Dreaming Spires

On a lovely summer day in July I went to the top of the Sheldonian theatre, a prominent  building in Oxford built by Christopher Wren. From the top, there are excellent views of the city.  Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings. When you get a birds-eye view of Oxford, you can see why Arnold referred to the "dreaming spires" -- there are spires everywhere.

The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library.  I've been told that the Bodeleian Library has at least on copy of every book ever published in Great Britain. 

The Radcliffe Camera is one of the iconic buildings of Oxford. It was designed by James Gibbs in the English Palladian style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library.  Today is it used as a reading room for students and faculty.  It is not open to the public.

This is the Tower of the Five Orders. The Tower is so named because it is ornamented, in ascending order, with the columns of each of the five orders of classical architecture. 

This is looking down Broad Street toward Balliol College which was founded in 1263. 

The top of the Clarendon Building, which used to house the Oxford University Press, and now is office space for the Bodleian library. The statues on top are the Muses (I think).

Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs, is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane.  It was copied after the style of the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge in Venice.  It is another popular city landmark.