Christ Church, Oxford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church
The Great Quadrangle
Blazon: Sable, on a cross engrailed argent, a lion passant gules, between four leopards' faces azure, on a chief or, a rose gules barbed and seeded proper, between two Cornish choughs sable, beaked and membered gules.
University	University of Oxford
Location	St Aldate's, Oxford, OX1 1DP
Coordinates	51°45′01″N 1°15′21″W / 51.750199°N 1.255853°W / 51.750199; -1.255853
Full name	The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth
Latin name	Ædes Christi/Ecclesia Christi Cathedralis Oxon: ex fundatione Regis Henrici Octavi
Established	1546; 479 years ago (1546)
Named for	Jesus Christ
Sister college	Trinity College, Cambridge
Dean	Sarah Foot
Undergraduates	432 (2017/2018)
Postgraduates	196
Boat club	Christ Church Boat Club
Map
Location in Oxford city centre

Christ Church (which means "Christ's House" in Latin) is a famous college at the University of Oxford in England. It was started in 1546 by King Henry VIII. What makes Christ Church special is that it's both a university college and the main church (cathedral) for the Oxford area. The cathedral also serves as the college's chapel.

Christ Church has the largest financial fund of any Oxford college, with about £770 million in 2022. It had 661 students in 2022. The college has many beautiful and important buildings. These include Tom Tower, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and Tom Quad, which is the biggest courtyard in Oxford. The Great Dining Hall was even used by King Charles I as a parliament during the English Civil War.

The buildings at Christ Church have inspired many others around the world. They have also been featured in famous movies like Harry Potter and The Golden Compass. This makes Christ Church a very popular place for tourists, with nearly half a million visitors each year.

Many famous people have studied at Christ Church. This includes 13 British prime ministers, which is more than any other college in Oxford or Cambridge. Other well-known alumni include King Edward VII, William Penn (who founded Pennsylvania in America), and writers like Lewis Carroll (who wrote Alice in Wonderland). The philosopher John Locke and the scientist Robert Hooke also studied here. Two Nobel Prize winners, Martin Ryle and John Gurdon, were also students. Even Albert Einstein was connected to the college. Several cities and places around the world are named after Christ Church.

History of Christ Church

Hall of Christ Church

Christ Church's library in the early 19th century

The story of Christ Church began in 1525. At that time, Thomas Wolsey, a powerful leader in England, closed down an old church called St Frideswide's Priory in Oxford. He used the land and money from other old churches to start a new college called Cardinal College. He planned for it to be very grand, but he lost his power in 1529 before it was finished.

In 1531, Cardinal College was closed. But in 1532, King Henry VIII reopened it as King Henry VIII's College. Then, in 1546, the King changed it again. He had separated from the Roman Catholic Church and gained a lot of wealth. He refounded the college as Christ Church. He also made the old priory church into the main church (cathedral) for the new Diocese of Oxford.

Christ Church has a "sister college" at the University of Cambridge called Trinity College, Cambridge. It was also founded by Henry VIII in the same year. Since the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Christ Church has also been linked to Westminster School.

Over the years, many new parts have been added to the college buildings. The famous Tom Tower was built on top of Wolsey's Great Quadrangle by Christopher Wren. Inside the tower is a large bell called Great Tom. Every night at 9:05 PM, the bell rings 101 times. This is once for each of the 100 original scholars of the college, plus one more stroke added in 1664. In the past, this ringing meant that all college gates in Oxford were closing. Christ Church gates stayed open longer than others because it took 20 minutes to ring the bell.

During the English Civil War, King Charles I used the Deanery (the Dean's house) as his palace. He even held his Parliament meetings in the Great Hall.

For over 400 years, only men could study at Christ Church. But in 1980, the first female students were allowed to join.

How Christ Church is Run

Christ Church has a very long official name: "The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth." It is the only place in the world that is both an academic college and a cathedral (the main church for a bishop). The current British King, King Charles III, is the official "Visitor" of Christ Church.

