Brasenose College
Brasenose College Arms
(8) Brasenose College stands on the W. side of
Radcliffe Square. The walls are of local Oxfordshire
stone and the roofs are covered with slates, tiles and
lead. The college was founded in 1509 by William
Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln and Sir Richard Sutton
and took the place of the much earlier Brasenose Hall
and Little University or King's Hall. The Old
Quadrangle was begun at this date, but the Kitchen Wing
may be of the 15th century. The Quadrangle was
perhaps finished by 1516 and has the entrance tower
on the E. and the Hall on the S.; the former chapel
was on the first floor, W. of the hall, and the library
on the same floor in the W. part of the N. range.
Between 1604 and 1636 an attic storey was added, with
dormer-windows, all round the old quadrangle except
over the hall; Chrysostome Parkes was commissioned
in 1635 and 1636 to construct the dormers on each side
of the hall which probably completed the work; other
minor alterations were made at the same period. In 1656
the building of the new Chapel S. of the old quadrangle
on the site of Little St. Edmund Hall was begun; the
timber roof of St. Mary's College, W. of Cornmarket
Street, was re-used for the chapel and the plaster ceiling
fixed to it was finished in 1659 from the design of John
Jackson, overseer of the works; the "Little Cloister" or
ground-floor of the library was built in 1657–9 together
with the lobby on the N. side of the chapel, and
the Library was completed a little later. The chapel
was not consecrated till 1666 and the books were
moved into the new library in 1664. In 1680 the
hall floor was raised and a basement constructed
beneath it; in 1683 the S. bay-window was added to
the hall. The fireplace of the hall was inserted in
1748 and in 1754 the roof was ceiled; the library roof
was ceiled in 1780 and the "cloister" below was
converted into rooms in 1807. Various parts of the
building were wholly or partly refaced at different
dates in the 19th century and the parapets and dormer-windows restored or re-built. The W. range of the
New Quadrangle was built in 1880–7, the E. and part
of the S. range in 1887–9 and the S.W. angle in 1909.
The Gate Tower, the Hall and the Chapel are all
noteworthy and the roof and plaster ceiling of the
chapel are of particular interest.
Brasenose College
Architectural Description—The Old Quadrangle (Plate
80) (120 ft. by 91 ft. average) is entered by the Gate Tower
in the middle of the E. range. This is of four storeys
with an embattled parapet and a N.W. turret rising
above it; it was built early in the 16th century but has
been almost completely refaced; the E. and W. fronts
reproduce the original arrangement and are nearly
uniform. The four-centred outer archway has cusped
spandrels in a square head; it is fitted with the original
oak doors in two leaves with a moulded frame, ribs
and rail; in the S. leaf is a late 17th-century wicket and
at the head of the door is fixed a bronze mask or
"brasen nose," mentioned in 1534 but perhaps of the
15th century. The second storey has an elaborately
panelled surface finished with an embattled and
panelled cresting; the panelling is pierced for two
transomed windows each of two lights; at the base
of this stage is a restored carving of the royal Tudor
arms with angels supporting the crown above. The
wall face of the third storey sets back and has a central
bay-window flanked by niches containing modern
figures; the top storey has a central niche with a
modern figure and flanked by two-light windows.
The inner or W. face of the tower is similar but rather
simpler; there are no niches and the top storey has
a single four-light window. The gate-hall has a
modern ribbed sexpartite vault of stone springing from
shafts with moulded capitals and bases; in the N.
wall are two original doorways with hollow-chamfered
jambs and four-centred arches in square heads. The
room above is lined with late 17th-century bolection-moulded panelling and has a fireplace of the same
period with a moulded marble surround; above it
is an enriched panel with a cartouche of the arms of
the college and pendants of fruit and flowers; the
panels flanking the fireplace have applied carving with
foliage and cherubs. The ceiling, of c. 1620–30, is
divided into four large panels by moulded beams
with vine-ornament and a central pendant; each
panel has a geometrical design with fleurs-de-lis, roses,
grapes and vine-leaves; at the angles are cartouches-of-arms of the college, Cholmondeley, Sutton and
perhaps Tully. The room on the second floor
has an 18th-century stone vault of two bays and the top
room has chamfered tie-beams. The large framed chest
with three locks is probably of the 15th century.
