- The Music Room
- The Art Room
- The Picture Gallery
- The Cathedral
- Launderettes
- Mail and Messages (Porters’ Lodge)
- Telephones
- The Gates
- Vehicles
- All bookings must be made using the College’s event booking system.
- Booking requests must be made at least four working days before the event is due to take place and organisers must provide the following information:
- Title of session
- Name of responsible person / organizer
- The maximum number of attendees
- Length of session
Lawns and Gardens
Junior Members are not permitted to play games of any sort on the grass in Tom, Blue Boar, or Peckwater Quads or at the Liddell Building. As elsewhere, Liddell lawns should not be used as pathways.
In normal circumstances, Junior Members are not permitted on the grass in Tom Quad except during Trinity Term if they have dined at Formal Hall and are wearing their gowns. They are permitted, during Trinity Term only, to sit on the grass in Peckwater Quad, but may not use the grassed areas as pathways across the Quad. However, picnics are permitted at Liddell along with croquet and garden bowls.
The Masters' Garden is available from 0th week of Trinity Term until the end of the first week of August and from 0th week to the end of 4th week of Michaelmas Term during daylight hours (normally 08.00 to 21.30) for use by Junior Members; croquet is permitted there, but no other games.
The Music Room
There is a Music Room in Tom 4, for the use of members of Christ Church during Full Term. It contains a Steinway grand piano for general use, and a Kawai grand piano which may be used only by advanced pianists. The Music Room is open daily from 08:00 - 23:00. Applications for its use should be made to the Tutor in Music, Professor Steven Grahl via his PA, Florence Maskell, from whom the Music Room rules may be obtained; please include details of the instrument(s) you play and your approximate standard (e.g. the grade of any music exams taken).
The Music Room is used for conferences and other events during vacations. It may be available at certain times during vacations for music practice on an ad hoc basis; however, conferences and other events will have priority and the room may be needed for this purpose with no notice, and users could be asked to leave at any time.
In addition to the general prohibition on smoking and vaping, users must not eat or drink in the Music Room.
The Art Room
The College Art Room is in Old Library 15. It is an open access studio, seminar, exhibition and social space welcoming anyone connected to the College with an interest in the visual arts. There is practical work on both an individual and workshop basis and regular exhibitions of work by both College members and visitors as well as talks and Gallery visits. The Christ Church Art Tutor is Mr Peter Rhoades, who supervises the room and organises activities.
The Picture Gallery
Christ Church is fortunate to have an internationally outstanding collection (c. 6,500 items) of Old Master paintings, drawings and prints, housed in a modern, grade-II* listed gallery building in Canterbury Quad. It was formed through gifts and bequests largely, but not exclusively, from Old Members of the House. The collection of paintings focuses on Italian art of the 14th-18th centuries, including works by Filippino Lippi, Botticelli, Annibale Carracci, Tintoretto, but also by Northern European artists such as Anthony van Dyck and Hugo van der Goes. The collection of prints and drawings represents most major Western artists of the time including Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Marcantonio, Rubens, Claude, and Poussin.
The paintings (and our collection of 18th century British drinking glasses) are on permanent display in the gallery, as are a group of Russian metal icons. Works on paper are much more vulnerable to light and therefore, cannot be on show permanently, but a selection of prints and drawings will be displayed in regularly changing exhibitions. Anyone who wishes to look at drawings not on display is welcome to book an appointment with the Curator of the Picture Gallery in the print room.
The Curator of the Picture Gallery will usually welcome small groups to induction visits at the beginning of term. To join an induction tour or visit the Picture Gallery after the start of term, please contact the JCR and GCR reps or the Curator of the Picture Gallery (jacqueline.thalmann@chch.ox.ac.uk).
The Chapel/Cathedral
Christ Church has a full time College Chaplain and Welfare Coordinator, the Reverend Clare Hayns, who is available to offer pastoral and practical support as appropriate to all members of the College, of all religious beliefs and none. The Chaplain is based in Killcanon 1 and can be contacted by email.
