St Hilda's College

St Hilda’s College stands at the eastern end of Oxford’s High Street, across Magdalen Bridge on the east bank of the River Cherwell. Founded in 1893 as a women’s hall by Dorothea Beale, it became the last single-sex college in Oxford when it admitted men in 2008. The college occupies six main buildings, including the historic Cowley House and the modern Boundary Building. Its grounds stretch along the riverbank, with playing fields and a fleet of punts for summer use. The Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, opened in 1995, hosts concerts by world-renowned performers. The college is recognised for its academic strength, with 98 per cent of finalists gaining at least a 2.i in 2018. Sarah Springman has led the college as principal since 2022. St Hilda’s pioneered women’s rowing in Oxford, fielding the first women’s VIII in 1911 and the first female crew in Summer Eights in 1969. The Kathleen Major Library holds 70,000 books, rare collections, and archives tracing early women’s education. Notable figures associated with the college include cellist Jacqueline du Pré and authors William Boyd and Helen Waddell. Visitors find a mix of historic and modern buildings set beside the Cherwell. The Edward Boyle Auditorium in the music building hosts recitals and plays. The library’s main reading room offers views of the river and Oxford spires, with seven reading rooms and 150 study spaces. The college’s riverside location provides quiet walks and punts in summer. The grounds also include sports facilities near the Iffley Road Complex.