List of fictional Oxford colleges


Fictional colleges are found in many modern novels, films, and other works of fiction, probably because they allow the author greater licence for invention and a reduced risk of being accused of libel or slander, as might happen if the author depicted unsavory events as occurring at a real-life institution. Below is a list of some of the fictional colleges of the University of Oxford.

''His Dark Materials''

's His Dark Materials novels feature a number of fictional Oxford colleges:
The Inspector Morse series of books by Colin Dexter is predominantly set within Oxford and its environs, including the University. Consequently, many fictional colleges are named. The derived television series, Inspector Morse, Lewis and Endeavour, continue this practice.
T=TV series
NameSourceDetailsFilmed
Alfreda's CollegeEndeavour T: "Fugue"Trinity
Arnold CollegeInspector Morse T
Baidley CollegeEndeavour T: "Home"Last episode of Season 1Keble
Beaufort CollegeInspector Morse TNamed after Henry Beaufort, a Plantagenet royal and Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1397 to 1399
Beaumont CollegeInspector Morse novelsBeaumont Street is a short street in central Oxford. One end emerges opposite Balliol's side entrance, and it extends to the front of Worcester. Beaumont Street was formerly the site of Beaumont Palace, perhaps the "location" of the college.
Benison CollegeLewis, episode "Intelligent Design" Series 7 episodes 5/6
Carlyle CollegeLewis, episode "The Soul of Genius"Exeter
Chaucer CollegeLewisBased on Merton College. Named after Geoffrey Chaucer, whose son Thomas also managed the affairs of Henry Beaufort, Oxford's Chancellor.
Courtenay CollegeInspector Morse TBased on Oriel. Nuneham Courtenay is a village 5 miles south-east of Oxford; in the 14th century, the village belonged to the influential Courtenay family. Nuneham House now belongs to the University.
Gresham CollegeLewis, episode "Dark Matter"Stand-in for Lincoln. The "Invisible College" was a group of Oxford scientists who went on to establish the Royal Society. The group met at Gresham College in London.
Hescott CollegeEndeavour T: "Confection"Oriel
Lady Matilda's CollegeLewis episode "Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things"; Endeavour episode "Home"Amalgamation of Lady Margaret Hall and St Hilda'sLady Margaret Hall
Lonsdale CollegeInspector Morse novels and subsequent Lewis TCollege attended by Endeavour Morse.Brasenose
Lovelace CollegeEndeavour TV series; "Game", the first episode of Season 4St Catherine's
Mayfield CollegeLewis episode "Life Born of Fire"Mayfield Press is based in Cowley Road; the nearest college would be Greyfriars on Iffley Road.In and around Brasenose
PenvilleLewis episode "Old School Ties"The leader of the Oxford Union says she usually lives here; this is presumably a reference to her fictional college.
St Gerard's HallLewis episode "Wild Justice"Fictional Permanent Private HallSt Edmund Hall and Christ Church; exterior of college filmed at New College, with a barn entrance in New College Lane.
St Jude's CollegeLewis
St Saviour's CollegeInspector Morse, episode "Fat Chance"New College
St Sebastian's CollegeLewis episode "Lions of Nemea"St Edmund Hall
Savile CollegeLewisIn and around Trinity
Trevelyan CollegeLewis
Wolsey CollegeInspector Morse
novels and Endeavour		Based on Christ Church: Cardinal Wolsey founded Christ Church.

''Jude the Obscure''

's novel Jude the Obscure features a number of fictional 'Christminster' colleges, a thinly fictionalized version of Oxford:
Loss and Gain by St John Henry Newman tells the story of the conversion of Charles Reding, an Oxford student, to Catholicism. In the novel, Newman creates the following colleges: