The city of Oxford grew up at the meeting point of four rivers. It became a centre of trade and government encircled by royal castles, manors and forests. Kings, Queens and bishops sponsored the University and founded colleges. The scholars built splendid buildings, and collected books and treasures. The course will explore creative tensions between the townspeople and the scholars which promoted the growth of the city.
Medieval Oxford
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 22 Apr 2026
Week 1: Setting the Scene: Town and Gown, the origins and growth of the City of Oxford c.1000-1500. St Frideswide and Anglo-Saxon Oxford; Oxford as a commercial centre; royal castles, manors and forests around the city; the origins of Oxford’s religious houses and the university.
[Focus on Sources: Bibliography and OUDCE resources; county archives and college records; 2 printed documents to study at home]
Week 2: The rise of the University of Oxford and its Colleges c.1250-1500. Kings and bishops as university patrons; town and gown conflict between citizens and scholars; University halls and colleges; politics and patronage – Balliol, Queens and Christ Church.
[Focus on Sources: foundation documents, rentals, statutes, seals, silverware and portraits]
Week 3: Town and Townspeople: urban government, trade and everyday life c.1200-1500.
Oxford City government; merchants and international trade; everyday life in artisan families; townsmen and women as university rivals and patrons – Lincoln and Magdalen.
[Focus on sources: records of city government; stories from the archives; maps and plans; Oxford Historic Towns Atlas map]
Week 4: Class Visit: The Architecture of Oxford, college buildings and historic libraries
Choices include: Oxford College buildings and archives, the Bodleian Library. Venues tbc.
[Focus on sources: historic buildings and their records]
Week 5: The Later Middle Ages: Reformation and Renewal. The changing map of Oxford; the dissolution of monastic colleges 1539; development of new suburbs outside the city walls; transfer of property to new colleges – Trinity, St John’s, Wadham.
[Focus on Sources: new colleges and their records]
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Preparatory reading
- Arks of Learning: a short history of Oxford library buildings / Barber, Giles
- English University Life in the Middle Ages / Cobban, Alan
- Cows and Curates: the story of the Land and Livings of Christ Church, Oxford / Curthoys, Judith
- Oxford: An Architectural Guide / Geoffrey Tyacke
- A History of Oxford University / Green, V. H. H.
Certification
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add your badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £180.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Virginia Bainbridge
Dr Virginia Bainbridge has taught at a range of higher education institutions, including St. Hilda's College, Oxford and Birkbeck College, London. Throughout her career she has engaged with adult learners and has researched and written history for a general audience. She worked for the Victoria County History series and the National Archives Manorial Document Register. She published Gilds in the Medieval Countryside: Cambridgeshire c.1350-1550 (1996), and is completing a book called Prayer and Power: A History of Syon Abbey c.1400-1600.
Course aims
Medieval Oxford was a city of scholars and merchants. The course will introduce participants to the origins of the city and the growth of the university and the colleges. It will also explore the everyday life of merchant and artisan families. The changing city will be studied through records and maps, and there will be a visit to a historic building.
Course objectives:
This course will introduce participants to the world of Medieval and Renaissance Oxford. They will encounter key figures in the history of Oxford. They will explore the origins of the city as a royal stronghold and the growth of its university and colleges. The everyday life of merchant and artisan families and city government will be covered. Town and gown rivalries led to conflict, but townspeople also became college patrons. The dissolution of local monasteries led to the foundation of new colleges and the development of new suburbs. The course will discuss publications, archive sources and buildings, manuscripts and art. There will be a visit to a historic building.
Teaching methods
The course will consist of 4 class topics and 1 visit. A detailed bibliography, including the titles on the reading list, more references to journal articles, and relevant extracts from original source material will be presented to the students at the first session.
Each class will focus on the topic for that week. The tutor will give a presentation of 30-40 minutes, followed by questions and discussion and a short refreshment break. The class will reconvene to discuss the topic. Participants will share their thoughts on journal articles and source extracts allocated the previous week. They may divide into smaller groups and reconvene afterwards to share their conclusions to add variety to the sessions. Visual material will be included in the tutor’s presentations. Participants will also be encouraged to bring visual information about art and buildings to share with the group.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will have gained an overview of the history of Oxford c.1250-1550. They will understand the origins of the city and its social structure. They will be able to demonstrate a general knowledge of the history of the university and the colleges. They will have explored primary and secondary sources, and also buildings and visual evidence. The course will provide a deeper understanding of the place of education in medieval and renaissance society.
Assessment methods
This course is non-accredited, so there are no assessments.
Application
Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.