Queen's Lane is an 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 Queen's College, to the south and west.

At the south-eastern end of Queen's Lane is a junction onto the High Street

High Street, Oxford

The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...

. To the west is Queen's College and to the east on the corner is the Queen's Lane Coffee House

Queen's Lane Coffee House

Queen's Lane Coffee House is an historic coffee house dating from 1654, the second oldest still in existence in Oxford, England. It is situated on the north side of the High Street on the corner with Queen's Lane, hence the name...

, a historic coffee house dating from 1654, probably the oldest in Oxford.

Just to the north on the eastern side of the lane is the main entrance to St Edmund Hall, one of the smallest colleges in 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...

. The former Church of St Peter-in-the-East

St Peter-in-the-East

St Peter-in-the-East is a 12th century church on Queen's Lane, north of the High Street in central Oxford, England. It forms part of St Edmund Hall, one of the Oxford University colleges. It is now deconsecrated and houses the college library for graduates and undergraduates...

 with a square stone tower, now the library of St Edmund Hall, is just to the north of the college's entrance.

There is a sharp bend in the lane about half way along, following the boundaries of the surrounding colleges. The lane is largely surrounded by high stone walls with few windows, but with 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, a feature of Oxford college architecture.

At the north-western end, the lane continues as New College Lane

New College Lane

New College Lane is a historic street in central Oxford, England, named after New College, one of the older Oxford colleges, adjacent to the north....

, 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...

 to the north of Queen's Lane. There is a barrier in the road at this point to prevent through-traffic.

History

The part of the lane near the High Street was formerly called St Edmund Hall Lane in the 18th century. Past the bend at the middle of the current Queen's Lane it was called Torald Street. By 1772, both of these became known by the present name of Queen's Lane.

External links

• Queen's Lane, off High Street, Oxford
• Queen's Lane Coffee House information from Daily Information
  Daily Information
  Daily Information is a printed information sheet in Oxford, England, displayed especially around the University colleges and departments, but also in local businesses. It has been in continuous existence since 28 September 1964, mostly as a brightly coloured A2 sheet...
  
  
• Queen's Lane Coffee House information from OxfordCityGuide.com
• Queen's Lane Coffee House information from The Oxford Guide
• 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...