Brasenose College

Brasenose College Welcome alumni and friends! At Brasenose, we value our community immensely. We want you to keep in touch with us, wherever you are in the world.

Originally established as ‘The King's Hall and College of Brasenose’ for the study of sophistry, logic, philosophy and, above all, theology. The founders of Brasenose College were Sir Richard Sutton, a lawyer, and William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln. The name of the College has always fascinated visitors to Oxford. There have been several interpretations of it, including the suggestion that it is de

rived from ‘brasen huis' (brewhouse). The most likely explanation is that it refers to a ‘brazen' (brass or bronze) door knocker in the shape of a nose.

The exciting discovery of a 'new' exoplanet that had been eluding observation, with Brasenose Tutorial Fellow Professor ...
26/08/2026

The exciting discovery of a 'new' exoplanet that had been eluding observation, with Brasenose Tutorial Fellow Professor Jayne Birkby as science lead on the observing programme, and Astrophysics DPhil student Luke Parker carrying out the observations. More in the linked article! 🤩

A planet that hid from astronomers for ten years has been found by a team including researchers from Oxford.

Very best wishes to Morgan Reynolds (Geography, 2019) and husband Stephen Reynolds, who are off on an epic adventure sai...
26/08/2026

Very best wishes to Morgan Reynolds (Geography, 2019) and husband Stephen Reynolds, who are off on an epic adventure sailing around the world on their 1979 sailing boat, which they have painstakingly refitted! You can follow their nautical adventures here

1,332 Followers, 453 Following, 43 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sailing Nesina ()

14/07/2026

Did you know we were the first purpose built natural history museum? This building was created to be a temple to science and nature, and house the University's science departments.

Our main court has seen some changes since 1860, but some specimens out on display then can still be seen today, like the Bluefin Tuna, affectionately known as the Tunny.

We are delighted to celebrate the 'Brasethrows' Ultimate Frisbee team, who brought home the trophy at this year's Colleg...
02/07/2026

We are delighted to celebrate the 'Brasethrows' Ultimate Frisbee team, who brought home the trophy at this year's College Frisbee Cuppers! From team captain Benjamin Tilley: 'In their first proper year as a team, and for the first time in BNC history, the Brasethrows Ultimate Frisbee team fought against all odds bringing back the gold trophy from 2026 College Frisbee Cuppers! Following a heartbreaking loss 5-6 against Spades (The Chinese Society Team), we proceeded to go unbeaten for the rest of the day, with well fought wins against Worcester, Hertford, Balliol, Merton, and then Hertford again in the finals. Winning in our first year sets a high bar going forward but I'm confident with the passion in the team well have a good showing next year.'

Brasenose Netball enjoyed another outstanding season on court, building on last year's success with a series of impressi...
02/07/2026

Brasenose Netball enjoyed another outstanding season on court, building on last year's success with a series of impressive performances across Oxford's college competitions. The team successfully defended both the Mixed Coppers title, overcoming St Hilda's in the final, and the College League championship, demonstrating remarkable consistency and depth throughout the year. In Trinity Term, BNC also made a fantastic run to the Women's Cuppers Final against Trinity, narrowly missing out on the title in a fiercely contested match. While the result did not fall our way, the squad's determination, skill, and team spirit were evident throughout the campaign. Reaching another major final while retaining two titles marks an exceptional season for Brasenose Netball and reflects the commitment of everyone involved both on and off the court. College netball continues to thrive at BNC, and the club looks forward to building on this success in the seasons to come. We celebrate the recent successes with a new BNC wall chalking!🤩

Last Chance! Booking closes at 6am next Monday (22 June) for the BNC Alumni Summer Party in the Great Hall at St Barthol...
15/06/2026

Last Chance! Booking closes at 6am next Monday (22 June) for the BNC Alumni Summer Party in the Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London on Tues 30 June, 6:30-8:30pm. Join us as we express our gratitude and say goodbye to outgoing Principal John Bowers KC. (Alumni have been sent booking details by email.)

