About New College

William of Wykeham, had the opportunity to build New College when a swathe of land to the east of the city became available after the Great Plague. He had also been Clerk of Works at Windsor Castle.

New College marks the beginning of a new era in college life.

  • New College chapel has one of the finest collections of misericords in the land and stained glass which spans 600 years of leaded glass history

  • In New College visitors have access gardens, hall, chapel and cloister.

New College Ephemera

In Love Actually, the scenes featuring Colin Firth's character were filmed at New College, Oxford. Specifically, the scene where Firth’s character, Jamie, takes Portuguese language lessons was shot in one of the cloisters of New College.

New College’s east garden is the longest surviving stretch of Oxford’s Medieval city wall.

A most fine dining halls with portraits of the father of spoonerisms, two ‘deprived’ bishops and much more to tell..

New College’s tranquil cloister features in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The old Holmes oak there is believed to have been planted in the early 17th century.

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  • "The tour was well thought out and Sophie was an engaging guide with a mine of interesting information, much of it new to me even as someone who's lived in Oxford for the past 30 years. Definitely recommended."

    J Willams, Oxford

  • "Sophie offered us a tailor-made tour that perfectly met our expectations."

    Steve, Munich, Germany

  • "Wonderful tour about Oxford, very knowledgeable guide. We enjoyed every minute of it."

    Maria, USA

  • "Sophie is a congenial host with vast knowledge of the colleges and general Oxford area. Good communication and instruction for meet up. Would highly recommend her tour!"

    Andrew, New York, USA

  • "Fascinating tour by a wonderful guide!"

    Michael, USA

  • "Sophie is so knowledgeable! Oxford is a city of history, and she knows it so well. Her recommendation for our dinner after the tour was perfect! She also took care of me beforehand in suggesting other things to do before her tour. She’s the best. A pro’s pro!"

    Kori, USA

  • "My history tour with Sophie was informative and entertaining. The horror was made funny and the ridiculous serious. I was surprised by how much I didn't know and went away with new insights into, not only the university's history and traditions, but the history of England generally. I also got some good ideas for the rest of my stay in Oxford. Thank you!"

    James, UK

  • "This tour was a lovely introduction to Oxford University. As a recent transplant from the US, it was a great way to get my bearings of the area, visit a college, and learn about some fascinating local history. Whether we were gazing at gargoyles or admiring beautiful stained glass, Sophie was a true delight – very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and well-articulated. I highly recommend this experience!"

    Megan, USA

  • "Fascinating, thoughtfully constructed tour of Oxford University encompassing a thousand years of history. I've lived in Oxford for thirty years, yet in this tour learned new and intriguing nuggets about the city, discovered hidden gems in ancient stone buildings that I've been strolling past all these years."

    Maria, Oxford, UK

  • "Sophie is a superb, experienced and enriching guide. We are a retired US professional couple. We've hired individual local guides throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and Sophie tops our list! She spent hours with us in advance, curating our day in Oxford, then filled our tour with history, architecture, art, education, culture…and fun. The day was perfectly paced and suited to our needs. It was a graduation day, so like the happy students, we too tossed our hats in celebration. Brava Sophie!"

    K & A Krupsky, Chicago, USA