Wadham College, Oxford

Summary

• 17th century buildings
• Breakfast included
• No car parking

Facilities

• Free broadband access
• Gardens
• Squash court

Drinking and dining

• English breakfast (included)
• Bar

Nearby recreations

• Pub (walking distance)
• Pub (a short drive)
• Museums (walking distance)
• Historic houses
• Gardens
• Golf course (a short drive)
• Tennis courts (a short drive)
• Recommended restaurants (walking distance)
• Recommended restaurants (a short drive)
• Theatre (walking distance)

Wadham is an attractive 17th century College set in tranquil gardens and yet situated in the centre of Oxford on a quiet road. Everything is within easy reach whether it be restaurants, pubs, cinemas, museums or theatres. Train and bus stations are also within easy reach.

Bedrooms are grouped together in traditional staircases and each room will be provided with a welcome toiletries pack, card-operated telephone, Fair Trade tea and coffee-making facilities, towels, washbasin, refrigerator. 

Unfortunately due to the age of the buildings our rooms are unsuitable for those with mobility problems. The minimum age for guests is 21.

Smoking: all our rooms are non-smoking and we ask that if you wish to smoke that you do so in outside areas at least two metres away from all buildings. The Front Quad and area immediately to the front of the main entrance are strictly no smoking areas.

We hope you enjoy your stay with us.

History to the present day

Wadham College was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham in the reign of King James I. Nicholas died in 1609 leaving his fortune to endow a College at Oxford. The hard work of translating intentions into reality fell to his widow, Dorothy, a formidable lady of 75 who through sheer determination had the College ready for opening within four years of Nicholas’s death. Dorothy added considerably to the endowment from her own resources and kept tight control of its affairs until her death in 1618, although she never actually visited Oxford from her home in Devon to see the results of her generosity and business acumen. The style of the building is a fairly traditional Oxford Gothic, modified by classical decorative detail, most notably the ‘frontispiece’ framing statues of James I and the Founders immediately facing visitors as they enter the College.

Notable members of the college in its early years include Robert Blake and Christopher Wren. Recent members have been Dr Rowan Williams, the present Archbishop of Canterbury and Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster and novelist.

Dining and drinking

The hall, one of the largest in Oxford is notable for its great hammer-beam roof. Portraits include Lord Lovelace, who held Oxford for William of Orange during the Revolution of 1688; the inscription records his role in freeing England ‘from popery and slavery’.

Breakfast is included in the price of your room, and is served in the hall from 8.00 – 8.45am.  The Breakfast Menu consists of fruit, cereal, toast and/or a full English breakfast with a vegetarian option

During the vacations you are welcome to relax with a drink in our JCR Bar which is open each evening from 6 – 11pm.

Grounds and gardens

A stay at Wadham gives you the opportunity to relax in beautiful tranquil gardens. Restored and reshaped following the Second World War, the present gardens are divided into the Warden’s Garden, the Fellows’ Private Garden and the Fellows’ Garden, together with the Back Quad, the JCR Quad, the Cloister Garden (originally the cemetery), the White Scented Garden, and the two strips of land (now turfed) immediately in front of the College. Wadham’s gardens are notable for their collection of trees (specimens include a silver pendent lime, tulip tree, golden yew, purple beech, cedar of Lebanon, gingko, giant redwood, tree of heaven, incense cedar, Corsican pine, magnolia and a rare Chinese gutta-percha).

Other facilities

All of our bedrooms have cabled internet access so please bring your own internet cable with you. Cables can also be bought from the Lodge.

A central laundry facility is available with washing machines, dryers, ironing boards and irons. We are an environmentaly friendly college. During your stay towels will be changed every 2-3 days. If you would like them to be changed more frequently, your cleaner or the Lodge will be happy to change them for you.

Wadham also boasts the oldest (1748) custom-built concert hall in Europe known as Holywell Music Room. It may be possible for you to visit this famous music hall during your stay.

Depending when you choose to visit you may have the opportunity to purchase tickets to an open-air performance of a Shakespearian play in the Wadham gardens. Further details of dates of summer performances may be obtained from the Wadham Conference and Events Manager.

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Wadham College, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PN

Check In: From 2pm Check Out: By 10am

On arrival, please report to the Lodge where our staff will be happy to assist you. Luggage storage is available for guests arriving before the check-in time.

Wadham College is only a few minutes walk from the train or coach station and situated in the heart of the city centre. Unfortunately we are unable to offer parking.

College Liabilities
It is understood that the College is unable to accept liability for injury to visitors to the College and/ or damage to their property unless this is proved to have been caused by the negligence of the College or its employees. Individuals undertake to indemnify the College against all proceedings, costs, claims and expenses on account of damage to persons or property caused by the negligence of the individual, his employees or any other person connected with the visitor. It is recommended by the College that visitors take out their own insurance. Should any information supplied conflict with information contained on the reservation form, the College will endeavour to meet the revised requirements but shall not be under any obligation to do so. It is understood that the College will not be liable for non-performance of any obligation under this booking if the circumstances are beyond its control.

More photos of Wadham College, Oxford

Twin En Suite Bedroom	Bowra Building Exterior	Bowra Standard Single	Back Quad Garden
A Tranquil Corner	Standard Single Bedroom	Chapel	Main Garden

Customer feedback

We guarantee that all our feedback is genuine and can only be submitted by people who have booked through our websites.

