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Landmark
Radcliffe Camera
Circular domed library in Radcliffe Square, designed by James Gibbs and now a reading room of the Bodleian Libraries.
A mini guide to
Radcliffe Square, Broad Street and St Giles
The Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian and the museums and colleges of the old university centre
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
The Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian and the museums and colleges of the old university centre
This is the part of Oxford most visitors picture: the round Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian's courtyards, the Sheldonian Theatre and the Bridge of Sighs, all within a few minutes' walk of each other. Broad Street, Turl Street and Holywell Street run through it, with colleges such as Trinity, Balliol and Exeter along the way.
North of Broad Street, St Giles and Parks Road lead to the Ashmolean, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Museum of Natural History and the University Parks. George Street and Gloucester Green, to the west, are the main places to eat and to find a room close to the sights.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Library
Bodleian Library
The University of Oxford's main research library, founded in 1602, with its Old Schools Quadrangle on Broad Street.
Historic building
Divinity School
Fifteenth-century hall with an elaborately carved stone vault, part of the Bodleian complex.
Historic building
Sheldonian Theatre
Ceremonial hall of the University, designed by Christopher Wren and completed in 1669.
Historic building
Clarendon Building
Early 18th-century building on Broad Street designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Library
Weston Library
The Bodleian's special collections library on Broad Street, opened in 2015, with free exhibition spaces and a café.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Radcliffe Square, Broad Street and St Giles and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Check each college before you go
Colleges are working places. Visiting hours vary and some close for exams or events, so check the college's own website before you travel.
2
Start at the Bodleian
The Bodleian Libraries run guided tours and free exhibitions. Check the visitor pages for tours, the Divinity School and current exhibitions.
3
Walk in the morning
Radcliffe Square, Catte Street and Broad Street are busiest in the middle of the day. An early walk gives the best chance of a quiet square.
4
Plan a museum afternoon
The Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of Natural History share an entrance area on Parks Road, and the Ashmolean is on Beaumont Street. Check each museum's own site for opening times.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Radcliffe Square, Broad Street and St Giles
Oxford
More areas to explore
13 sights · 24 places to eat
High Street, Magdalen and East Oxford
Colleges along the High Street, Magdalen Bridge and the Botanic Garden, then the shops and restaurants of Cowley Road
Open the mini guide →
13 sights · 21 places to eat
Christ Church, St Aldate's and Folly Bridge
Christ Church and its meadow, the quiet colleges on Merton Street and the river at Folly Bridge
Open the mini guide →
11 sights · 23 places to eat
Jericho, the Castle and Port Meadow
Oxford Castle, the streets of Jericho and the open common of Port Meadow
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Radcliffe Square, Broad Street and St Giles (area photo): Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, source
- Radcliffe Camera: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
- Bodleian Library: Remi Mathis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Divinity School: Ozeye, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sheldonian Theatre: Ozeye, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Clarendon Building: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weston Library: John Cairns photography, work commissioned by the Bodleian Libraries, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bridge of Sighs: Michael D Beckwith, CC0, source
- History of Science Museum: Wiki alf at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Ashmolean Museum: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pitt Rivers Museum: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- University Parks: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Keble College: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wadham College: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trinity College: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Balliol College: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- High Street, Magdalen and East Oxford: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, source
- Christ Church, St Aldate's and Folly Bridge: Andy Li, CC0, source
- Jericho, the Castle and Port Meadow: AstacopsisGouldi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits