Worcester College, Oxford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Worcester College
East side of Main Quad
Blazon: Argent, two chevronels between six martlets, three, two and one sable' (modified arms of Cookes)
University	University of Oxford
Location	Worcester Street
Coordinates	51°45′18″N 1°15′49″W / 51.754971°N 1.263701°W / 51.754971; -1.263701
Full name	Worcester College in the University of Oxford
Latin name	Collegium Vigorniense
Established	1283 as Gloucester College, 1560 as Gloucester Hall, 1714 as Worcester College
Named for	Sir Thomas Cookes, Worcestershire
Previous names	Gloucester College, Gloucester Hall
Architect	Nicholas Hawksmoor James Wyatt William Burges
Sister college	St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Provost	David Isaac, CBE
Undergraduates	412 (2011/2012)
Postgraduates	167
Boat club	Worcester College Boat Club
Map
Location in Oxford city centre

Worcester College (ⁱ/ˈwʊstər/ WUUST-ər) is one of the colleges that make up the University of Oxford in England. It was started in 1714. A kind man named Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet gave money to found it. The college even uses his family's coat of arms as its own symbol.

Before Worcester College, there was another learning place on the same spot. It was called Gloucester College and had been there since the late 1200s. But it closed down in 1539. Worcester College was first only for men. However, since 1979, both men and women can study there. The head of the college is currently David Isaac, CBE.

In 2022, Worcester College had about £59.6 million to help run the college. Many famous people have studied here. These include media boss Rupert Murdoch, TV writer Russell T Davies, and US Supreme Court judge Elena Kagan. Also, famous mathematician Simon Donaldson and author Richard Adams went to Worcester.

College Buildings and Grounds

Front view of medieval cottages.

The buildings at Worcester College are quite varied. If you stand in the main square, called the quad, you'll see different styles. To your right, there's a grand building from the 1700s. It's built in a style called neo-classical. To your left, you'll see older buildings. These are known as "the cottages." They are from the Middle Ages and are some of the oldest homes in Oxford.

These cottages are what's left of Gloucester College. This was a college for Benedictine monks that started in 1283. It closed around 1539.

Gloucester Hall in 1675, housed largely in the surviving buildings of Gloucester College

About 20 years later, the old Gloucester College buildings were used again. They became an academic hall called Gloucester Hall around 1560. Later, a leader named Benjamin Woodroffe tried to create a "Greek College" here. This was for Greek Orthodox students to study in Oxford. It was open from 1699 to 1705.

In 1714, Gloucester Hall became Worcester College. This happened because Sir Thomas Cookes gave a lot of money. At first, there wasn't enough money to rebuild everything. So, only the Chapel, Hall, Library, and the north side of the Front Quad were built. This north side is called the Terrace. The plans for these buildings were made by George Clarke. He even asked Nicholas Hawksmoor for advice.

In 1736, George Clarke gave his large collection of books and old papers to the college. These included important historical documents. They also had many drawings by the famous architect Inigo Jones.

Worcester College in the early 19th century. The projecting wings are the Hall (left) and the Chapel (right)

Building work at Worcester College was slow because of money problems. The west end of the Terrace and the Provost's (head of college) house were added later. This was between 1773 and 1776. The architect for this part was Henry Keene. The old medieval cottages were supposed to be replaced. But there was never enough money, so they stayed. The Hall and Chapel were finished much later, in the 1770s. These were designed by James Wyatt.

The College Chapel

The College Chapel was built over many years. Different architects worked on it from 1720 to 1791. This was due to money shortages. The inside of the Chapel has columns, a dome, and delicate plasterwork. These parts were designed by James Wyatt.

Later, between 1864 and 1866, the Chapel was redecorated by William Burges. His design is very unique and colorful. The Chapel is mostly pink. The wooden seats have carvings of animals like kangaroos and whales. The walls are very bright and have paintings of dodos and peacocks. The stained glass windows were designed by Henry Holiday. The writer Oscar Wilde once said the Chapel was "perfect" and "very artistic."

The interior of The Chapel

Chapel Choirs

Worcester College is special because it has two chapel choirs. Both choirs are equally important. They share the singing duties for the weekly services. One choir has mixed voices, with students who auditioned and volunteers. This choir sings twice a week. The other choir is a Boys' Choir. It includes young singers from Christ Church Cathedral School. This choir also sings twice a week. Student Organ Scholars help run these choirs.

