Historic Heart of Oxford University, The

- Blurb -

Oxford' s university buildings are world-famous. Over eight centuries, starting in the twelfth century, the University - the third oldest in Europe - gradually occupied a substantial portion of the city, creating in the process a unique townscape containing the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre and the Radcliffe Camera. This book tells the story of the growth of the forum universitatis - as the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor called it - and relates it to the broader history of the University and the city. Based on up-to-date scholarship, and drawing upon the author' s own research into Oxford' s architectural history and the work of Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, James Gibbs and Giles Gilbert Scott, each of the eight chapters focuses on the gestation, creation and subsequent history of a single building, or pair of buildings, relating them to developments in the University' s intellectual and institutional life, and to broader themes in architectural and urban history. Accessible and well-illustrated with plans, archival prints and specially commissioned photography, this book will appeal to anyone who wishes to understand and enjoy Oxford' s matchless architectural heritage.