It’s funny how names stick, even after nearly 800 years

Down this road, 

around this corner,

and through this gate

is my favorite Oxford college, at least so far.

New College

New College's official name is College of St Mary, which is the same as the older Oriel College.  It has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary" or more commonly “New College” because, back in 1379 when it was founded, it was the newest college in town. It’s funny how names stick, even after nearly 800 years.

Despite its name, New College is one of the oldest of the Oxford colleges and was originally established for the education of priests, there being a shortage of properly educated clergy after the Black Death. 

As well as being the first Oxford college for undergraduates and the first to have senior members of the college give tutorials, New College was the first college in Oxford to be designed around a main quadrangle which has been the pattern for most of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, as well as U.S. Ivy League colleges, built ever since. 

In the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, New College Cloisters was used for some of the Hogwarts scenes.  This tree (top) was the bakdrop in which Draco Malfoy is transformed into a ferret by Mad-Eye Moody (In the movie, not the book)

I also love New College's motto which is "Manners Makyth Man". The motto was rather revolutionary, in it's time. First, it was written in English rather than Latin, which makes it very unusual in Oxford, especially considering the College's age. Second, the motto makes a social statement. While it might initially seem to be suggesting that it is beneficial to have good manners, this does not really capture its full scope. What it really means is that it is not by birth, money, or property that an individual is defined, but by how he or she behaves towards other people.

New College's Grand Hall.  This is where the students eat!