Keble College

Afternoon Visits

Keble College was founded in 1870 with an explicitly democratic purpose: to make an Oxford education more widely available beyond the traditional elite. Built by public subscription and named in honour of John Keble, whose sermons in the University Church were to spark the Oxford Movement. The college became a symbol of Victorian religious and social gravitas.

It appearance was also revolutionary. Keble was the first Oxford college to be built in brick, a choice that caused much amusement among aristocratic undergraduates, who mockingly called it “the biscuit factory.” Yet its striking polychrome design by William Butterfield is now admired as one of the great achievements of High Victorian Gothic architecture.

Keble has its share of memorable stories. It was here that C.S. Lewis first met the young Irish man whose family he later cared for, after the two promised to look after one another’s relatives before departing for the battles of France. And in a playful gesture toward its more blue-blooded neighbour, Keble’s magnificent dining hall was built just a fraction longer than Christ Church’s, a quiet architectural challenge to centuries of privilege.

Today Keble’s distinctive red-brick silhouette makes it one of the city’s most instantly recognisable colleges.

Interior of a Gothic-style church with stained glass windows, ornate altar, and wooden pews.

Include Keble in an Oxford History Tour

Looking to explore one of Oxford’s most striking and thought-provoking colleges? Afternoon tours of Keble College can be arranged as a memorable addition to your visit.

Keble pairs beautifully with themed tours:

  • The Oxford Movement
    Have your History of Religion tour themed towards the Oxford Movement. Discover the spiritual revival that shaped Victorian Oxford and Anglican spirituality. See Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World in the college chapel. Learn about the impact of faith on artists like Millais, Morris, and Burne-Jones. Opposite it the breathtaking and fascinating University Museum of Natural History which further illuminates the seismic changes and interesting contrasts of the second half of the 19th century

  • 19th-Century Oxford: Change and Conflict
    Reserve a bespoke tour and include Keble College in an exploration of Oxford’s response to modernity. With growing tensions between faith and science, Keble stands in striking contrast to the nearby Natural History Museum. Both key symbols of a transformative era.

  • Architectural Highlights of Oxford
    Admire Keble’s bold polychromatic brickwork and visionary design, An expression of the university reimagining itself in the modern age. Ideally paired with a contrasting Medieval College. Include Keble with an Introduction to Oxford tour.

  • "The tour was well thought out and Sophie was an engaging guide with a mine of interesting information, much of it new to me even as someone who's lived in Oxford for the past 30 years. Definitely recommended."

    J Willams, Oxford

  • "Sophie offered us a tailor-made tour that perfectly met our expectations."

    Steve, Munich, Germany

  • "Wonderful tour about Oxford, very knowledgeable guide. We enjoyed every minute of it."

    Maria, USA

  • "Sophie is a congenial host with vast knowledge of the colleges and general Oxford area. Good communication and instruction for meet up. Would highly recommend her tour!"

    Andrew, New York, USA

  • "Fascinating tour by a wonderful guide!"

    Michael, USA

  • "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

  • "My history tour with Sophie was informative and entertaining. The horror was made funny and the ridiculous serious. I was surprised by how much I didn't know and went away with new insights into, not only the university's history and traditions, but the history of England generally. I also got some good ideas for the rest of my stay in Oxford. Thank you!"

    James, UK

  • "This tour was a lovely introduction to Oxford University. As a recent transplant from the US, it was a great way to get my bearings of the area, visit a college, and learn about some fascinating local history. Whether we were gazing at gargoyles or admiring beautiful stained glass, Sophie was a true delight – very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and well-articulated. I highly recommend this experience!"

    Megan, 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

  • "Sophie is a 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 Sophie!"

    K & A Krupsky, Chicago, USA

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