Magdalen Tower facts for kids
The Magdalen Tower is a famous bell tower in Oxford, England. It was finished in 1509. This tall building is part of Magdalen College, Oxford. It is a very important place for the special May Morning celebrations held in Oxford each year.
History of Magdalen Tower
Magdalen Tower is one of the oldest parts of Magdalen College, Oxford. You can find it right on the High Street in Oxford. Building the tower started in 1492. Its bells were ready to ring by 1505. The whole tower was fully completed in 1509.
At about 144 feet (44 m) tall, it is one of the highest buildings in Oxford. It stands tall at the eastern entrance to the city. The tower looks over Magdalen Bridge. You can also see it very well from the Botanic Garden across the street.
The tower is connected to the college buildings on its south side. It has four floors, but they are not all the same height. At each corner, there are eight-sided towers called turrets. The turret in the northwest corner is a bit bigger. It holds a spiral staircase inside. This staircase gets light from narrow windows.
The tower has ten bells that are used for English change ringing. This is a special way of ringing bells in a pattern. The bells were made at different places. The heaviest bell weighs about 17 cwt (which is a lot!). It was made in 1623.
The bells are rung many times during the year. The Oxford Society of Change Ringers rings them for the college. They ring for important royal events and college anniversaries. They also ring after some services in the College Chapel. The bells were last fully checked and fixed in 2012. They were put back in the tower in March of that year.
Students and staff of Magdalen College can get a special iron key. This key opens the door at the bottom of the tower. They can get it from the porter's lodge.
May Morning Celebrations
Every year on May 1st, something special happens at 6 AM. The college choir sings two old hymns from the top of the tower. These hymns are the Hymnus Eucharisticus and "Now Is the Month of Maying". This singing starts the May Morning celebrations in Oxford.
Many people gather below in the High Street and on Magdalen Bridge. They come to listen to the choir. After the singing, the crowds spread out for other fun activities. These activities include Morris Dancing, a traditional English folk dance.
In the 1970s, the stone on the tower was fixed. Pollution had damaged its surface.
Magdalen Tower in Books
- In the novel "Babel, or the Necessity of Violence" by R. F. Kuang, Magdalen Tower falls down. This happens in a made-up version of the 19th Century.
