Final class field trip - Oxford - 7/21

For the final field trip for the British Literature II class, I thought a trip to Oxford would be a good experience. We would have the opportunity to see several sites associated with our readings from this week.

My initial hope had been to get a group picture, before we left London, at the site set up in King's Cross station for Platform 9 3/4. However, when we got there, the station is being refurbished, and access to the site was blocked by construction area walls.

We took a train to Oxford, where it was overcast and drizzling like it had been in London when we left. It was going to be a dreary day weather-wise, but it wasn't going to be in terms of anything else. In fact, it seemed that after our bad luck at King's Cross station, we had only good luck. When we lined up to go someplace, we would only have to wait a short time, but within ten minutes of our arrival at any given place, there were large crowds formed with much longer waits.

Our first stop was for lunch at the Eagle & Child pub. This was the location where a group of writers in eearly 20th century would meet. They referred to themselves as t Inklings, and they included notable writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others. They would meet to discuss and share ideas, and to act as a sort of sounding board for specific ideas as they worked on their own writing. We were able to have lunch there, and it was very good.

The sign for the Eagle & Child

part of the British Literature II class at the Eagle & Child pub in Oxford, England - L to R: Robin Padick, Kellie Patterson, Dr. Ray, Cassie Wooten, Brittany Wade, Rebekah Huffmaster, Kassie Bettis

the rest of the British Literature II class at the Eagle & Child pub in Oxford, England - L to R: Heather Ness, Kasey Mangum, Courtney Jess, Christy Prewett

After lunch, we strolled past a few other places in Oxford associated with the University of Oxford.

A plaque marking the location of the palace of Henry II

the Sheldonian Theater - a building designed by Christopher Wren

a bridge built on the design of the Rialto (Bridge of Sighs) in Venice

We then visited the public areas of the Bodleian Library, and took a few pictures there.

door to the original School of Music library

door to the School of Languages (Hebrew and Greek) and the School of Geometry and Arithmatic

After our all too brief visit to the Bodleian, we went to Christ Church College. It's one of 38 colleges that make up the University of Oxford. It's also one of the places, with its long history and large number of medieval buildings that influenced set design choices for the Harry Potter movies.

First view of Christ Church College, Oxford University from the visitor's entrance 

a quad at Christ Church College in front of the cathedral

interior of Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church College, Oxford University 

Great Hall - dining hall - Christ Church College - Oxford University - inspired the design of the Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies

dining table in the Great Hall, Christ Church College, Oxford University

Our field trip to Oxford included a little time to shop at the stores along Broad Street since most of the students wanted something with the University of Oxford logo on it as a souvenir and/or a gift. As we made our way back toward the train station, we stopped briefly at the remains of the medieval castle at Oxford. Since it was still rainy and all of us were tired, we did not take the tour.

It's onward we go as we enter our final week in England.