Belle Skinner Journal Saturday, August 27, 1887

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Saturday, Aug. 27

We left Leamington at eleven o’clock this morning for Oxford where we spent a most delightful day.  We took a carriage at the station and proceeded at once to visit some of the Colleges.  We drove first to St. John’s noted for its beautiful gardens.  Almost opposite this College is the monument erected to Cranmer, Latimer and ______(Ridley).  The exact spot where they were burned is marked by a stone cross in the pavement.  It is at a short distance from the monument.  We went from here to Trinity College whose Chapel is exquisite.  It is rather small but is filled with carving by Gibbons.  In the grounds of this College is the famous lime walk. A shaded walk formed by the interlacing of lime tree branches in the form of a pointed-roofed house.  Our next move was to New College.  Very old now.  The principal feature of this College is also its Chapel which contains a magnificent stained glass window, designed by

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Sir Joshua Reynolds.  We were shown the dining-hall here and also one of the student’s rooms.  A parlor and bed-room—very pretty.  We next visited All Souls College.  In this Chapel is a great deal of fine carving.  One whole wall being filled with images.  Then we went to Christ’s College where the nobility are educated.  The Cathedral here is very beautiful.  We saw after this the river where the crew practices for the Oxford-Cambridge boat race.  The river is filled with barges belonging to the different Colleges.  We also went to see the Examination building, filled with various kinds of marble pillars.  And also the Bodelin (sic) Library—containing 400,000 volumes.  Our last visit was to Keble College.  The chapel here is huge and wonderfully beautiful.  The walls are filled with mosaics looking almost like tapestry.  In the Library of this College is a famous picture.   “The light of the World”.  After seeing this, we took the train for London and are now here at the Metropolitan Hotel.