Radcliffe Camera

Nestled between Brasenose and All Souls Colleges, the Radcliffe Camera is one of Oxford’s iconic buildings. It was designed by James Gibbs in the neo-classical style and built in the mid-18th century.

It was the first example of a circular library in England. It consists of three main stages and two stories internally, the upper one holding a gallery. Overhead there is a lofty dome, with beautiful and slightly dizzying geometric patterns across it, shifting like a kaleidoscope. Unfortunately, you will need to recruit a student if you want to go in!

Still, the view from outside is a treat in itself. During the summer, students lounge on the steps and cobbles outside, and the Bodleian library is just few steps away.

Jekyll & Hyde

John Radcliffe, a famous doctor, bankrolled the building — he had the John Radcliffe hospital up the road named after him too. However, Radcliffe’s contemporaries were amused that a man who scorned book learning should bequeath a large sum for a library. Sir Samuel Garth quipped that the endowment was “about as logical as if a eunuch should found a seraglio.” If you don’t know what a seraglio is, your imagination surely has an idea.