Christ Church Cathedral and College, and Tom Gate, Oxford. Open daily (call ahead to check for ad-hoc closures). Admission Charge (free to wheelchair users)
Details
Accessibility:
Parking is extremely limited near to the college; Blue badge holder designated parking is available on St Aldate’s there are 3 spaces, (30 metres level going to Tom Gate – cobbles directly outside the gate - and 100 yards/metres level going to the War Memorial Garden visitors’ entrance). However, there are car parks within Oxford city centre. Detailed information on all of these car parks and their current Blue Badge concessions can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/53/categoryInfo/10
Christ Church has 2 entrances (please see Directions below); Meadow Gate, the main visitor entrance, and Tom Gate, the entrance for disabled visitors. Tom Gate, beneath Tom Tower on St Aldate's, is wheelchair-accessible, as is the Porters' Lodge enquiry desk, which has an induction loop. Not all other parts of the site are fully accessible, so advice from the enquiry desk is recommended.
Ramped access is available to the north and south sides of Tom Quad and there is ramped access into the Cathedral by the West Door. Wheelchair access to the Ante Hall and the Hall is available via a lift from Tom Quad beneath the Hall stairs. Please ask for assistance from the Custodian on duty should you wish to use the lift.
There is a toilet with disability facilities in Tom Quad.
The college's principal lecture theatre (not normally open to the general public) has level access, an induction loop and a unisex disability toilet nearby. Some residential and tutorial amenities are also accessible to wheelchair users and persons with ambulant and sensory disabilities.
A strict one-way system is in place for visitors, so please follow the visitor route.
Further help and information on the accessibility of Christ Church and Tom Tower can be found here: http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/access-leaflet-web.pdf
Oxford city has a Shopmobility service which is accessed from within the car park for the Westgate shopping centre (OX1 1TR). The car park itself has 50 disability parking spaces, which are located close to the lobby area. Scooters and wheelchairs can be hired free of charge from the Shopmobility office, which can be booked over the telephone on 01865 263600 (Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm). Further information can be requested via email: westgate.oxford@landsec.com.
Brief Description:
Christ Church was founded in 1546 and is notable by its size (600 students) and architecture. It is primarily a college of Oxford University but it also includes the Cathedral of the Oxford diocese, which doubles as the college chapel. Tom Tower, designed by Christopher Wren, is an important landmark on St Aldate's at the entrance to the site. There is a brief 2-minute long video at http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/plan-your-visit/what-see, which includes its Picture Gallery. This has its own opening times and admission charges; please see http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/picture-gallery/visiting-gallery
Further Information:
Address:
Christ Church Oxford and Tom Gate, St Aldate's, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 1RA
Telephone:
Tourism Office: 01865 276492
Email:
Tourism Office: tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk
Website:
Opening Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays - 10.00 - 17.00
Sundays - 14.00 - 17.00
Last entry: 16.15
There are special opening times to cater for private functions and religious / academic events. Please call ahead (01865 276492) to check opening times.
Ticket (1-14 people)Dec 17Jan-Jun & Sept-Dec 18Jul & Aug 18Adult£7£8£10Concessions
Senior (60+), student with valid ID, child (5-17yrs)*
£6£7£9Family
2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children
£17£20£25Child (under 5 yrs)*FREEFREEFREEFree entry to wheelchair users and one companion.
Directions:
Christ Church is just south of the main centre of Oxford. From the M40 J8a take the A40 west towards Oxford for 5 miles. At the roundabout continue straight to take the London Road/A420 for a further 2.5 miles. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit (past the pillared monument in the middle of the road) onto The Plain/A420 and continue as it changes from Magdalen Bridge and into High Street. the road take a sharp left at a pedestrian crossing and turns into St Aldate's. Tom Gate, the entrance for disabled visitors, Cathedral visitors, and those on College business, is on the eastern side of St Aldate's.
Meadow Gate, the main visitor entrance, is on the Broad Walk. Most people access this from St Aldate's by passing through the gates into the Memorial Garden, and walking through to Meadow Gate which overlooks the Meadows and Broad Walk. You can also reach Meadow Gate by coming from Merton Field or along the Broad Walk from the direction of the Botanic Gardens, or up New Walk from the river.
If you only wish to visit the Picture Gallery, use Canterbury Gate, which is at the junction of Oriel Square and Merton Street.
OS SP 51415 05981
Transport:
Oxford is a very old city and travelling by car can be a problem. However, there is an excellent pubic transport system, which you can find further details of here: http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/oxford-tourist-information/getting-around-oxford
There are 6 Park & Ride sites located around Oxford's ring road; Bicester, Oxford Parkway and Pear Tree to the North, Thornhill to the East, Redbridge to the South and Seacourt to the West. The parking and bus into town are charged separately and there are no concessions for Blue Badge drivers. Each Park & Ride also has EV charge points for electric car drivers. Further details of the locations and charges can be found here: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/56/categoryInfo/13
The main bus services in Oxford are run by the Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach Oxfordshire and Thames Travel. The services run throughout the city as well as the surrounding villages. Further details can be found on the following websites: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/, https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/oxfordshire and https://www.thames-travel.co.uk/.
Oxford’s main railway station is located on the west side of the city centre with bus stops and taxi ranks just outside. There are frequent services to/from London Paddington, London Marylebone and Birmingham New Street. Details of the station can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/OXF/details.html. For ticket information you can telephone National Rail on 03457 484 950.
Amenities:
There are no amenities on site, but there are cafes, coffee shops, public houses, restaurants and shops to cater for any taste within Oxford town centre.
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
Location
Nearest Venues
131 metres*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.