Tom Tower — Attraction in Oxford

Historical trademark at Oxford, Tom Tower is a bell tower in Oxford, England, named after its bell, Great Tom. It is over Tom Gate, on St Aldates, the main entrance of Christ Church, Oxford, which leads into Tom Quad.

Great Tom is still sounded 101 times every night, which signifies the 100 original scholars of the college plus one (added in 1663). It is rung at 21:05 current UK time, which corresponds to 21:00 in what used to be "Oxford time" (local mean time for Oxford, noon in Oxford always occurring five minutes later than noon in Greenwich),[9] and was at one time the signal for all the Oxford colleges to lock their gates. The bell is only rung by swinging on very special occasions.

This square tower with an octagonal lantern and facetted ogee dome was designed by Christopher Wren and built 1681–82. The strength of Oxford architectural tradition and Christ Church's connection to its founder, Henry VIII, motivated the decision to complete the gatehouse structure, left unfinished by Cardinal Wolsey at the date of his fall from power in 1529, and which had remained roofless since. Wren made a case for working in a Late Gothic style—that it "ought to be Gothick to agree with the Founders worke"—a style that had not been seen in a prominent building for a hundred and fifty years, making Tom Tower a lonely precursor of the Gothic Revival that got underway in the mid-18th century. Wren never came to supervise the structure as it was being erected by the stonemason he had recommended, Christopher Kempster of Burford.

In 1732–34, when William Kent was called upon to make sympathetic reconstruction of the east range of Clock Court in Wolsey's Tudor Hampton Court Palace, he naturally turned to the precedent of Tom Tower for his "central ogee dome with its coronet of pilaster-like gothick finials".The tower of Dunster House at Harvard University is a direct imitation of Tom Tower, though its details have been Georgianised, and stones from Christ Church are installed in one of the house's main entryways.

Tom Tower was the inspiration for the Clock Tower (formally the Old Arts Building) at the University...

Tom Tower is a striking bell tower located at Christ Church College in Oxford, and I was eager to explore it during my visit. Unfortunately, I learned that entry requires purchasing tickets online in advance. Since I came for a day trip and was unaware of this requirement, I was unable to access the tower, which was incredibly frustrating.

I discovered that Tom Tower was designed by the renowned architect Christopher Wren and completed in 1682. It features the Great Tom bell, which tolls every evening at 9:05 PM, historically marking the end of the day for the students at Christ Church. I also found out that the tower has gained fame for its appearance in the Harry Potter films, where it served as a backdrop for scenes at Hogwarts. Despite my disappointment in not being able to enter, I appreciated the tower’s historical and cinematic significance from the outside, making it a memorable part of my...

Historical & Landmark building Tom's Tower is unmissable both in the sense that you must come and visit it but also because it is so central you will definitely pass in front whilst you are visiting Oxford. It is a bell tower in the centre of town and is named like this as it is right above Tom Gate, St Aldates. It is also the main entrance to Christ Church College. It was designed by Christopher Wren built in the 17th century around 1681–1682). This is an iconic landmark & is well...