The E. Range, flanking the tower, was formerly of
two storeys but a third storey was added early in the
17th century and largely refaced in modern times;
it is finished with an embattled parapet. The original
part of the front has a series of partly restored windows
of one or two elliptical-headed lights in square heads
with moulded labels; some of the lights have the
heads cut square; N. of the tower, on the first floor
are two oriel-windows one completely restored and
one probably of the 17th century with square heads
to the lights and modern corbelling; the oriel and
bay-windows, S. of the tower, have been re-built. The
W. face of the range is of two storeys with a range of
re-built early 17th-century dormers above; the windows
are similar to those on the E. front and on the first
floor are two re-built oriel-windows of the 17th century;
the doorways have moulded jambs and four-centred
arches in square heads with labels. The re-built dormer-windows have three square-headed lights on the face
and one on each canted side and are finished with
gables. The doorway S. of the tower, the entrance
to the old Principal's Lodging, is fitted with an early
16th-century door with moulded ribs and rails forming
panels and a wicket with an early iron knocker. Inside,
the range, some of the rooms N. of the tower are lined
with late 17th and 18th-century panelling; the room
above the porter's lodge is lined with panelling of
c. 1620, with a cornice and a frieze enriched with
brackets and scrolled monsters; the overmantel (Plate 22)
is of three bays with rusticated Ionic columns supporting
an entablature; the middle bay has a shield-of-arms
of Radcliffe and the arcaded side bays have shields-of-arms of Sutton and Smyth. The part of the range
S. of the tower is now the Bursary: it has a vaulted
basement inserted in 1663. In the office and elsewhere
is some late 17th-century panelling. The stair to the
first floor has an elliptical arched entrance springing
from Doric columns and a dog-gate with pierced
panels.
The N. Range of the Old Quadrangle is generally
similar in treatment to the side portions of the E. range.
On the N. front the original lower windows are of
one or two lights with a four-light window at the W.
end; they have been partly restored. The early 17th-century top storey has partly restored windows of two
or three square-headed lights and a modern embattled
parapet. The S. front has doors and windows similar
to those of the E. range, but the only oriel-window
and all the dormer-windows are modern or re-built;
the large sun-dial dates from 1719. Inside the range,
several of the rooms have late 17th and 18th-century
panelling. The easternmost staircase has early 18th-century balusters; the E. room on the first floor is
lined with early 17th-century panelling with an
arabesque frieze and cornice; the overmantel is of two
bays with caryatid pilasters supporting an enriched
entablature; the bays have enriched arcaded panels.
A room further W. is lined with rather later panelling,
finished with a fluted frieze and cornice; over the
doorways are arcaded panels and over the fireplace is a
panel with guilloche ornament. The ground-floor
room W. of the middle staircase is lined with early to
mid 17th-century panelling with a cornice; the overmantel is of two bays with panelled pilasters and panels
with shaped heads. On the first floor the E. room has
panelling of c. 1680 with an enriched panel over the
fireplace; the W. room was panelled in Flanders oak
by Arthur Frogley, joiner, in 1678; the doorways
have broken pediments; the ceiling is divided into
panels by early 16th-century moulded ribs. The two
rooms at the W. end of the ground floor are lined with
panelling of 1691; the eastern has a panelled overmantel with a classical landscape; the other room has
been divided up; below it is a vaulted cellar. A
room on the first floor is lined with early 17th-century
panelling.
The W. Range is mostly concealed on the W. or
outward face by the buildings of Lincoln College.
The E. Front has doorways and windows similar to
those of the N. range; the early 17th-century dormer-windows have been re-built. Above the doorway
of the S. staircase is a modern copy of the foundation-stone, laid by the founders on June 1st, 1509. Inside
the range, the room S. of the N. staircase is lined with
late 17th-century panelling and the fireplace has a
moulded surround of wood; above it and behind
the overmantel is an early 17th-century painting on the
plaster of the arms of the college with strapwork; the
staircase has late 17th-century balusters and close
strings. The room N. of the middle staircase has
late 17th-century panelling; that to the S. is lined
with mid 17th-century panelling with a cornice. On
the first floor, the N. room has late 17th-century
panelling with entablature, carved swags and fireplace
and an original fan-light to the outer door-frame; the
S. room has an original moulded outer door-frame with
a four-centred arch in a square head and foliagespandrels; above it is a fan-light with early 17th-century half-balusters at the sides; the room is lined
with late 17th-century panelling; the fireplace has a
shelf with acanthus-foliage and the overmantel has
an enriched panel with carved pendants of fruit and
flowers. At the S. end of the range is a partly re-set
late 17th-century staircase with twisted balusters,
close strings and square newels with moulded terminals;
the room to the N. has late 17th-century panelling.
