Interior of a historic building with dark wood paneling, large stained glass windows, and portrait paintings on the walls, set up for a formal gathering with a long wooden table and blue lamps.

Christ Church - A royal college

Christ Church is Oxford’s most famous college, where history, politics, literature, and film meet -  from Cardinal Wolsey and thirteen prime ministers to Lewis Carroll’s Alice and Harry Potter.

However its pedigree stretches back to Anglo Saxon times. Its chapel, also Oxford’s cathedral, is built  on the same Anglo Saxon sites of a minster founded by Oxford’s 8th century saint.  Each college has a visitor, often a Bishop, at Christ Church It’s the Monarch.

Thirteen prime ministers have been produced by Christ church. Whilst having a reputation for being profoundly conservative its alumni includes great reformers for example the portraits of alumnus philosopher John Locke, William Penn, the Quaker visionary who founded Pennsylvania and Robert Peel Min grace the great dining hall.

The college is an outstanding example of Oxford’s ability to combine grandeur with intimacy. The chapel’s  collection of stained glass is both rare and remarkable, and the soaring stone-vaulted ceiling is among only a handful of such medieval works to survive in England.

Owing to the ambition of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII’s chief minister, this chapel became the smallest Anglican cathedral in the UK. On your visit you will discover its role in history, its appearances on film, and its life today. In 1546 it doubled up as the city cathedral.

Christ Church is central to Oxford’s literary legacy: Lewis Carroll taught mathematics here in the 19th century and wrote Alice in Wonderland, and the college later became a Harry Potter filming location and it’s hall was reproduced for ‘Hogworts’.

  • “Sophie was an outstanding guide for inside Christchurch college. She was most knowledgeable about the founding history of the college and having access to some of the interior sections was very interesting. Went to an Evensong service at the Christchurch Cathedral and afterward Sophie explained the stained glass windows. I would highly recommend her”.

    B. Hornbach, NYC, USA

  • "Thank you for bringing Oxford’s stories to life—especially at Christ Church, where the stained glass windows became more than just colors and light through your eyes. You turned each pane into a portal to history, and my daughter hasn’t stopped sketching their patterns in her notebook since we left."

    Wu Jianguo, Hong Kong

  • "Sophie is so knowledgeable! Oxford is a city of history, and she knows it so well. Her recommendation for our dinner after the tour was perfect! She also took care of me beforehand in suggesting other things to do before her tour. She’s the best. A pro’s pro!"

    Kori, USA

  • "Fascinating, thoughtfully constructed tour of Oxford University encompassing a thousand years of history. I've lived in Oxford for thirty years, yet in this tour learned new and intriguing nuggets about the city, discovered hidden gems in ancient stone buildings that I've been strolling past all these years."

    Maria, Oxford, UK

  • "Superb, experienced and enriching guide. We are a retired US professional couple. We've hired individual local guides throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and Sophie tops our list! She spent hours with us in advance, curating our day in Oxford, then filled our tour with history, architecture, art, education, culture…and fun. The day was perfectly paced and suited to our needs. It was a graduation day, so like the happy students, we too tossed our hats in celebration. Brava"

    K & A Krupsky, Chicago, USA

  • Sophie is so knowledgeable about Christ Church. It was great to get her insights, and have her show us around Oxford College. Made a really nice easy day trip from London. 

    Kenneth Larkin, USA 2025

  • Great tour! Sophie hit all the points we agreed we wanted to see. The tour was well-paced, and the route was well-timed for our entry tickets. She encouraged us to come back for Evensong and helped us with parking ideas. We had a great afternoon exploring Christchurch and the Oxford area. Thanks.

    Glenda Webster, USA 2025

Intricate stone ribbed ceiling with decorative crests in a historic cathedral or church
Stained glass design featuring a lion with a crown, surrounded by lions and a red rose, set against a background of intricate patterns and paisley motifs.
A woman and a man standing inside a stone building, smiling at the camera. The woman is wearing a blue and white patterned blouse and glasses, holding a cane. The man is wearing a black polo shirt and glasses.
A park with blooming yellow flowers in the foreground, leafless trees, and historic buildings with spires and gothic architecture in the background.
Interior of a historic room with wood-paneled walls decorated with portrait paintings, a long wooden dining table with chairs, floral centerpieces, and blue-shaded table lamps, illuminated by stained glass windows.
Colorful stained glass window depicting a biblical scene with a man sitting in front of a landscape of hills and buildings, a large tree with branches and leaves, a bright sun with a face, and a cityscape in the background.
A view of a cathedral with tall spires and Gothic architecture, surrounded by trees and blooming daffodils in the foreground, taken on a clear day with a bright blue sky.
Stained glass window with religious figures and scenes in vibrant colors set within ornate stone tracery.
Colorful stained glass window depicting various scenes and characters from a biblical story.
Tourists inside a historic building, some reading informational tablets, standing on a black and white checkered floor with a commemorative plaque. The interior features dark wooden columns and a spiral staircase in the background.
A large historical library or study room with wooden walls and framed portraits. Long wooden tables with small blue lamps and flowers, filled with people, some wearing masks.
A woman with wavy brown hair standing inside a church with stained glass windows in the background.
An ornate, vintage street lamp with a warm glowing light, situated at the top of a staircase inside a historic stone building.
View through a Gothic-style window showing a courtyard with a potted tree, grass, and people near a stone church with tall arched windows and detailed stonework.
Large illuminated lantern sculpture of a rabbit wearing a blue jacket and yellow shirt, standing on a platform indoors with scaffolding and scaffolding safety barriers around it, under a wooden ceiling.