Lincoln College, Oxford

Lincoln College is one of the university’s older and most atmospheric colleges. Founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, Bishop of Lincoln, it was intended as a place of theological study at a time when the teachings of John Wyclif and the Lollard movement were challenging Church authority.

Part of Lincoln’s charm lies in its compact scale. It comprises three main quadrangles: the 15th-century Front Quad, the Chapel Quad, built between 1608 and 1631, and the 19th-century Grove Quad.

The chapel, completed in 1629, is one of its main highlights. Its enamelled glass windows include biblical scenes in the east window, Prophets in the north window, and Apostles in the south window. Inside, visitors can also notice the cedar rood screen, carved ceiling, and pew figures of Moses, Aaron, Saint Peter, and Saint Paul.

Another distinctive feature is Lincoln College Library, housed in the converted All Saints’ Church on the High Street, whose spire contributes to Oxford’s famous skyline. The tower still holds eight bells, which are rung regularly. Beneath the Great Hall lies Deep Hall, the college bar, which is connected to old wine cellars, while Lincoln also retains one of Britain’s oldest working medieval kitchens.

The college's alumni include John Radcliffe, the royal physician and benefactor whose name lives on in Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Infirmary; John le Carré, the celebrated spy novelist best known for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; and Rachel Maddow, the American television host, political commentator, and Rhodes Scholar.