Tom Tower

Why go

The tower gives Christ Church an instantly recognisable face at street level. Wren's octagonal upper stage was added to an older gatehouse in the 1680s, bringing a late Gothic form to a building left incomplete after Wolsey's fall. Stand opposite near Pembroke Square to take in the whole composition, then decide separately whether to visit the college.

What to look for

• Wren's octagonal upper stage rises above the older Tom Gate.
• The tower frames the approach to Tom Quad from St Aldate's.
• The bell Great Tom gives the tower its name.

The full story

Tom Tower stands above Tom Gate, the monumental entrance to Christ Church from St Aldate's. Cardinal Wolsey's building campaign left the gatehouse unfinished when he fell from power in 1529. More than a century later, Christopher Wren designed the octagonal upper tower, built in 1681–82 by the masons associated with Christopher Kempster. Wren chose a Gothic character to sit with the older work, even though that style had long fallen out of fashion for major new buildings. From across the street you can read the join between the square gatehouse and the more intricate upper stage. The tower takes its name from Great Tom, the bell housed within it. Its architectural interest is visible without entering Christ Church, making the street view the essential experience here. The gate is part of a working college; it does not represent a separate public tower climb.

Useful to know

• View the tower from St Aldate's, especially opposite Pembroke Square.
• For the college interiors beyond Tom Gate, check Christ Church visitor access separately.

Your next visit

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