The leader of the college is called the Dean of Christ Church. This person leads both the college and the cathedral. The Dean must be an Anglican priest and is chosen by the King or Queen. The Dean lives in a large 16th-century house within the main quadrangle. The college's daily activities are managed by two "censors." One handles academic matters, and the other looks after student rules.

It's important to know that people usually just say "Christ Church," not "Christ Church College." This is because the cathedral is a very important part of its unique setup.

Governing Body

The people who run Christ Church are the Dean and the "Chapter" of the cathedral. They also include the "Students of Christ Church." These "Students" are not young learners; they are like the "fellows" or professors at other Oxford colleges. The governing body has about 60 members. These include professors who work for both the University and Christ Church, as well as newer researchers. Famous members of the governing body include Sir John Bell and Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web.

Buildings and Gardens

Hall of Christ Church

Tom Tower as seen from Tom Quad

Ducks Tom and Peck in Tom Quad on a sunny day.

The Meadow Building

The Meadow Building on a sunny autumn day

Christ Church covers about 175 acres (71 hectares) of land. This includes the beautiful Christ Church Meadow, which is open to everyone all year round. You might even see English Longhorn cows grazing there! In 1783, the first hot air balloon flight in Britain took off from this meadow. The college gardens, courtyards, and meadow are considered very important historical sites.

Christ Church has many amazing buildings. Some of the most important ones include:

• Christ Church Library
• Christ Church Cathedral
• Peckwater Quadrangle
• The Great Quadrangle or Tom Quad, which has:
  • Tom Tower
  • The Great Hall
  • The Mercury Fountain
• Canterbury Quadrangle
• The Chapter House

Other notable buildings include the Blue Boar Quadrangle, the Christ Church Picture Gallery, and The Meadow Building.

What Inspired Others

Christ Church Cathedral from the east across Christ Church Meadow

The college buildings and grounds have been used as settings in books and movies. For example, parts of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland take place here. More recently, Christ Church was used for filming scenes in the Harry Potter movies and The Golden Compass.

The unique look of Christ Church's buildings has inspired other universities and places around the world. For example, the NUI Galway in Ireland has a courtyard that looks like Tom Quad. The University of Chicago and Cornell University in the US have dining halls that look like Christ Church's Great Hall. Even ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand is named after Christ Church, Oxford.

Animals Living Here

Christ Church has had a resident tortoise for its annual tortoise races in the past. While there hasn't been one since 2020, there are two friendly ducks named "Tom" and "Peck" that live in Tom Quad.

The Mercury fountain in Tom Quad used to have carp fish, including a large koi carp named George, which was a gift from the Empress of Japan. A heron often visited the pond to hunt. In September 2022, the fish were moved to a new lake home while the college did important work on the pond.

Outside the Meadow Building, in the Christ Church Meadow, you can often see rare English Longhorn cows grazing during the day.

Cathedral Choir

Choir and organ of Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church is special because it has two choirs: a cathedral choir and a college choir. The cathedral choir has twelve adults and sixteen boys. The boys, aged eight to thirteen, are chosen for their musical talent and go to Christ Church Cathedral School. In 2019, Elizabeth Nurse became the first female singer in the Christ Church Cathedral Choir.

The college choir is run by students and sings once a week during term time. When students are on holiday, other professional singers perform the services.

Nave of Christ Church Cathedral looking to the altar

Many famous composers and organists have been part of the cathedral choir throughout its history. This includes John Taverner, who was the first director in 1526, and William Walton. The current director of music is Steven Grahl. The choir has recorded many works by modern composers like John Tavener and Howard Goodall.

The choir often performs on TV and radio. They were featured in a TV show called Howard Goodall's Great Dates and have sung the theme tunes for TV shows like Mr. Bean and Vicar of Dibley. Their recordings are very popular, and one album, Treasures of Christ Church (2011), was a top classical music hit.

