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Visit Oriel

ORGANISING YOUR VISIT

Applicants

Potential applicants are welcome to visit Oriel at any time during the day. Please report to the Lodge (at the main entrance) when you arrive and identify yourself as an applicant. The Lodge will usually then try and get in touch with our Admissions team to see if someone is available to show you around (unfortunately this may not always be possible if you have not booked a visit in advance).

If you would like to arrange a visit in advance, please contact our Admissions Officer on: admissions@oriel.ox.ac.uk and they will arrange a date and time for you to come in.

You may also want to see information about our Open Days.

Contact our Admissions Officer

Orielenses

Orielenses are welcome to drop in and visit the College when in Oxford. Some buildings are not accessible without a key, so if you would like someone to give you a tour and allow you to revisit places like Hall, the Library, or the Chapel, the Development and Alumni Engagement office is happy to help. If you would just like to walk around the quads, please make yourself known to the Porter in the Lodge when you arrive and then feel free to explore! Please don’t forget to bring your alumni card, or something to prove you are an Orielensis. Please note that visits after 5pm will unfortunately not be possible.

For access to locked buildings please email: development.office@oriel.ox.ac.uk a couple of weeks before your visit so that they can arrange things for you.

Please note that there may be some times when access to the College for Orielenses is not possible. At those times, access is at the absolute discretion of the Porters. Alumni wanting to visit the College at these times will be given the reason as to why access is not permitted.

Contact our Development and Alumni Engagement Office

School Visits

We encourage visits from local schools and those in our designated Outreach areas. Our Outreach Officer is responsible for hosting School Visits to Oriel. You can find out more on the Schools Liaison section of our website, or contact the Outreach Officer.

Contact our Outreach Officer

Chapel and Newman Oratory

All visiting groups should contact the Chaplain in the first instance to inquire about the possibility of scheduling a visit to Oriel Chapel and the Newman Oratory. Groups who come to see the Chapel and Oratory without an appointment are unfortunately not able to be admitted, as the Chapel is in frequent use. It is important to emphasise that because the College is a working community, it may not be possible to welcome visitors at certain times of the academic year. Blue Badge guides are reminded that they need to check in at the Porters’ Lodge before taking any groups into the Oratory. Other tour groups are not allowed into the Oratory

Contact our Chaplain

Tourists and Other Visitors

The College is generally open for visitors between 2pm and 4pm (or dusk, whichever is earlier) each day, except in Trinity (Summer) Term, when College is not open to visitors due to student examinations. Trinity Term runs from around mid-April to the end of June. You can check precise dates on the University’s website.

Price of admission:

Adults: £3
Concessions: £1

It is possible to visit as a group, although there is a maximum limit of 12 people per group.

On arrival, please report to the Porters’ Lodge (to the left as you enter the main gates on Oriel Square) and you can pay there to enter the College.

Check the University’s term dates

How to Find Us

Getting to Oxford

You can find full details of train, coach and air routes on the University’s How to Get to Oxford page. Travelling by car in Oxford can be difficult, so the use of public transport is advised where possible. The railway station is fairly central for exploring Oxford, and the city also has extensive park and ride facilities.

Location

Oriel is situated in the heart of Oxford on Oriel Street, just south of Oxford’s High Street. Our Graduate Accommodation (James Mellon Hall) is situated on Rectory Road, a short walk east of the city centre. The postcode for those trying to find us using SatNav is OX1 4EW.

Disabled Access

Details on disabled access to Oriel, can be found in the Access Guide. Do feel free to contact us with any questions.

Parking

For those driving into the city centre, we regret that Oriel College does not have any car parking spaces for students or visitors, although it is possible to obtain a short-term parking permit from the Lodge for loading/unloading purposes. There are several places to park in the city itself, but it can be a challenge. Oxford City Council can offer current details on parking facilities. The car park south of Beaumont Street (ideal for those traveling from the North) is reasonably close to Oriel, as is the multi-storey Westgate car park.

further information

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Life at Oriel