The N. room on the first floor is lined with early
18th-century panelling.
The S. Range has the Hall in the middle; the rest
of the range is generally similar to the other sides of
the quadrangle. The part to the W. contained
the old chapel on the first floor and has a series of three
tall early 18th-century windows now lighting the senior
common-room; the three dormer-windows have been
re-built. On the S. side the two windows of the
common-room have been blocked. Inside this part
of the range, the Common-Room is lined with panelling
of 1708–11 with a dado-rail and cornice; flanking the
fireplace and the middle window, opposite it, are
fluted Corinthian columns with entablatures; the
fireplace has a moulded marble surround, a carved
shelf above and an enriched panel to the overmantel;
the doorways have enriched over-doors; on the
cornice of the room are cartouches-of-arms of Smyth,
Paulet, Starkie (?), Sutton and Egerton. The block E.
of the hall has three re-built dormer-windows; the
lower windows are similar to those in the other ranges.
On the S. face of the range is a doorway with moulded
jambs and four-centred arch in a square head; the
W. spandrel has a shield with the date 1609. Inside
this part of the range, at the foot of the staircase, are
two three-centred arches of wood springing from
half-columns and a free column of the Doric order.
The room to the W. on the first floor is lined with late
17th-century bolection-moulded panelling with a
moulded stone surround to the fireplace and an
enriched shelf and panel above. The room to the E.
of the staircase is at the S. end of the E. range; it is
lined with early 17th-century panelling with an enriched
frieze.
The Hall (49 ft. by 25 ft.) stands on an undercroft,
similar to that at Lincoln College, and probably constructed about the middle of the 17th century. It has
been divided up, but three of the cylindrical columns
supporting the floor-beams of the hall above are
visible; they have moulded capitals and bases and one
bears the date 1680. The early 16th-century hall is of
three bays with tabled buttresses and a modern
embattled parapet. The E. bay on the N. has a much
restored oriel with four four-centred and transomed
lights on the face and two on each canted side; it is
finished with a cornice and embattled parapet; the
other two windows are of three four-centred lights
in a square head; the doorway is modern but is set
in a shallow porch, with a partly restored outer doorway, with moulded jambs and two-centred arch in a
square head with quatre-foiled spandrels; the soffit
of the porch has quatre-foiled panels, a rose, a mitre,
etc. Above it are two 17th-century carved heads,
perhaps of the founders, and above them an original
four-light window; in the parapet of the hall are two
round-headed niches containing decayed busts of the
founders by Hugh Davis, statuarist, 1635. The S.
front of the hall has an oriel, uniform with that in the
N. wall, but added in 1683; the other two windows
are similar to those in the N. wall. The hall is lined
with panelling erected in 1684 by Arthur Frogley,
joiner; it is bolection-moulded and finished with a
cornice; in the middle of the E. wall is a curved
pediment with the royal Stuart arms and supporters;
on the panelling is fixed the "Brasen Nose," a 12th or
early 13th-century knocker consisting of a bronze mask
and ring brought from Stamford in 1890; behind the
panelling is an original doorway with a four-centred
head. The screen, at the W. end, has two doorways,
carved pendants from scallop-shells, between the bays,
and a cornice with a central pediment, on which is a cartouche of the arms of the college and carved swags. In
the N. oriel are early 17th-century glass roundels with
figures of the two founders, an early 16th-century
shield of the arms of Smyth and part of the frame of a
similar shield and two later impaled shields-of-arms of
Farmer and Pigott. The fireplace is of 1748 and the
plaster ceiling of 1754. The original roof is of four
bays with chamfered main timbers, cambered collar-beams, subsidiary collar-beam trusses and curved
wind-braces. At the W. end of the roof is an 18th-century bell-cote containing a bell cast by Michael
Darbie, 1654, and a small bell, uninscribed.
