ISSHP Oxford 2009

Keble College was founded in memory of John Keble (1792-1866), a founding member of the so-called ‘Tractarian’ movement which sought to recover the Catholic heritage of the Church of England. The College opened its doors to just thirty students in 1870, and the Chapel was opened on St Mark’s Day 1876. The architect was William Butterfield, whose striking polychromatic brickwork, ‘the most approved “holy zebra” style’ in the eyes of its critics, served as a defiant assertion of a distinctively high church position.

Keble has moved a long way since those early days, now having 435 undergraduate students and 226 graduate students. There are 43 Fellows who are members of its Governing Body, and they cover a huge variety of disciplines from Aegean Archaeology to Internet Governance.

In the heart of the city, Keble College is directly opposite the University Museum and University Parks and a gentle stroll away from the Sheldonian Theatre, Bodleian Library, Blackwell's bookshop, the historic pubs of St Giles and the fashionable restaurants of Little Clarendon Street and Jericho.

Where is Keble College?

Keble College is situated on the northern edge of Oxford city centre, just off Banbury Road and the northern end of St Giles. It is opposite the University science area and the University Parks.

Visiting Keble

Keble College is open to the public during the Vacations (Summer: July, August and September; Christmas: mid-December to mid-January; and Easter: mid-March to mid-April) between 2pm and 5pm. However, they do sometimes have events which necessitate closing the College to visitors, so it is always wise to contact the porters prior to planning a visit.

Travelling by rail

The railway station is approximately 20 minutes' walk from Keble College.
Taxi services are available outside the Station entrance.
For rail travel information ring +44 (0)8457 484950 or visit the Network Rail website.

Travelling by coach

Express coach services run between Oxford and London (1-1½ hours), London Heathrow, Birmingham and other destinations nationwide.
The Coach Station at Gloucester Green is approximately 15 minutes' walk from Keble College.
Taxi Services are available from Gloucester Green.

For coach travel information contact:

The Oxford Bus Company
395 Cowley Road, Oxford
Telephone +44 (0)1865 785400

Stagecoach, Oxford
Oxford Tube
Bus Station, Gloucester Green, Oxford
Telephone +44 (0)1865 727000

National Express
Telephone +44 (0)8705 808080

Travelling by car

Oxford suffers from severe traffic congestion, and we recommend that if possible you use public transport when visiting the City. Since parking in the city centre is also very limited, you may wish to use the Park and Ride facilities on the ringroad. See the maps below for more detailed instructions.

From London and the South-East, take Junction 8 (A40) from the M40 and follow straight through towards the City Centre; turn right immediately past Magdalen Bridge.
From the North, Junction 9 off the M40 leads to North Oxford.
From the West, the A40 also enters North Oxford, at the Banbury Road. Then approach via Parks Road.
From the South or South-West, take the A34 or A420 to the Botley interchange.

Travelling by air

Oxford is conveniently reached from Heathrow Airport (1¼ hours), Gatwick Airport (2½ hours) by coach. There is a frequent bus service from Heathrow.

Venue