Picture Gallery

Christ Church has one of the most important private art collections in the UK. It includes drawings by famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. The collection has about 300 paintings and 2,000 drawings. A changing selection of these artworks is shown to the public in the Christ Church Picture Gallery. Many of these works were given to the college by a former member, General John Guise, which helped create the first public art gallery in Britain.

College Symbols (Coat of Arms)

College Arms

College arms

The college's coat of arms belonged to Cardinal Wolsey. It was given to him in 1525. The shield shows a red lion on a white cross, with four blue leopard faces. At the top, there's a gold band with a red rose and two black birds. The lion represents Pope Leo X, who made Wolsey a Cardinal. The arms are often shown with a red cardinal's hat above them.

Cathedral Arms

Christ Church Cathedral arms

The cathedral also has its own coat of arms, which was confirmed in 1574. It shows a cross with an open Bible on it, crowned with a golden crown. The Bible has words in Latin that mean "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God."

Graces (Prayers)

Before formal dinners at Christ Church, a student reads a prayer in Latin. It thanks God for the food and asks for spiritual nourishment. The full prayer is usually only read on special occasions.

The first part of the prayer says:

Christ Church from the south- east across Christ Church Meadow

After meals, there is also a longer prayer, but it is rarely used. Usually, the senior person at the main table simply says a short blessing in Latin.

Student Life

Christ Church Great Hall

Christ Church has rooms for students to live in. It also has the cathedral (which is the college chapel), a large dining hall, two libraries, two bars, and common rooms for different groups of students and staff. There are also gardens, a sports ground, and a boat-house.

Most undergraduate students live in college rooms. These rooms are usually spacious, often with a bedroom and a living area. Students are generally expected to eat dinner in the Great Hall. There are two dinner times each evening: an informal one and a formal one where students wear special gowns and the Latin prayer is read. The college helps students from lower-income families with the costs of living and food.

The college has a library where students can borrow books. Law students have their own special law library. Most teaching happens in the college, but for some subjects, students might go to tutors in other colleges.

In the summer, students can play Croquet in the Masters' Garden. The sports ground is used for netball, cricket, tennis, rugby, and football. The Christ Church Netball Club is very popular. The Christ Church Boat Club is also very strong at rowing. The college even has its own punts (flat-bottomed boats) that students can borrow.

People Connected to Christ Church

Deans

The Dean is the head of Christ Church. Here are some of the past Deans:

• 1525: John Hygdon (for Cardinal College)
• 1532: John Hygdon (for King Henry VIII's College)
• 1533: John Oliver
• (Many others since Christ Church was founded in 1546)

Famous Alumni

• 

  Lewis Carroll, author

• 

  Alec Douglas-Home, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

• 

  Anthony Eden, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

• 

  Edward VII, former King of the United Kingdom

• 

  William Gladstone, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

• 

  John Locke, philosopher and physician

• 

  Nigel Lawson, former government minister

• 

  John Wesley, founder of Methodism

• 

  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former President and Prime Minister of Pakistan

Many well-known people have studied at Christ Church. This includes 13 British prime ministers, such as Anthony Eden and William Ewart Gladstone. Other important politicians from outside the UK, like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from Pakistan, also attended.

Famous thinkers and writers who studied here include the philosopher John Locke, and the author Lewis Carroll. The poet W. H. Auden also went to Christ Church.

In science, the brilliant Robert Hooke, Nobel Prize winner John B. Gurdon, and the doctor Sir William Osler were all connected to the college. Albert Einstein was also a research fellow here.

Other notable alumni include King Edward VII, King William II of the Netherlands, and William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania. The founders of Facebook, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, also studied at Christ Church.

Gallery

• 

  Peckwater Quad

• 

  Cathedral vault and rose window

• 

  Cathedral chancel vault

• 

  Cathedral altar

• 

  St Cecilia's window, in the cathedral

• 

  Hall

• 

  War Memorial gardens

• 

  The Grand Staircase

See also

In Spanish: Christ Church (Oxford) para niños