Balliol College

Balliol College is among the oldest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, founded around 1263 by John de Balliol — father of the future Scottish king John Balliol — reportedly as an act of penance imposed by the Bishop of Durham. Its medieval and later Gothic buildings cluster around a series of intimate quads and are listed as a Grade I structure, the highest tier of architectural protection in England. Balliol has a strong intellectual reputation even within Oxford: alumni include three British prime ministers and poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. The college is open to visitors Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, offering access to the quads and chapel — a contemplative retreat just steps from the bustle of Broad Street.