New College, Oxford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New College |
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Blazon: Arms of New College Oxford (arms of William of Wykeham): Argent, two chevronels sable between three roses gules barbed and seeded proper.
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| University | Oxford | |||||
| Location | Holywell Street and New College Lane | |||||
| Coordinates | 51°45′15″N 1°15′05″W / 51.754277°N 1.251288°W | |||||
| Full name | St Mary's College of Winchester in Oxford | |||||
| Latin name | Collegium Novum/ Collegium Beatae Mariae Wynton in Oxon | |||||
| Motto | Manners Makyth Man | |||||
| Established | 1379 | |||||
| Named for | St. Mary | |||||
| Sister colleges | King's College, Cambridge | |||||
| Warden | Miles Young | |||||
| Undergraduates | 430 (2023) | |||||
| Postgraduates | 360 | |||||
| Major events | Commemoration ball | |||||
| Grace | Benedictus benedicat. May the Blessed One give a blessing Benedicto benedicatur. Let praise be given to the Blessed One | |||||
| Map | ||||||
 Location in Oxford city centre
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New College is one of the many colleges that make up the famous University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It was started way back in 1379 by a person named William of Wykeham. He also created Winchester College as a special school to prepare students for New College. New College was one of the first colleges at Oxford to welcome and teach younger students.
The college is right in the middle of Oxford city. You can find it between Holywell Street and New College Lane, which is famous for Oxford's Bridge of Sighs. New College has a "sister college" called King's College, Cambridge. The choir of New College is very well-known. They have recorded over one hundred music albums and have even won two special music awards called Gramophone Awards!
Contents
History of New College
Even though it's called "New College," it's actually one of the oldest colleges at Oxford! It was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham, who was the Bishop of Winchester. He named it "Saint Mary College of Winchester in Oxenford." It was created for both students who had already finished their first degree and those just starting.
How New College Was Started
- Further information: Architecture of Winchester College
In 1379, William of Wykeham decided to build a college. He asked King Richard II for official permission to start it. He also wrote his own rules, saying the college should have a leader (called a warden) and seventy scholars. He bought the land for the college from different owners in Oxford. This area used to be a dangerous ditch near the city wall. It had even been used for burials during a serious illness called the Black Death.
The college was founded in the same year as its partner school, Winchester College. Winchester College opened later in 1394. Both buildings were designed by the same master builder, William Wynford. The first stone for New College was laid on March 5, 1380. The college buildings were ready for use by April 14, 1386. William of Wykeham then wrote down all the rules for the college.
The college's coat of arms belongs to William of Wykeham. It has two black V-shapes, called chevrons. One chevron is said to have been added when he became a bishop. The other might show his skill in building, as chevrons were used by stonemasons. Winchester College uses the same coat of arms. The college's special saying, or motto, created by William of Wykeham, is "Manners Makyth Man." This means that good manners make a good person.
New College was built so that prayers could be said for William of Wykeham's soul. He said that the college should have ten chaplains, three clerks, and a choir of 16 young singers.
New College was one of the first Oxford colleges to take younger students and hire teachers just for them. It was also the first college in Oxford to be planned around a main square courtyard, called a quadrangle. At the time, New College was almost as big as all the other six Oxford colleges put together!
New College During Wars
During the English Civil War, the Royalists used the college's covered walkways (cloisters) and bell tower to store weapons. In August 1651, soldiers who supported Parliament took over and made the college stronger. Later, in 1685, a rebellion led by Monmouth happened. A college member, Robert Sewster, led a group of student volunteers, mostly from New College. They practiced their drills on the college's bowling green.
Academic Life and Students
Until 1834, students at New College didn't have to take the main university exams for their first degrees. They also couldn't get special honors, but they still had to pass the college's own tests.
For six centuries, New College was only for men. But in 1979, like many other Oxford colleges, it welcomed its first group of both male and female students.
The young choir singers used to live inside the college walls with their teacher. Over time, the school grew. In 1903, the choristers moved to New College School on Savile Road.
College Connections
- Further information: List of Oxbridge sister colleges
It is said that King Henry VI was so impressed by William of Wykeham's two linked schools (New College and Winchester College) that he decided to create his own similar institutions: King's College, Cambridge and Eton College. He might have even changed his plans to make them even better!
Since the mid-1400s, New College and Winchester College have been formally connected to Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. This four-way relationship is known as the Amicabilis Concordia, which means "Friendly Agreement." King's College and New College are especially close, known as sister colleges.
Buildings and Gardens
When it was first built, New College was a great example of the "perpendicular style" of architecture. As the college grew over hundreds of years, new parts were added to its original main quadrangle. The top floor of the quad was added in the 1500s. In 1674, these were replaced by a proper third floor, which you can see today. The oval grass area in the middle of the quad was added in the 1700s. Many of the college's buildings are protected because they are very important historically or architecturally.
The first buildings included the Great Quad with its Gate Tower, the dining hall with a four-story tower for important documents, the chapel, and the cloisters (covered walkways). The cloisters were made a burial site in 1400 and have a four-story bell tower. Other early buildings were the Warden's Barn (1402) and the Long Room, which was built as a toilet area.
The Garden Quadrangle has three sides and is open at one end. It started with the addition of The Chequer building in 1449 and was finished in two steps between 1682 and 1707. The college continued to grow, and the Holywell Quad was formed in the 1800s. A set of buildings called 'New Buildings' were constructed along Holywell Street between 1872 and 1896. Parts were designed by George Gilbert Scott in a High Victorian style (1872), and other parts, including the Robinson Tower over the entrance gates, were by Basil Champneys (1885, 1896).
New College is currently building a new area on its Savile Road site, next to New College School. These new buildings, called the Gradel Quadrangles, were designed by David Kohn Architects. They will have 99 more student rooms, extra dining and kitchen areas, a flexible learning space, and a place for performances. Construction was ongoing in 2022.