The Kitchen Wing projects from the S. side of the
hall. It is partly of two and partly of one storey
and was built perhaps in the 15th century. When the
hall was built a window in the E. wall seems to have
been half cut away so that the hall is later than the
kitchen range. The external features are modern or
have been much altered. Most of the kitchen is of
one storey and has an open roof, possibly mediæval;
it is of two bays and of collar-beam type with large
braces forming a two-centred arch, and curved wind-braces.
The Library Range adjoins the E. range of the old
quadrangle on the S. and is of two storeys, ashlar-faced. It was begun in 1657 and finished before
1664. The E. front has been entirely refaced but
reproduces the original design except for the modern
windows of the lower storey. At the N. end is a
doorway with a four-centred arch, square head and
broken pediment with a cartouche of the royal Stuart
arms. The upper floor, forming the library, has a
series of nine windows, each of two cinque-foiled and
transomed lights in a round head with a key-stone;
in the S. bay is an oriel-window of three lights, the
middle round-headed and enriched and the sidelights surmounted by entablatures; the base rests
on corbelling and has carved swags; the wall is
finished with a series of pedimented features interrupting the embattled parapet. The W. front has
also been refaced; the parapet and library-windows
are uniform with those on the E. The lower storey
has an entablature with carved swags on the frieze
and interrupted by shallow buttresses; each free bay
has two oval windows set in a rectangular panel, but
in two bays a modern doorway has been introduced;
at the N. end is a projecting porch, with a round-headed
doorway, a double pediment, and an entablature
with a frieze of swags above; the S. wall has a single
oval window; the upper floor of the porch has a W.
window like those of the library. The design of the
lower storey of the range is continued along the N.
side of the chapel as a lobby of three bays; the windows
of the middle bay have been converted into doorways.
Inside the range, the ground-floor formed an open
cloister, used for burials; it was converted into rooms
in 1807. It was formerly divided into nine bays by
plain pilasters and ribs forming elliptical arches. The
Library was remodelled and the ceiling inserted under
James Wyatt in 1779–80. The Lobby has an ashlar
barrel-vault.
The Chapel of St. Hugh and St. Chad (Plate 78) consists of a Choir (52¾ ft. by 25¾ ft.) and an Ante-Chapel
(49 ft. by 21 ft.). It is ashlar-faced and was begun in
1656 and consecrated in 1666; the design is a mixture
of Classical and Gothic details. The E. end has been
entirely refaced and has a large window of five cinque-foiled lights with wheel-tracery in a two-centred head;
flanking it and at the angles of the building are Corinthian pilasters standing on a high stylobate and supporting an entablature carried over the head of the window
in the form of a broken and scrolled pediment; this
is surmounted by a cartouche of the arms of Radcliffe and
swags; flanking the windows are panels surmounted
by swags and cherub-heads; the gable is finished with
three pedestals with urns and a curved parapet between
them finished with scalloped ornament on the upper
surface. The free bays of the N. wall and all the bays
of the S. wall are divided by Corinthian pilasters
ranging with those on the E. wall and supporting an
entablature; the projections are carried up above the
parapet to support vases; the parapet has a scalloped
cresting like the E. gable. Each bay has a window of
three cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred
head. The N. end of the ante-chapel is treated
similarly to the choir but, elsewhere, the pilasters are
replaced by shallow buttresses, finished with crocketted
pinnacles and the entablature by a parapet string-course.