The Chaplain is able to give advice on faith societies, belief groups and religious centres within Oxford University. She can also advise on various ways students can help as volunteers in the local community. The Chaplain’s webpage is www.chch.ox.ac.uk/chaplain.
Christ Church Cathedral is both the College Chapel and the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Oxford, and all members of the College community are welcome to attend its services. College services take place regularly and these include an informal College Communion service at 9am every Sunday in term, followed by breakfast together, and a termly House Communion Service, to which all members are invited. Other services and events are detailed on the College website and on the Chapel Term Card, distributed at the beginning of each term.
The Chaplain is responsible for the College Choir, which is made up of graduates and undergraduates. The College Choir sings Evensong in the Cathedral most Mondays in term, and at the House Communion each term. Details about the College Choir can be found on https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/choirs/college-choir.
The Cathedral Choir is one of the finest in the world, and, as well as singing on Sunday mornings, sings Evensong from Tuesday to Sunday at 18:00. College members are invited to gown and sit together for Sunday Evensong, which includes College readers. Please note that Cathedral time is 5 minutes after GMT or BST (i.e. services begin 5 minutes later than advertised).
Laundry facilities are provided in launderettes situated in Blue Boar Quad, Peckwater 8 basement, Meadow 4 basement, the Liddell Building, St Aldate’s Quad 5, and the basement in 117 St Aldate’s. Users are asked to treat the machines with care and to use them in accordance with the instructions provided. This information can be found in each launderette; there is also a link on the Christ Church website. Electric irons are also provided in laundry rooms. Any broken or faulty machines or irons should be reported to the Liddell Manager or the House Manager as appropriate.
Mail and Messages (Porters’ Lodge)
- Incoming Mail and Messages
Incoming mail received for students is placed in the racks in the Porters’ Lodge, unless specifically addressed to Liddell Building, 60 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1EQ.
The telephone numbers of the Lodges are:
Porters’ Lodge: (2)76150
Liddell Building: (2)76999
During vacations, mail that has come via the Post Office (i.e. not hand delivered or internal mail) will be forwarded to UK-resident and overseas-domiciled current members of the House if detailed written instructions are left with the Lodge Manager. Otherwise mail will be held until the member’s return.
Members will be expected to notify their correspondents of change of address when finally going down (i.e. following completion of their degree). If written instructions are left with the Lodge Manager, mail will be forwarded for the remainder of that calendar year. If not, it will be returned to sender.
The pigeonholes in the Porters’ Lodge at Tom Gate are under CCTV surveillance by the Duty Porter. However, this area is accessible to the public and members are advised to remove their mail promptly. Food items must not be placed in pigeonholes.
- Outgoing Mail
Letters for post must be adequately stamped according to the weight and size of item and handed to the Porters’ Lodge for collection by Royal Mail. For same day outgoing service, items must be received at the Lodge no later than 16:30, Monday – Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). There is no weekend service.
- College Messenger Service
This free service is for the use of resident members of the House only. Letters only (parcels are not accepted) are delivered to College and University institutions in central Oxford (an area bounded by St Margaret’s Road in the north, St Hilda’s in the east, the Faculty of Music in the south, and Tidmarsh Lane in the west). Messenger post is collected at 10:30 and 16:00 from the Lodge and will normally be delivered the same day, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). The Messenger Service includes the Liddell Building.
Telephones
There is a telephone on each residential staircase from which the Lodge may be contacted in an emergency by dialling (2)76150/76151 or the emergency services by dialling ‘999’. Please inform the Duty Porter on 01865 276150 if an ambulance has been summoned or ‘999’ has been dialled so that they can assist.
The Gates
All Junior Members must show their University card whenever they arrive at Christ Church to avoid any confusion about who may enter the College. While we encourage Junior Members to bring their friends into College, permission to bring in large groups requires advance permission from the Visitor Manager so that numbers can be managed.
