The Radcliffe Camera is the round, domed library in the middle of Radcliffe Square, the building that stands for Oxford on countless postcards. Paid for by the royal physician John Radcliffe and designed by James Gibbs, it opened in 1749 as the earliest circular library in England, and it is still used as a reading room of the Bodleian Library.
The Radcliffe Camera at a glance
- Where: in Radcliffe Square, between the Old Bodleian Library to the north, the University Church of St Mary the Virgin to the south, Brasenose College to the west and All Souls College to the east.
- Built: 1737–1749; the foundation stone was laid on 17 May 1737 and the library opened on 13 April 1749.
- By: the architect James Gibbs, after earlier designs by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
- What it is today: a reading room of the Bodleian Libraries, linked underground to the rest of the library; the interior is reserved for readers and not generally open to visitors.
- Time needed: 15 to 20 minutes to walk around the square, longer if you climb the tower of St Mary's for the view.
A doctor's fortune and a long wait
John Radcliffe was one of the most successful doctors of his day, whose patients included William III and Queen Anne. When he died childless in 1714, he left £40,000 to build a library in Oxford, on a site between St Mary's and the old university schools. Money was only to be paid after the death of his two sisters, and buying up the houses, gardens and college land on the site took more than twenty years, so building did not begin until 1737. Hawksmoor had made plans and a model, but after his death in 1736 the trustees chose James Gibbs.
The library opened in 1749 as the Radcliffe Library, also called the Physic Library, and later concentrated on science. In the 19th century its collections moved to a new science library, and the building became a reading room of the Bodleian, taking the name Radcliffe Camera, from the Latin word for chamber. The open arcade on the ground floor was glazed in 1863. Today it is connected to the Old Bodleian by an underground passage and book store.
What to look for
- The rusticated base with its arched openings, once an open arcade; the iron grilles in the arches are still in place.
- The coupled Corinthian columns that divide the upper storey into bays, under a balustrade topped with stone vases.
- The lead-covered dome and lantern: the first plan was for a stone dome, but after some of it had been built the design was changed.
- The honey-coloured stone, from quarries at Headington and Burford, which glows in the evening light.
- The cobbled square itself, closed off on four sides by the Bodleian, St Mary's, Brasenose and All Souls.
The best view of the Camera
From the ground the dome is half hidden by the surrounding buildings. The classic view is from above: the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, on the south side of the square, is open to visitors and looks straight down on the Camera and across the colleges. John Radcliffe himself is buried in St Mary's, so the view includes the founder's church as well as his library.
Tips for your visit
- Come early in the morning, before the tour groups, for a quiet square and clean photos of the dome.
- Remember that this is a working library: keep your voice down near the entrances and do not try to go in without a reader's card.
- Look for the Bodleian's guided tours if you want to see inside its historic rooms; tour routes vary.
Nearby
- Bodleian Library and the Divinity School: the university's historic library and its 15th-century vaulted hall, right next door to the north.
- University Church of St Mary the Virgin: climb the tower for the classic view over Radcliffe Square.
- Bridge of Sighs: the covered bridge of Hertford College over New College Lane, a couple of minutes' walk north-east.
- Sheldonian Theatre: Christopher Wren's ceremonial hall for the university, just beyond the Bodleian.
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Facts checked in October 2026.