When all is said and done, Oxford is all about the Colleges, really. There are 39 of them, apparently, so they are hard to miss as you dander about the place. This is Trinity, or at least the bit you can see from the entrance on Broad Street. Founded in 1555, so I read. That wasn't yesterday.
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| Entrance to Trinity College. Ignore the fact that three British Prime Ministers studied at Trinity - the big story is that it was used in some of the Harry Potter films. On HP5+, via the OM4ti and 24mm Zuiko lens. HC-110 on Ilford MG Classic fibre paper. |
Even though the sign said 'Closed to Visitors' I stepped inside the hallowed ground. I figured no-one was going to mind too much. I'm not sure if this gentleman was part of the College or not but I figured he was fair game to be included in the shot, as he stood to attention and surveyed the grounds. The immaculately manicured grounds, I should say - as all the Colleges would appear to have. And why not, eh? Anyway, after a couple of minutes I took my leave and headed out to Broad Street, dodged a few cyclists and crossed the road to the Bodleian Library. It's not real, any of this, is it? I think if you came up to Oxford from some inner-city comprehensive school there's a risk you'd spend three years with your head in the clouds marvelling at the architecture and trying to ignore the weight of history pressing on you. How do you spring-board to greater things from here, I wonder, and not end up thinking that everything after your time here was, well, just a bit of a come-down?
As a Yank, it's hard to fathom anything founded in 1555. Here, 1855 is mighty old.
ReplyDeleteA few of the Colleges date back to the 1250s, which is just astounding. Most of the colleges are jaw-droppingly beautiful, too.
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