The Bodleian Library, Oxford

The Bodleian Library is the main library of the University of Oxford and one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world. Its buildings, in the heart of the city, are among the most beautiful in England: the Gothic hall of the Divinity School, the medieval Duke Humfrey's Library, the rotunda of the Radcliffe Camera. It holds more than 13 million items and treasures such as early editions of Shakespeare, the Gutenberg Bible and medieval copies of Magna Carta. Many of its rooms are also famous as sets for the Harry Potter films.

History

The university's first library was created in the 15th century thanks to a gift of books from Duke Humfrey of Gloucester, brother of King Henry V. During the Reformation, in 1550, the library was stripped and its books scattered. In 1598 a former student and diplomat, Sir Thomas Bodley, decided to rebuild it at his own expense, and the new library opened in 1602. In 1610 Bodley reached an agreement with the Stationers' Company in London: a copy of every book published in England would be given to the library. To this day the Bodleian is entitled to a copy of every book published in the United Kingdom.

Anyone who obtains a reader's card must still recite an ancient oath, promising among other things not to bring fire or flame into the library.

What to see

The Divinity School

The Divinity School, completed in 1488, is a Gothic hall with a spectacular vaulted ceiling decorated with hundreds of carved stone bosses bearing coats of arms and symbols. It was the room where theology examinations were held. In the Harry Potter films it was the Hogwarts infirmary.

Duke Humfrey's Library

Upstairs is Duke Humfrey's Library, the oldest part of the library, with dark wooden shelves, painted ceilings and ancient volumes, just as in the Middle Ages. It is still a reading room for scholars and can only be visited on guided tours; in the Harry Potter films it is the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library.

The Radcliffe Camera

The Radcliffe Camera, the great domed rotunda built between 1737 and 1749 to designs by James Gibbs, the same architect as Warrington town hall, is the symbol of Oxford. It is a reading room reserved for students, so it is admired from outside, from Radcliffe Square, or from the top of the tower of St Mary's Church.

The Weston Library

The Weston Library, renovated in 2015, hosts free exhibitions with items from the collection: medieval manuscripts, first editions, maps, letters by famous writers and historical documents. There is also a café and a shop.

Practical information

The courtyard, the Weston Library and the exhibitions are free. The Divinity School requires a ticket, while the other rooms, such as Duke Humfrey's Library, can only be seen on guided tours, which are best booked in advance. Flash photography is not allowed in the reading rooms and silence is essential. Opening times and prices are published on the official website.

Getting there

• By train: from London Paddington or Marylebone to Oxford in about an hour; 15 minutes on foot from the station.
• By coach: frequent coaches from London and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
• In town: the library is on Broad Street, in the historic centre.

Nearby

• The Ashmolean Museum, the oldest museum in the United Kingdom, a few minutes away; see Ashmolean.
• Christopher Wren's Sheldonian Theatre, Hertford College's Bridge of Sighs and Christ Church.
• See also Oxford and schools and universities in the UK.

Tips

• How long: an hour for the Divinity School and exhibitions, an hour and a half with the guided tour.
• When to go: all year round; early in the morning you avoid the groups.
• A tip: climb the tower of the University Church of St Mary for the best view of the Radcliffe Camera and the rooftops of Oxford.

Bodleian Library on the map

Nearby