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Photo-chrome of Garden Quad
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Holywell Street: Scott Buildings and Robinson Tower
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The Chapel and old city wall from Holywell Quad
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Front Quad
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Gradel Quadrangles, Mansfield Road, nearing completion, March 2024
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The Dining Hall
The hall is where students and staff eat their meals. It is very large, about 80 feet long and 40 feet wide. In his rules, William of Wykeham said no wrestling, dancing, or noisy games should happen in the hall. This was because the college chapel and rooms were very close by. He also said that people should speak Latin during conversations in the hall!
The wooden panels on the walls were added when Archbishop Warham was in charge of money. The floor was paved with marble in 1722. By the late 1700s, the original open oak roof had been covered by a ceiling. In 1865, students offered money to fix the roof. Work began under architect George Gilbert Scott to create the roof you see today. The plain windows were replaced with stained glass, and the portraits were moved. The hall was fully restored in 2015.
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Hall
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The Chapel
The college chapel was designed like the chapel at Merton College. It didn't have the side parts or tower that Merton Chapel had. A screen separated the main chapel from the front area, called the ante-chapel. After the Reformation, the inside of the chapel was changed. Secondary altars and statues were removed, and the special decorated wall behind the altar (called the reredos) was covered in plaster.
Much of the old stained glass in the ante-chapel was fixed up in a 20-year project. This work won an award in 2007. The chapel has a statue of Lazarus by Sir Jacob Epstein and a painting by El Greco. Some of the stained glass windows, including the large Great West Window, were designed by the famous artist Sir Joshua Reynolds in the 1700s.
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Chapel reredos
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The Chapel, looking towards the altar
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Painting of St James the Greater by El Greco, c. 1600
The choir stalls have a "splendid set" of 62 special carvings from the 1300s called misericords. The hidden parts of the reredos were uncovered in the 1780s. In the late 1800s, Sir Gilbert Scott added statues to these spaces. The chapel also keeps the Founder's Crosier, which is a bishop's staff decorated with enamel and silver.
The cloisters, which are covered walkways, are next to the western wall of the Chapel. A large holm oak tree grows there. These cloisters were even featured in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was in the scene where Draco Malfoy is turned into a white ferret!
In 1655, Michael Darbie reshaped the original five bells of the bell tower into eight. This was the first time eight bells were cast at the same time. In 1712, two more bells were added, supposedly to be better than Magdalen College's new set of eight bells. The bells are rung by the Oxford Society of Change Ringers.
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Cloisters
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Drawing of the Cloisters and Chapel
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Gardens and City Wall
The Middle Gateway leads into the Garden Quadrangle. The gardens have a special mound that was first created in 1594. Steps were added in 1649, but now it's a smooth mound with one set of stairs. In a book from 1761, the mound was described as "beautiful" with "Yew Hedges" and different garden designs around it.
When William of Wykeham bought the land for the college, he agreed to take care of the old city wall. The garden area that runs along this wall is even mentioned as important by Historic England.
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The Gate in Garden Quad
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Old city wall in the College gardens
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The Garden Mound
Sports Ground
The New College sports ground is located south of the University Parks. It was created in the 1880s. The Weston buildings, which provide housing for postgraduate students, were built next to the sports ground in 1999.
College Treasures
The college has many valuable items, including paintings and a large collection of silver. The library holds a copy of the very first printed edition of the works of Aristotle. A statue by the artist Barbara Hepworth stands near the old City Wall.
Music at New College
The Choir
In 1379, William of Wykeham made sure there would be a choir of adult singers and young boy choristers. This tradition continues today with choral services held during term time.
The choir often performs old music from the Renaissance and Baroque music periods, including pieces by Handel. Besides performing many times at the BBC Proms music festival, the choir has gone on numerous concert tours around the world.
The choir has recorded over one hundred albums. In 1997, they won a Gramophone Award for their album Agnus Dei. In 2008, they won another Gramophone Award for their recording of Nicholas Ludford's Missa Benedicta. On June 29, 2015, the choir was invited to sing at a special mass in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The Organ
The first organ at New College was given by William Porte between 1420 and 1423. Organs were removed from the chapel in 1547 and again in 1572. An organ installed in 1874 by Willis used parts from older organs.
The organ you see today was built in 1969 by Grant, Degens and Bradbeer. In the summer of 2014, the organ was fixed up. Its keys and other parts were completely renewed by Goetze and Gwynn.
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The organ, between the chapel and the ante-chapel
Student Life
Helping Future Students
New College has started a program called Step-Up. This program aims to inspire students from certain schools in England and Wales to apply to Oxford. It also helps them create a strong application. The college also created the Oxford for Wales group, Oxford Cymru, with Jesus College and St Catherine's College. This group offers support to students from state schools in Wales.
Rowing Team
Records show a New College rowing eight (a boat with eight rowers) as early as 1840. The New College Boat Club was the "Head of the River" (meaning the fastest boat) in the Eights Week competition in 1887 and several years after 1896. The club also won the Torpids competition in 1882, 1896, and from 1900 to 1904. The club even represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912, where they won a silver medal!
How New College is Run
The leader of the college is called the warden. The warden is in charge of the college's academic side, leads the main decision-making group, and represents the college. Decisions are made by the warden along with the college's fellows, who are scholars. New College is one of the independent colleges that make up the University of Oxford, which works like a group of separate organizations. The warden gets help from other important people like tutors, a bursar (who manages money), a librarian, and a chaplain.
The students are divided into two main groups: the Middle Common Room for graduate students, and the Junior Common Room for undergraduate students. Each of these groups is run by its own student committee.
See also
In Spanish: New College para niños
