The vaulted ceiling of the Divinity SchoolDivinity School, Oxford
- Best time
- Book a guided tour ahead if you want to see Duke Humfrey's Library upstairs
- Getting there
- A short walk from the centre of Oxford, opposite the Sheldonian Theatre
Why it’s in the log
The Divinity School was built between 1427 and 1483 as the university's first purpose-built room for lectures and exams. Its stone ceiling, by William Orchard, has 455 carved bosses. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone it plays the Hogwarts infirmary.
Upstairs is Duke Humfrey's Library, the oldest reading room in the Bodleian, where Harry slips into the Restricted Section under his invisibility cloak. It's still a working library and can be seen only on a guided tour; the Divinity School has its own, cheaper ticket.
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Christ Church, Oxford
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