I’ve had this in my drafts for a while, hence why the trees look sparse!
After years of staying away, we finally made it back to Oxford and visited Magdalen College, part of Oxford University. This college has seen a plethora of famous writers come through its doors including, Joseph Addison, Oscar Wilde, and C.S. Lewis.
It costs £9.50 for an adult ticket, with some concessions. Only part of the college is open to visitors, so pay attention to private signs – people do live and work there after all. They also do occasional tours in the summer that allow you to see a bit more of the place.
History of Magdalen College
Magdalen College was founded in 1458, and although it’s named after Mary Magdalen, it only accepted women to study in 1979. The college now has around 600 students – and a herd of deer. But we’ll come back to that.
Some of the buildings date back to 1474, including the great cloister, and this gives the place a distinctly monastical feel as you walk around it.
The aforementioned deer, live in part of the ground called the Grove in spring and winter, and there’s been a herd here since the 1700s.
Next to the buildings lie gardens, including the water meadow (very watery during our visit), and the Fellows Garden accessible via Addison’s walk. C. S. Lewis wrote a poem about this walk, Chanson d’Aventure or What the Bird Said Early in the Year, the words of which lie on a plaque near the walk. It was nice to explore this area, away from the bustling Oxford streets, although I think it would be nicer in summer.
The cloisters, hall, and bar/cafe are basically the only buildings open to visitors. The Old Kitchen Bar was a handy place for a drink and Millionaire’s shortbread, and we enjoyed the (somewhat damp) view from the Riverside Terrace.
Magdalen College’s literary ties
Of course, the reason for my interest, aside from history, is Magdalen College’s literary ties.
Joseph Addison, whom Addison’s Walk is named after, attended Magdalen in the 17th century. His play Cato, a tragedy, may have partially inspired the American Revolution. Then there’s Sir Compton Mackenzie, who’s well known for his Monarch of the Glen books, (later made into a BBC TV show), and also co-founded the Scottish National Party.
But the biggest literary names are Oscar Wilde and C.S. Lewis.
Oscar Wilde attended Magdalen from 1874 to 1878. In an interesting twist of fate, Alfred Douglas, with whom Wilde had an affair that ended with his imprisonment, was also a student at Magdalen after Wilde attended.
C. S. Lewis was a Fellow and English tutor at Magdalen from 1925 to 1954, and during his time was one of the Inklings, a writing group that also included J.R.R. Tolkien. The group would meet in Lewis’s rooms at Magdalen.
Lewis is linked to another writer here, the future Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. They had a difficult relationship, however, and Betjeman left having failed to obtain a degree in 1928. Following his subsequent success, he was made a doctor of letters by the university in 1974 – which just goes to show you can fail English at Oxford and still be a hugely successful writer!
What do you think? Have you visited Magdalen College before? Let me know in the comments.
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