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Founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete, Magdalen College is one of Oxford University’s most prestigious seats of learning, known for its stunning architecture and rich history. It was named after St Mary Magdalene. According to its website, Waynflete: “[W]anted a college on the grandest scale, and his foundation was the largest in Oxford, with 40 Fellows, 30 scholars (known at Magdalen as Demies), and a large choir for his Chapel. Waynflete lived to a great age, dying in 1486, by which time Magdalen was equipped with a large income, splendid buildings, and a set of statutes.” Its Great Tower, built in the 15th century, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Oxford. The college boasts a beautiful park, home to a herd of fallow deer since the 16thCentury. Famous alumni include Thomas Wolsey, writer C S Lewis, A.J.P. Taylor, poet John Betjeman, actor Dudley Moore, and several British Prime Ministers. The college is also known for its May Morning tradition, where the choir sings from the top of the Great Tower to celebrate the arrival of spring. With centuries of legacies, it is one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford – and so the World. This street in Earlsfield was laid out on land that once formed part of the manor of All Farthing, which was owned by Thomas Sheppard, a Doctor of Divinity from Magdalen College. When Thomas died he left his fortune to his wife Sophia Sheppard, who became a generous benefactor to her husband’s former college, leaving them extensive land in Earlsfield. The college began to develop it for housing from the early 1930s.
