Oxford Open Doors is run by the Oxford Preservation Trust, and provides an opportunity for people to explore the city’s historic buildings, community spaces and a wide range of places that are not usually accessible to the public.
In a first for the College, this year we will be showcasing not just our historic quads, Dining Hall and Chapel, but also TE Lawrence’s College bedroom, and the new Cheng Yu Tung Building, which opened in 2022.
TE Lawrence, later known as Lawrence of Arabia, studied History at Jesus from 1907-1910. He spent much of his undergraduate life living at the family home in Oxford, but lived in College for a time in 1908. His bedroom is now a meeting room, but within it are mementoes from his time at Jesus, including framed page copies from his highly-regarded thesis on Crusader Castles.
Lawrence’s bedroom is now a small meeting room named in his honour
Within the Cheng Building, visitors will be able to enjoy refreshments at the College café in our new Fourth Quad throughout the day, and explore the Digital Hub – a dynamic four-storey events space that is transforming how the College teaches, conducts research and engages the public in the digital age.
The Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub. Credit: Hufton + Crow
In Hall, visitors can learn more about the array of portraits that hang from the walls, including one of Jesus’ foundress Queen Elizabeth I. There’s also an opportunity to see where secret research was undertaken during the Second World War on Britain’s atomic bomb project – known as Tube Alloys, look through the doors of our 17th century Fellows’ Library, and view an exhibition celebrating the ‘Women of Jesus’ over the past fifty years.
The Fellows’ Library
This is a drop-in event so no booking is required. Doors will be open from 09.00-17.00. Self-guided tour maps will be available, and staff will be on hand to answer questions and support visitors with accessibility requirements.
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