Tom Gate is open between 06:00 - 19:30, with occasional extensions or restrictions as required by circumstances; access at other times is through a wicket gate.
Canterbury Gate is open between 08:00 - 17:30 Sunday – Friday and 10:00 - 17:30 on a Saturday (08:00 – 17:30 on Saturday of 8th Week); access is via the wicket gate between 17:30 - 00:30.
Meadow Gate is open between 10:00 - 16:15; it is accessible through the wicket gate between 06:00 - 20:30.
The gates to the Meadow and the Jubilee Bridge close at dusk. The gates are closed to ensure the safety and security of residents of the House and their property, and the property of which the House is owner or trustee.
Junior Members will be issued with a fob to the Tom and Canterbury wicket gates. Once bicycles have been registered, the fob will also give access to the bicycle sheds.
Residents of the Liddell Building are also issued with a Liddell gate key/proximity reader. The Liddell Building also has keypad coded access. It is the personal responsibility of each individual to take their gate key/proximity reader with them in circumstances where they may return to College after the gates have closed. Keys/proximity readers must be returned to the Porters’ Lodge on going down each vacation; they must not be given to non-members, or used to admit unauthorised visitors after guest hours. If a member of the House is locked out of their room without a fob the Lodge will cancel the original fob and issue a new one. If the original fob is not returned to the Lodge within 24 hours, then a charge of £10.00 is levied on battels.
To help maintain security:
- Upon entering College through a locked gate do not hold the gate open for others to enter unless they are personally known to you. Be aware of others ‘tailgating’ when entering College. Alert the Duty Porter to any suspicious behaviour.
- All those entering or leaving the College after 23:00 are required to give their names to the Porter if requested.
- Unaccompanied visitors are not permitted after 19:30 and all visitors and guests must be escorted from the College by 02:00 at the latest.
- Members of the House are responsible for the behaviour of their guests and visitors within the College precincts and for their observance of College rules.
Vehicles
It is not normally appropriate for Junior Members to keep cars in Oxford. The city is extremely congested, College and University facilities are close together, and there is very little public parking space. Parking space in College is not available to students.
Motor vehicles may not be parked on College property without the prior permission of the Junior Censor, except briefly on the Broad Walk for delivering and collecting belongings at the beginning and end of term. Motorcycles or bicycles with motor attachments may not be kept within the College walls.
Junior Members are reminded that bicycles should be used safely and responsibly. Helmets should be worn and lights must be used after dark. The wearing of light-coloured clothing to improve visibility is also recommended. All traffic regulations should be obeyed.
Normally, within College, bicycles may only be parked in the bicycle stores at Tom Gate, Canterbury Gate and St Aldate's. There are also bicycle racks at the Liddell Building and at 117 St Aldate’s. The bicycle racks in Schools Quad and outside Blue Boar 1 are for use by Senior Members only.
Bicycles and scooters should not be wheeled or ridden through College. Fobs (issued to all Junior Members) will open the cycle stores for those who have completed the registration process. Since storage space is limited, cyclists must park their bicycles and scooters with consideration for others. For the security of members’ bicycles, registration is compulsory and is conducted via the Porters' Lodge.
Bicycles and scooters are not to be kept in rooms or accommodation areas under any circumstances; if found they will be removed by staff.
Bicycles parked or left within the curtilage of Christ Church that are not registered and/or are not parked in a cycle store will be removed. Please note that bicycles available in Oxford through commercial rental schemes may not be brought onto any College property or grounds at any time. This is in order to avoid members of the general public trying to access the bicycles as part of the rental scheme.
Junior Members’ bicycles, intact or broken, which are not removed from the Tom and Canterbury bicycle stores by 9th Week of Trinity Term will become the property of Christ Church. Christ Church reserves the right to dispose of all such bicycles or parts as appropriate.
Electric scooters, hover boards, and drones are not permitted on College property.