The College Hall

William Burges was also asked to redecorate the College Hall. However, he had to make his plans simpler because of a lack of money. His design was completed in 1877. But it was changed a lot in the early 1900s. In 1966, the Hall was restored to its original design by James Wyatt. This was done using Wyatt's old drawings. The Hall was updated again in 2018.

Modern Buildings

In recent years, new buildings have been added for students to live in. These were built thanks to generous donations. Some of the newer buildings include the Earl Building and the Sainsbury Building. The Sainsbury Building even won an award in 1984. Other new buildings are the Linbury Building, Canal Building, and Ruskin Lane Building for undergraduate students. The Franks Building is for graduate students. The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre was added in 2017. It has won many awards for its design.

The Canal Building is right next to the college's north entrance. As its name suggests, it's next to the Oxford Canal. It has rooms for 50 students. These rooms usually go to students in their third and fourth years.

The College Gardens

Worcester's playing fields

Worcester College is now close to the center of Oxford. But in the 1700s, it was on the edge of the city. This was good because it allowed the college to have very large gardens. It also has sports fields right next to them. The total area is about 26 acres (105,000 square meters), and it even includes a lake.

The gardens have won many awards. They have won the Oxford in Bloom college award every time they entered. A lot of work was done on the gardens between 1817 and 1820. They are now looked after by head gardener Simon Bagnall and a team of seven gardeners.

Plays have also been performed in the gardens. For example, Twelfth Night was directed by Patrick Garland here. Another play, The Tempest, was performed on the lake in 1949.

From 2009 to 2018, the college gardeners wrote a blog. It shared what it was like to take care of the 26-acre gardens.

Gallery

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  The main quadrangle of Worcester College. On the left are the medieval "cottages," which are the oldest parts of Gloucester College.

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  This 15th-century archway from Gloucester College still stands. It shows the symbols of old abbeys.

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  The main building was rebuilt between 1720 and 1786. The Old Library is above the arches. The main entrance, Chapel, and Hall entrances are also here.

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  The north side of the Quad, called the 18th-century Terrace.

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  The Provost's (head of college) house. It was added to the North range in 1773–1776.

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  The cottages seen from the Nuffield lawn.

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  The college lake.

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  The Sainsbury Building, which won an award in 1984.

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  The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, built in 2017, seen across the cricket field.

College Traditions

The lake and the playing field

Every three years in June, Worcester College hosts a big party. It's called a commemoration ball.

The college also has "Formal Hall" meals several times a week. For these meals, students must dress formally and wear their academic gowns. Before each meal, a student called a scholar recites a prayer in Latin. This prayer is called the college grace.

"Nōs miserī hominēs et egēnī, prō cibīs quōs nōbis ad corporis subsidium benignē es largītus, tibi, Deus omnipotēns, Pater cælestis, grātiās reverenter agimus; simul obsecrantēs, ut iīs sobriē, modestē atque grātē ūtāmur. Īnsuper petimus, ut cibum angelōrum, vērum panem cælestem, verbum Deī æternum, Dominum nostrum Iēsum Christum, nōbis impertiāris; utque illō mēns nostra pascātur et per carnem et sanguinem eius fovēāmur, alāmur, et corrōborēmur. Amen."

This translates to:

"We unhappy and unworthy men do give thee most reverent thanks, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for the victuals which thou hast bestowed on us for the sustenance of the body, at the same time beseeching thee that we may use them soberly, modestly and gratefully. And above all we beseech thee to impart to us the food of angels, the true bread of heaven, the eternal Word of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, so that the mind of each of us may feed on him and that through his flesh and blood we may be sustained, nourished and strengthened. Amen."

Every spring term, students in their second year celebrate "Midway." This marks the point when they are exactly halfway through their degree. They take professional photos, some in formal wear and some in fun costumes. Later, they have a special meal in Formal Hall.

College Sports

Worcester College is known for its sports, especially football, cricket, and hockey. It's one of the few colleges that has its sports fields right on site. Students can play football, rugby, tennis, basketball, netball, croquet, and cricket there. In the 2011/2012 school year, Worcester won the men's and women's football cups. The hockey team has also won many league titles and cups in recent years.

The Worcester College Boat Club started in 1825. It shares a boathouse with another college's boat club.

People Connected to Worcester College

Provosts (Heads of College)

Famous Alumni (Former Students)

A fictional student from Worcester College is Nick Guest. He appears in the book The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst.

See also

In Spanish: Worcester College para niños

• Bromsgrove School This school has a similar coat of arms. This is because they both received money from Sir Thomas Cookes.