Originally founded so that monks of Ampleforth Abbey could take degrees at Oxford, St Benet’s is today comprised of both monks and lay students. Admitting only men at present, the Hall welcomes students of all faith traditions and none, inviting them to engage in rigorous scholarship within a community of learning inspired by the Rule of St Benedict.
As such, the Hall represents the closest living embodiment of the kind of community which shaped the University in the 13th century. We concentrate on a small number of closely related subjects, mostly in the Humanities, at both graduate and undergraduate level (see College website).
There are presently five monks in residence, four graduate students and 48 undergraduates. The building itself is a fine Grade II listed Georgian house containing a chapel, a library, a dining hall and bedrooms for its students, and possessed of an enclosed garden.
The monastic office and Mass are celebrated daily in the Chapel, and all members are welcome to attend if they wish. The main common room is shared by tutors, graduates and undergraduates, and all eat at the same common table, building an unusually cohesive community.
Facilities for students with disabilities
There is a disabled toilet on the ground floor and portable ramps for access into the Hall.
Library resources
The library, open 24/7, is principally an undergraduate library of
about 8000 volumes, a pleasant workspace with internet points and
computers linked to the University’s library network.
Computing Resources
There is a small, much-used computer room in the Hall, with an
efficient printer/photocopier/scanner. Wireless internet access is
available throughout the Hall.
Art, music, drama and sport
St Benet’s has a rowing VIII. For all sports, students are formally
linked to Trinity College, but may participate in the teams of other
colleges.
Students sing in University choirs, participate in
the Oxford Union, and in general are encouraged to take a full part in
Oxford life, its societies and activities.
