Oriel College

• Published to mark the 700^th anniversary of Oriel College receiving its royal charter in 1326.
• Beautiful photography of Oriel’s treasures, including artwork and silverware, and its architectural heritage – including the recently restored Hall, famed for its planters of bright red geraniums.
• Oriel’s alumni include Sir Walter Raleigh, St. John Henry Newman, A.J.P. Taylor and Noble Laureates, Alexander Todd and James Meade. More recent graduates include Rosaline Elbay, Rachel Riley and Michael Wood.

Oriel College, Oxford, celebrates its 700-year anniversary in 2026. This lavish new publication blends an engaging written history with archival illustrations, artwork and treasures, and new photography of Oriel’s impressive architecture.

Captured within this magnificent volume is a visual tour through Oriel’s past, present and future. This publication chronicles how Oriel received its royal charter in 1326, its flourishing intellectual reputation, and the luminaries who attended Oriel in subsequent centuries – from Saints to scientists, Nobel Laureates to Olympians. Oriel’s community has changed radically in the last 100 years – now the College boasts over 60 Fellows admitting 500 students, attracting talented applicants from around the world.

The book wonderfully illustrates Oriel’s seven centuries of history with beautiful shots of one of Oxford’s iconic colleges. It also recalls those nurtured within Oriel’s close-knit community – generations of students, Fellows and alumni who have shaped the world and define the College’s legacy.

Oriel College is one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, receiving its Royal Charter from King Edward II in 1326. Today Oriel has 60 Fellows and admits 500 students.