Radcliffe Square

Radcliffe Square lies at the heart of Oxford, a quiet cobbled space enclosed by university buildings. The square is grassed in the middle, edged with iron railings and kept free of traffic. To the south stands the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, its tall spire rising above the rooftops. The square takes its name from John Radcliffe, a student who later became royal physician and left a large sum to the university. His legacy paid for the Radcliffe Camera, the circular domed library built between 1737 and 1748. The Camera forms part of the Bodleian Library, which stretches northwards from the square and is linked by a tunnel beneath the lawn. Beneath the square itself are stacks holding around 600,000 books, once moved by a small underground railway. On the west side is Brasenose College, one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, and on the east All Souls College, a research-only society behind locked railings. The tower of St Mary’s offers a clear view across the square and the rest of central Oxford. Period films often use the square as a backdrop, and it remains a favourite spot for visitors who come to see the historic buildings and the green lawn at its centre.