Trinity

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Most colleges favour a ‘Keep off the grass’ approach to gardening – but not Trinity. ‘We have grass we can walk on,’ exclaimed a Trinity student and indeed they do – lots and lots of neatly manicured lawns so well cared for that an area with a few random trees is known as ‘The Wilderness’. Trinity is situated right in the centre of Oxford on Broad Street and, despite having four quadrangles and enormous lawns; it only has 105 postgraduates and 305 undergraduates, split evenly between the sexes. Women were first admitted in 1979. The spacious grounds sit between the New Bodleian Library and Balliol, with the Sheldonian Theatre on the opposite side of the road. On a more practical level Sainsbury’s food supermarket is just seconds away, as are the famous Blackwell bookshops, one of which has a basement display area that burrows under the college. Hard work and high academic achievement is expected from all students in their chosen subjects, they are also encouraged in their all round physical development – especially rowing!
Accommodation for undergraduates is offered on the main site for the first two years, after which a move is made to the college’s comfortable off site self-catering flats. The onsite-shared rooms are said to be the most desirable. Network facilities with broadband are in all rooms. All students can eat in hall were the food can be very agreeable – cooked by an award-winning chef. Trinity loves its waiter-assisted Formal Halls and indulges five nights a week, which is rather more than most other Oxford colleges. There is no obligation to attend these ‘formals’ with alternative provision made for conscientious objectors and those just too laid back or too busy.
The library is open 24 ho...

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...Durham Quad and facing Broad Street, set beyond a lawn, is the gorgeous classical gate house and chapel married in one coherent design, built between 1691-4. It has four large arched windows separated by pilasters and topped with balustrades. Wren was consulted, but is not the designer.
The Front Quadrangle was created as a result of increasing student numbers. This is not a typical intimate quad, but open and spacious, with random and mature trees growing. It was based largely on the inspired plans of Victorian maverick architect Sir Thomas Graham Jackson and one of the buildings is dedicated to him.
In 1927 a five bay neoclassical library designed by J. Osborne Smith was built with much direction from college President H. E. D. Blakiston. Trinity offers an architectural time capsule that caters for a variety tastes that now include some striking modern additions.

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