Brasenose College is named after its brass door knocker which was made in 1279 and now hanging over the high table (attractive for students tucking into their spotted dick). It's shaped like an animal’s face (the knocker, not the college) with a pronounced snout (brazen nose, geddit?). The College is ideally situated at the heart of the University in Radcliffe Square and 300 metres from Carfax. It's a bit of stunner with castle-like buildings and long, winding staircases...perfect for Rapunzel and Cinderella reenactments. Brasenose was the first Oxford college to accept women (giving the finger to toffy tradition) and there’s an emerging arty side (Law, PPE, History and English) which provides the University with a steady stream of journalists for Cherwell and other hackery.
| Sex ratio (M:F): 59:41 |
Founded: 1509 |
| Full-time u’grads: 360 |
Part-time: n/a |
| Postgrads: 190 |
Mature: 1% |
| State:private school: 54:46 |
International: n/a |
| Academic ranking: 22 |
Disabled: n/a |
Fabulous split-room bar (cap. 120) with darts, table football, games machines, jukebox, quiz nights and karaoke. Student bands in the dining hall (200); ‘cabaret and cocktails’ jazz nights; sexy JCR (100) and digital TV room with film nights, Sky, Playstation, vending & quiz machines; cosy basement room (100); three bops a term; annual drama and arts mini-festival; annual panto; biennial ball. Termly newspaper ‘Sanesober’. CofE chapel with regular concerts. Two libraries (42,000 books), one law with Ethernet points; 10 computers (6 online), 24hrs. Bit nifty in law and medicine. Tennis and squash courts; playing fields a drop-goal from College; pavilion with bar (drinks on a tab) and table tennis; boathouse (shared with Exeter College). Good record in rugby, football and hockey. Nearly all undergrads live in (except when out on an all night bender), in single bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities; wide variety of accommodation; few cooking facilities but microwaves ago-go for all inevitable pot noodles. Gertie’s Tea Bar serves up snacks. CCTV, locked gates with entry-phones; doctor, nurse; attack alarms issued. Disabled access to JCR and hearing loops making the rounds. LGBT, Women’s, Men’s, Disabilities, Ethnic Minorities and International Welfare Officers. Assorted funds, travel grants (£150-£200) and bursaries available. Alternative prospectus.
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Henry Addington (Lord Sidmouth); Lord Jeffrey Archer (briefly, so he claims, but it wasn’t a degree course); Richard Barham (Writer); David Cameron (Tories’ leader and last chance); Colin Cowdrey (cricketer); Stephen Dorrell MP (Con); William Golding (Nobel Prize writer); Field Marshall Earl Haig (WW1); Andrew Linsay (Olympic gold medallist); Michael Palin (Monty Python, global traveller); Lord Runcie (late Archbishop of Canterbury); Lord Saville (Law Lord); F.E.Weatherly (songwriter).
ENTERTAINMENTS - JCR
- Price of a pint of beer: £1.20
- Glass of wine: £1.40
- Glass of orange juice: £0.60
- Average turnout at JCR meetings: 72%
SPECIAL FEATURES
The college took a starring, if only stationary, role as the fictional Lonsdale College in the TV adaptation of Inspector Morse.
Text in italics is Push's opinion - take it or leave it
Last updated on: Friday, October 30, 2009