Brasenose College

Radcliffe Square 277830
Open 10am - 11:30am for guided tours, 2pm - 4:30pm every day for general public. Admission £1.
Official Website

The college, which dates from the 16th century, gets its name from the unusual bronze door knocker which is shaped like an animal's snout, which now hangs above the high table in the dining hall.

Famous Attendees:
William Golding - author of Lord of the Flies
John Buchan - author of The Thirty-Nine Steps
Michael Palin - Monty Python
Jeffrey Archer - author

Notable Facts:

• The original door knocker dates back to the 11th century, and was stolen by students from Lincolnshire in 1334. It was only returned to Brasenose in 1890 when the college bought the whole of the thieving school just to reacquire the door knocker.

• One of the college principals' claim to fame was 'inventing' bottled beer. Alexander Nowell would bottle his beer for fishing trips, and once buried a bottle to keep it cool - which was fizzy when he dug it up.