There are low gables at each end and in the middle of
the W. front; that on the N. front is finished like the
E. gable but the others have pinnacles at the apex.
The N. end has a window of four cinque-foiled ogee
lights with tracery in a square head and the entablature
above has a broken pediment with swags and a cartouche of the arms of the college; flanking the window
are panels and enrichment similar to those on the E.
wall; below the window is a doorway with a round
head, key-block and cartouches in the spandrels;
flanking it are Ionic columns supporting an entablature
and broken pediment. In the E. wall of the N. arm, and
opening into the lobby is a doorway (Plate 6) with an
eared architrave, elliptical head, key-block and a broken
pediment with a carved cartouche. The S. wall has a
window, similar to that in the N. wall but with an
elliptical head and label. In the W. wall is a window,
similar to the E. window but with a plain moulded
label. The timber roof of the choir and the middle
part of the ante-chapel is of the 15th century and of
hammer-beam type; it was removed from the chapel
of St. Mary's College in 1656 and re-erected at Brasenose; the greater part of the timber-work is concealed
by the plaster vault erected in 1659 but the hammerbeams, pendants and wall-posts appear below it;
there are eight ancient trusses resting on moulded
corbels; the wall-posts and hammer-beams are
moulded and have curved braces with trefoiled spandrels; the side-posts have moulded bases and pendants
and curved braces to the collar-beams forming four-centred arches; on the collars stands a second pair
of side-posts with moulded bases and curved braces
to the upper collar-beam; the purlins have curved
wind-braces. At the W. end of the choir there are
apparently two trusses but the western is a 17th-century imitation and does not extend above the ceiling.
The wood and plaster ceiling (Plate 77) was designed by
the "overseer" John Jackson and is of panelled fanvaulted type springing from the side posts of the timber
roof and with panelled cross-vaults between the hammer-beams; the panels of the cones have ogee and
round heads and the spandrels along the middle have
small panelled pendants; the ribs dividing the bays
have cusped soffits and at the W. end of the choir is a
panelled band springing from the apparent doubletruss. The N. and S. bays of the ante-chapel have
similar plaster vaults springing directly from the
corbels and central pendants.
The Roof from St. Mary's College Re-erected in Brasenose Chapel. Largely Concealed by the Plaster Vault
Fittings—Chests: In ante-chapel—two, plain and
dovetailed with strap-hinges and ornamental scutcheons,
late 17th-century. Doors: In ante-chapel—in E.
doorway, of two panels with shouldered head, c. 1660;
in N. doorway, of two panelled leaves with strap-hinges and pilaster-strip in middle, c. 1660. Masons'
Marks: On N. wall of chapel—various masons'
marks. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In
lobby N. of chapel—on N. wall, (1) to William Wood,
1679, stone tablet with moulded frame; on S. wall,
(2) to John Myddleton, 1670–1, oval stone tablet
with putti and two cartouches-of-arms; (3) to
Thomas Yate, S.T.P., 1681, tablet with segmental
head and cartouche-of-arms; (4) to James Buerdsell,
M.A., 1700, oval tablet with enriched frame and
cherubs. Floor-slabs: In lobby—(1) to K.B.
(Katherine Butler), 1681; (2) to I.H., 1677; (3) to
E.C., 1688; (4) to Thomas Yate, 1681. Picture:
a Deposition, after Ribera, painted at Naples, c. 1630.
Pulpit: (Plate 44) In ante-chapel—hexagonal with entablature and panelled sides each with a perspective arch,
moulded base on turned legs with stretchers, c. 1660.
Screen: (Plate 79) At W. end of choir—of three bays on
W. face with modern projecting organ-gallery carried on
columns, side-bays each with two perspective-arch
panels; on front of gallery refixed cartouche-of-arms
of John Cartwright; on E. face, round-headed doorway with pierced spandrels and fitted with panelled
doors, upper panels having pierced and strapped ovals;
flanking doorway, panels forming backs of stalls with
hexagonal hoods or canopies supported on shafts, a
further pair of panels beyond with perspective arches;
the screen finished with an entablature, pediment and
cartouche-of-arms of Radcliffe; all c. 1660. Stalls:
fifteen old stalls on each side, with shaped arms and
moulded tops, panelled backs with perspective arches
and divided by Ionic pilasters supporting the carved
console-brackets of the continuous canopy; desks
with panelled fronts and standards with ball-terminals;
panelling at back of stalls continued beyond them to
the E. wall; c. 1660. Miscellanea: Eleven hassocks
or kneelers in woollen needlework, six with the arms
of Smyth, the others with those of Sutton, borders of
foliage and the date 1666.
Incorporated in the basement of the modern building
on the W. side of the New Quadrangle are three 12th
and 13th-century capitals, a 16th-century fireplace, etc.
For the new Principal's Lodging see monument (55).
Condition—Good.