Somerville College, Oxford

Somerville College is situated on the north side of Oxford and offers an oasis of tranquillity on the edge of the bustling city centre, which is only a 10-minute stroll away, making this an ideal base from which to explore. Offering a clean and comfortable place to stay in well- appointed double and single ensuite accommodation, as well as standard accommodation with shared facilities to suit most budgets. All rooms are provided with bed linen, towels, toiletries and hospitality trays. Parking - Please note Somerville has no car parking facilities. Housekeeping - Rooms are serviced on a daily basis by college scouts. Laundry - Unfortunately laundry facilities are not available to B & B guests. Hen & Stag Parties are not permitted out of respect for other guests.

Somerville College was founded in 1879, in response to a growing demand to provide an Oxford education for women. Its founders named the College in honour of the Scottish mathematician and scientist Mary Somerville (1780-1872), and the Somerville family arms and motto (the notoriously untranslatable "Donec rursus impleat orbem") were adopted. Somerville alumnae have achieved an impressive number of “firsts” - the first, and only, British woman to win a Nobel prize in science(Dorothy Hodgkin); the highest ranking female officer of her time in the British intelligence services (the Queen of Spies, Daphne Park); the first woman to lead the world’s largest democracy (Indira Gandhi); the first Indian woman barrister (Cornelia Sorabji) and the first woman Prime Minister of this country (Margaret Thatcher). Countless others have forged path-breaking careers in academic life, politics, literature, science, law, business, education and the media. Breakfast is only included in the room rate where stated. (Breakfast is not included in Room Only Bookings). Although this can be purchased (Cash only) at the student servery between 8.00am – 9.00am (Mon to Fri only) Breakfast when included is self-service, with a wide range of hot and cold food, available from 08.00 to 09.00 in the grand first floor Dining Hall which has views across the main quad. With Somerville being one of former women's colleges, the dining hall, which comfortably seats 200, has wooden chairs rather than benches on which to sit. The magnificent gardens are available for guests to enjoy and garden benches are provided for you to relax when the weather's suitable, and you are allowed to walk on the lawns. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available using the cloud network. The Cloud is a 3rd party service and support for users is only available from the Cloud via http://www.thecloud.net/ (No telephone support is available from the Cloud). All bedrooms have tea and coffee making facilities. The Porters' Lodge is staffed 24 hours a day.

Facilities

• 19th century buildings
• 20th century buildings
• 21st century buildings
• Breakfast Included
• Public parking nearby (free)
• Public car parking for a charge (nearby)
• No parking
• No smoking
• B&B
• Historic Property
• Free broadband access (wifi)
• No luggage storage
• 24 hour security
• Linen included
• Towels included
• Central heating
• Continental breakfast (included)
• Cooked breakfast (included)
• Recommended walks
• Pub (walking distance)
• Museums (walking distance)
• Historic houses
• Gardens
• Golf course (a short drive)
• Recommended restaurants (walking distance)
• Theatre (walking distance)

Arrival information

On arrival please report to the Porter's Lodge to check in. Directions: By Car: Unfortunately, Somerville does not have any parking on site which can be offered to conference delegates, guests, or visitors. There are park and ride facilities on the outskirts of the City and parking in St. Giles is on a pay and display basis. To avoid the city centre, come into Oxford via the A40 northern ring road and take the A4144 Woodstock Road south for about two miles. Somerville is on the right just before you reach the city centre and the merge onto St Giles. By Train: The city is around 1 hour's journey from London Paddington and Birmingham New Street stations. There is also easy access from most other directions. Oxford railway station is approximately 15 minutes' walk from Somerville. There is a taxi rank at the station. By Coach: Gloucester Green coach station is approximately 10 minutes' walk from the College. There is a taxi rank in Gloucester Green market square, next to the coach station. By Air: Heathrow and Gatwick airport.