New College Lane is a historic street in central Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, named after New College

New College, Oxford

New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...

, one of the older Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

 colleges, adjacent to the north.

At the northwestern end of New College Lane is a junction onto Catte Street

Catte Street

Catte Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.- Location :Catte Street runs north-south, continuing as Parks Road to the north...

, with the Sheldonian Theatre

Sheldonian Theatre

The Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...

 opposite. The main feature is the Bridge of Sighs

Bridge of Sighs (Oxford)

Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs, is a skyway over New College Lane in Oxford, England.- Misnomer and myth :The bridge is often referred to as the Bridge of Sighs because of its supposed similarity to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice...

, a covered bridge

Covered bridge

A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...

 that connects two parts of Hertford College

Hertford College, Oxford

Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...

, completed in 1914. This attracts many tourists for the view.

Just beyond to the east on the north side of the lane is a terraced house that was occupied by Edmund Halley, after whom Halley's Comet is named. There is a plaque

Blue plaque

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....

 recording the fact. Also to the north is a small alley leading past some of the historic city wall to the Turf Tavern

Turf Tavern

The Turf Tavern is a popular but well-hidden historic public house in central Oxford, England. Its foundations date from the 13th century and the low beamed front bar area from the 17th...

, a hidden but favourite public house for students and tourists.

The lane has several sharp bends following the boundaries of the surrounding colleges. In particular, there is a rear entrance to New College. The lane is largely surrounded by high stone walls with few windows. Some good examples of gargoyle

Gargoyle

In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...

s can be seen, a feature of Oxford college architecture.

At the southeastern end, the lane becomes Queen's Lane

Queen's Lane

Queen's Lane is an historic street in central Oxford, England, named after Queen's College, to the south and west.At the south-eastern end of Queen's Lane is a junction onto the High Street...

, named after Queen's College to the south. There is a gate in the road at this point to prevent through-traffic.

In 2010, New College Lane was named Britain's fourth most picturesque street, as part of Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

's Street View Awards.

Current residents include Labour Parliamentary candidate Emily Benn

Emily Benn

Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn is the eldest child and only daughter of Stephen Benn and Nita Clarke . Four generations of her family have served as Members of Parliament — her uncle Hilary Benn, grandfather Tony Benn, great-grandfather William Wedgwood Benn, and great-great-grandfathers John...

.

External links

• Oxford Walks: Inner circuit — From Broad Street
  Broad Street, Oxford
  Broad Street is a wide street in central Oxford, England, located just north of the old city wall.The street is known for its bookshops, including the original Blackwell's bookshop at number 50, located here due to the University...
  
   to Merton Street
  Merton Street
  Merton Street is a historic and picturesque cobbled lane in central Oxford, England. It joins the High Street at its northeastern end, between the Ruskin School of Drawing & Fine Art and the Eastgate Hotel at the historic east gate of the city...