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

Congratulations to Brasenose College Boat Club for their fantastic performance in the Summer VIIIs! 🚣‍♀️🚣🚣‍♂️ Here's Cap...
05/06/2026

Congratulations to Brasenose College Boat Club for their fantastic performance in the Summer VIIIs! 🚣‍♀️🚣🚣‍♂️ Here's Captain Flo Brooke:
"We have made BNCBC history with the best aggregate bumps movement ever for Brasenose in Summer VIIIs: our crews went a cumulative +14. The next best BNCBC performance was +13, back in 1947. We qualified 3 boats on each side of the club for the first time since 2003, and every single crew went positive. Our Men's first boat moved up a division, establishing their position in Division 2, and our Women’s first boat is close behind, ready to make the move up next year. Our Men's second boat secured blades with an unwaveringly strong performance throughout the week. It was an incredibly exciting week of racing to top off an awesome year for BNCBC."

Join us this Wednesday 3 June at 5:30pm, for a bonus and final Principal's Conversation with John Bowers, talking to Apa...
01/06/2026

Join us this Wednesday 3 June at 5:30pm, for a bonus and final Principal's Conversation with John Bowers, talking to Aparna Piramal Raje, best-selling author and one of India's most original thinkers on leadership. Aparna will share her inspiring twenty-year journey of learning to live and thrive with a serious mental health condition, bipolar disorder. Her bestselling book, 'Chemical Khichdi: How I Hacked My Mental Health' illustrates how personal mastery of one’s mind, intellect and emotions can help individuals to live to their full potential, turning vulnerabilities into strengths and enabling greater resilience, empathy and improved work performance. This is not a talk to miss!

N.B. this event is ONLINE ONLY (Zoom) - please register here

The final Principal’s Conversation of term will be held on Wednesday 3rd June at 5.30pm on Zoom and will see John Bowers talk to BNC Alumna, best-selling author, and one of India’s most original thinkers on leadership, Aparna Piramal Raje.

29/05/2026

The College recently heard the sad news of Professor Geoffrey Warner’s death. Professor Warner was a Supernumerary Fellow in Modern History at Brasenose from 1994 to 2002. Before his appointment as a Fellow here, he had held chairs at the Universities of Hull and Leicester, as well as The Open University. He was widely published in the field of Northern Ireland’s history, and edited the diaries and papers of one of the junior Foreign Office ministers in the post-war Labour government under the title In the Midst of Events: the Foreign Office Diaries and Papers of Kenneth Younger, February 1950–October 1951 (2005).

'Professor Warner was actively involved in admitting and teaching Brasenose undergraduates throughout this period, a genial figure whose broad knowledge of the history of international relations greatly enriched our provision. In retirement, he continued to help young people, supporting the students at Didcot Girls School at sixth form level.' – Professor Abigail Green

‘Geoffrey Warner played an important role in the teaching of History at Brasenose in the years around 2000. His genial manner and large, ambling figure made him an instantly recognizable figure, memorable also for his wide-ranging knowledge, ample fund of apt quotations, and ready wit.’ – Martin Ingram

15/05/2026

Next week, John Bowers KC will host his final in-person Principal’s Conversation! Over his time as Principal, John has led nearly 70 ‘conversations’ with guests as varied as Michael Palin, Jeremy Paxman, Jessie Childs, Antonia Romeo and more. He’s hosted politicians, film directors, historians, medics, writers, and plenty of Brasenose members, past and present. These talks have enriched the cultural life of Brasenose, and allowed College members and staff to ask questions of those they might not otherwise have met. Brasenose Alumni Society President Jane Johnson will talk with John about his legal career and his tenure as Principal. Join us on Wednesday 20 May, 5.30pm in College (will also be live-streamed and recorded). https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/event/special-principals-conversation-john-bowers-kc/

Address

Brasenose College, Radcliffe Square
Oxford
OX14AJ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441865287275

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Brasenose College posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Brasenose College:

Shortcuts

Share