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Convocation House

About

Built between 1634 and 1637 as part of the Bodleian Library’s westward extension, Convocation House was designed to host the University of Oxford’s supreme legislative body. Entered through the Divinity School, it retains its original 17th‑century oak panelling, fixed benches, and the Vice‑Chancellor’s throne, with an elegant stone‑vaulted ceiling added in 1758–59. The chamber has witnessed moments of national as well as academic history: during the English Civil War and later outbreaks of plague in London, it served as a temporary meeting place for the House of Commons. Above it lies the Selden End of the Bodleian, named for the lawyer John Selden whose books it houses. Today, Convocation House is still used for formal university gatherings and is also licensed for weddings, blessings, and civil ceremonies, offering a richly atmospheric setting where centuries of scholarship, governance, and political drama converge in the heart of Oxford.

Oxford United Kingdom
Convocation House
Location

Convocation House is located within the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library complex, accessible through the Divinity School at Broad Street, Oxford, with the postcode OX1 3BG. Built between 1634 and 1637, this historic room was designed as the meeting place for the University’s Convocation, an assembly of all masters and doctors, serving as the university’s supreme legislative body. Its seventeenth-century woodwork, including original bench seating and a fan-vaulted ceiling added in the 1750s, creates a richly atmospheric setting. Convocation House is also known for its historical role as a parliamentary chamber during the English Civil War and plagues in London when Parliament relocated here. Situated adjacent to the Divinity School and close to the Sheldonian Theatre, it is in the heart of Oxford’s cultural and academic district, near the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, and other university landmarks, forming a key part of the city’s heritage landscape.

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