Visiting Oriel College in Oxford

Adam de Brome, Rector of the University Church, obtained a licence from King Edward II to found a college of scholars in 1324. The foundation was formally confirmed in a royal charter dated 21 January 1326.

In 1329, the college received the manor house La Oriole through a royal grant from the Crown. This property was located on the site of the current First Quad and eventually gave the college its common name.

The current First Quad was built in the 17th century, replacing medieval structures. The south and west ranges were constructed between 1620 and 1622, while the north and east ranges, including the chapel, were built from 1637 to 1642.

The Second Quad was developed by joining two free-standing 18th-century blocks, the Robinson Building (1720) and the Carter Building (1729), to the main college site between 1817 and 1819 using connecting links.

The library building in the Second Quad was designed by James Wyatt in the Neoclassical style and constructed between 1788 and 1796. It was built specifically to house the large collection bequeathed by Edward, Baron Leigh.

Built in 1911 using a bequest from former student Cecil Rhodes, this building stands on the High Street. It was the last example of the Jacobean revival style in Oxford.

In 1985, Oriel became the last of the University of Oxford's men's colleges to begin admitting women for undergraduate study. This followed a vote by the Senior Common Room in 1984.