Oxford’s coat of arms is a pun on the origins of the city’s name. A ford on the river