Samantha J. Wylie, January 2011: Great thank you.

Kimberley Simpson, January 2011: I attended a conference in Oxford and was really pleased to find such cheap accommodation and was very surprised at how good it was. The location was perfect, and the college itself was beautiful; the room was very clean and large; the porters were really friendly and helpful; the breakfast was great - absolutely no complaints at all. I would highly recommend Wadham College to anybody looking for an excellent value for money room in Oxford, and will definitely come back myself to visit. Thank you!

Stephen Rigby, October 2010: All staff were courteous, friendly and helpful; the room was spacious, his 'n hers bathrooms; views over the quad, gardens were immaculate and tranquil and breakfast was just perfect. The location was ideal, very central and only two minutes walk from the Pitt Rivers museum and Bodleian Library, both were superb. Only one problem........we stayed just one night! Would definitely stay again and will recommend it to our friends.

Lutz Oberdörfer, October 2010: I have enjoyed my stay very much, esp. the at. in and around Wadham´s. The staff from st. scouts, breakfast and the porters lodge was very friedly and accomodating, many thanks. Thinking about to come back in the future.

Angela Swindell, September 2010: A very pleasant and memorable experience. I look forward to future visits. Many thanks.

Dafydd Price Jones, September 2010: Enjoyed. Would stay again.

WENJIN SHAO, September 2010: great room!!!

Douglas Martin, September 2010: Very enjoyable visit - the one problem I had with the room was quickly, politely and efficiently resolved

David Reed, September 2010: Staff all excellent and helpful, and my room was fine but not luxurious (of course!). Lunch on the Saturday was very good but it would have been nice to have had more time after the lunch to relax and meet more of the people at the event. And breakfast at 8:00 on a Sunday was far too early for me, and check out at 10:00am is also rather early, leaving me with a feeling of being harrassed and not as relaxed as I would have liked. I guess some of these comments are more down to the event organisers than yourselves and, overall, my stay was very enjoyable.

James Nelson, September 2010: My ensuite single room in Wadham College was just perfect for my brief one night stay in Oxford. It was exceptional value for money with a great breakfast as a bonus. I could not fault it and it fullfilled all my requirements. Highly recommended!

Eleanor Kate Taylor, September 2010: Really fantastic stay - everyone was extremely helpful! Despite being in the centre of Oxford the room was really quiet and the breakfast was delicious. Will be going back again!

Hazel Beasley, September 2010: A wonderful experience

Rose Henderson, September 2010: Very tranquil and atmospheric

Joanna Heath, September 2010: Loved it - very friendly and atmospheric. Even coffee making facilities, luxurious towels and toiletries supplied in the room. Excellent breakfast in the great hall: everything you could possibly want. Not easy for a disabled person or right for someone wanting ensuite facilities. But I would definitely book again.

Getta Sutton, September 2010: Outstanding experience: Wadham and its quads are quite beautiful. The room was spacious, comfortable and clean. The porters were most helpful. The price made it the best value for money of the colleges I have stayed in so far. I did not have breakfast as I had to leave early.

Dawn Townshend, September 2010: All the staff were particularly helpful and nice. A wonderful and unusual experience.

Terje Lind, September 2010: I am a bit hesitant to write comments, because I want to keep this fantastic place as a secret for myself and my friends! The fact is however that staying at Wadham College was a true Oxford experience. The first welcome was very friendly, the room was quiet, light and very large (40m2?) and well appointed, with to roomy closets (good for long time stays), two desks, a coffe table and leather chairs and a nice bathroom. The beds were OK, but not first class. The full English breakfast (with lots of cereals, fruits etc also) in the Hall (what an ambience!) was excellent. Add to this that Wadham is located in the middle of everything in Oxford, and the price (much less than half of what a hotel would charge for the same quality), and you need not look any further. One little thing however: If you have made a booking, and want to change your plans, the charge for non-shows are very high!

bart cogghe, September 2010: Really enjoyed the experience! Had a wonderful big room in the old part of the college with view of the dreaming spires of Oxford. I would have loved to have had this room as a student! Also, you cannot be more centrally located than at Wadham College! I felt very welcome as a guest, will certainly come again. Only thing that was not so good was the shower, even though the bathroom looked very new, there was not enough pressure on the water (had room in top floor).

Quentin Gelder, September 2010: As one would expect, it was all first-class . . . whether I shall be back soon depends only on whether my own College lets me down again !

Anya Haywood, September 2010: We had a very enjoyable experience. Great breakfast - so much better than my college days!

A. Rogan, September 2010: A delightful stay in! Would definitely stay again.

Yifeng Fan, September 2010: Great

Walter R Crozier, September 2010: Excellent accommodation, with a very good breakfast. The college is perfectly located for a visit to Oxford. Parking is difficult, particularly for loading and unloading luggage, but the porters were very helpful in giving advice.

David Alterman, September 2010: real treat

Sam Williams, September 2010: We had a wonderful stay at Wadham College on 11-12 September. Lovely rooms, warm and friendly welcome, exceptional breakfast and impeccable location. Excellent value for money. The only minor niggle was the shower which was more of a dribble, but the overall standard was excellent and much better than any other college I've stayed at. Thank you!