Brasenose College

Did you know we were the first purpose built natural history museum? This building was created to be a temple to science and nature, and house the University's science departments.

Our main court has seen some changes since 1860, but some specimens out on display then can still be seen today, like the Bluefin Tuna, affectionately known as the Tunny.

We are delighted to celebrate the 'Brasethrows' Ultimate Frisbee team, who brought home the trophy at this year's College Frisbee Cuppers! From team captain Benjamin Tilley: 'In their first proper year as a team, and for the first time in BNC history, the Brasethrows Ultimate Frisbee team fought against all odds bringing back the gold trophy from 2026 College Frisbee Cuppers! Following a heartbreaking loss 5-6 against Spades (The Chinese Society Team), we proceeded to go unbeaten for the rest of the day, with well fought wins against Worcester, Hertford, Balliol, Merton, and then Hertford again in the finals. Winning in our first year sets a high bar going forward but I'm confident with the passion in the team well have a good showing next year.'

Brasenose Netball enjoyed another outstanding season on court, building on last year's success with a series of impressive performances across Oxford's college competitions. The team successfully defended both the Mixed Coppers title, overcoming St Hilda's in the final, and the College League championship, demonstrating remarkable consistency and depth throughout the year. In Trinity Term, BNC also made a fantastic run to the Women's Cuppers Final against Trinity, narrowly missing out on the title in a fiercely contested match. While the result did not fall our way, the squad's determination, skill, and team spirit were evident throughout the campaign. Reaching another major final while retaining two titles marks an exceptional season for Brasenose Netball and reflects the commitment of everyone involved both on and off the court. College netball continues to thrive at BNC, and the club looks forward to building on this success in the seasons to come. We celebrate the recent successes with a new BNC wall chalking!🤩

Last Chance! Booking closes at 6am next Monday (22 June) for the BNC Alumni Summer Party in the Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London on Tues 30 June, 6:30-8:30pm. Join us as we express our gratitude and say goodbye to outgoing Principal John Bowers KC. (Alumni have been sent booking details by email.)

The Charter Window Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

Congratulations to Brasenose College Boat Club for their fantastic performance in the Summer VIIIs! 🚣‍♀️🚣🚣‍♂️ Here's Captain Flo Brooke:
"We have made BNCBC history with the best aggregate bumps movement ever for Brasenose in Summer VIIIs: our crews went a cumulative +14. The next best BNCBC performance was +13, back in 1947. We qualified 3 boats on each side of the club for the first time since 2003, and every single crew went positive. Our Men's first boat moved up a division, establishing their position in Division 2, and our Women’s first boat is close behind, ready to make the move up next year. Our Men's second boat secured blades with an unwaveringly strong performance throughout the week. It was an incredibly exciting week of racing to top off an awesome year for BNCBC."

Join us this Wednesday 3 June at 5:30pm, for a bonus and final Principal's Conversation with John Bowers, talking to Aparna Piramal Raje, best-selling author and one of India's most original thinkers on leadership. Aparna will share her inspiring twenty-year journey of learning to live and thrive with a serious mental health condition, bipolar disorder. Her bestselling book, 'Chemical Khichdi: How I Hacked My Mental Health' illustrates how personal mastery of one’s mind, intellect and emotions can help individuals to live to their full potential, turning vulnerabilities into strengths and enabling greater resilience, empathy and improved work performance. This is not a talk to miss!

N.B. this event is ONLINE ONLY (Zoom) - please register here

Online Principal’s Conversation – Aparna Piramal Raje – Brasenose College The final Principal’s Conversation of term will be held on Wednesday 3rd June at 5.30pm on Zoom and will see John Bowers talk to BNC Alumna, best-selling author, and one of India’s most original thinkers on leadership, Aparna Piramal Raje.

The College recently heard the sad news of Professor Geoffrey Warner’s death. Professor Warner was a Supernumerary Fellow in Modern History at Brasenose from 1994 to 2002. Before his appointment as a Fellow here, he had held chairs at the Universities of Hull and Leicester, as well as The Open University. He was widely published in the field of Northern Ireland’s history, and edited the diaries and papers of one of the junior Foreign Office ministers in the post-war Labour government under the title In the Midst of Events: the Foreign Office Diaries and Papers of Kenneth Younger, February 1950–October 1951 (2005).

'Professor Warner was actively involved in admitting and teaching Brasenose undergraduates throughout this period, a genial figure whose broad knowledge of the history of international relations greatly enriched our provision. In retirement, he continued to help young people, supporting the students at Didcot Girls School at sixth form level.' – Professor Abigail Green

‘Geoffrey Warner played an important role in the teaching of History at Brasenose in the years around 2000. His genial manner and large, ambling figure made him an instantly recognizable figure, memorable also for his wide-ranging knowledge, ample fund of apt quotations, and ready wit.’ – Martin Ingram

Next week, John Bowers KC will host his final in-person Principal’s Conversation! Over his time as Principal, John has led nearly 70 ‘conversations’ with guests as varied as Michael Palin, Jeremy Paxman, Jessie Childs, Antonia Romeo and more. He’s hosted politicians, film directors, historians, medics, writers, and plenty of Brasenose members, past and present. These talks have enriched the cultural life of Brasenose, and allowed College members and staff to ask questions of those they might not otherwise have met. Brasenose Alumni Society President Jane Johnson will talk with John about his legal career and his tenure as Principal. Join us on Wednesday 20 May, 5.30pm in College (will also be live-streamed and recorded). https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/event/special-principals-conversation-john-bowers-kc/

It's Ascension Day! One of the longstanding traditions is 'The Beating of the Bounds', with Processions from the University Church and St Michael at the North Gate coming through College to strike and mark the boundary stones within Brasenose. Read more about the history of Ascension Day at BNC here: https://brasenosecollegelibrary.wordpress.com/
Brasenose College Library

The Brasenose Alumni Summer Party will be held in the Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Hospital on Tuesday 30 June 2026 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

Join the Brasenose community at the biggest alumni event of the year, as we express our gratitude and say our goodbyes to outgoing Principal John Bowers KC.

There is still time to book, but tickets are selling fast so early booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment. Click the video link to catch a glimpse of the remarkable Hogarth paintings on the staircase of our venue (video courtesy of Will Palin (English 1990) and St Bart's Heritage Trust).

BNC alumni have been sent their invitations by email. We can't wait to see you there!

The Hogarth Staircase Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.