Magdalen College, Oxford (must see)

Magdalen College, one of Oxford University's prestigious institutions, is widely regarded as the most beautiful among its colleges. Established in 1458 by William of Waynflete, the Bishop of Winchester, it occupies a picturesque location next to the River Cherwell and the Oxford Botanic Garden. The college boasts a charming campus with the Meadow, Fellows Garden, and the Grove, where you can see deer in winter and spring. Addison's Walk links the Meadow to Fellows Garden, and a bridge connects it to the main campus.

Magdalen College's history is rooted in the dissolution of Saint John the Baptist Hospital in 1457, whose buildings were repurposed for the college. The Old Kitchen Bar, now serving as the college bar, was once the hospital's kitchen. Construction work commenced in 1470 under the guidance of mason William Orchard. He oversaw the creation of various structures, including the Chapel, the Hall, and the Cloister, which includes the Muniment and Founder's Towers.

A prominent feature of Magdalen College is the Magdalen Tower, a well-known landmark. Since the reign of King Henry VII, the college choir has performed at the top of the tower every May Day at 6 am. The Great Quad, constructed in 1474, showcases architectural grandeur, although the north side was reconstructed in 1822. The New Building, dating back to 1733, adds to the college's architectural diversity. In 1990, the Grove Buildings were erected as the most recent addition to the college's facilities.

Today, Magdalen College stands as one of Oxford's wealthiest and academically renowned colleges. It boasts a legacy of educating members of various royal families, including King Edward VIII of England in 1912–1914, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan in 2000, and Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the heir to the throne of Brunei, in 1995. Notable recent alumni include Malcolm Fraser, the former Prime Minister of Australia, and John Turner, the former Prime Minister of Canada.

In the world of literature and academia, Oscar Wilde studied "Greats" at Magdalen College from 1874 to 1878, earning a double first-class degree. C. S. Lewis, a celebrated writer and University College alumnus, was a Fellow and English tutor at Magdalen from 1925 to 1954. Lewis was a member of the Inklings, a literary group that included J. R. R. Tolkien, and they held their meetings in Lewis' Magdalen College rooms.