Regent’s Park is Oxford’s best-kept secret. Tucked away off St Giles Street and only a five-minute walk to the city centre, Regent’s is a Permanent Private Hall (PPH). What on earth is a PPH?! Well, it’s pretty much exactly the same as any other college, only smaller and specialising in the Humanities. Regent’s boasts a small undergraduate body of about 100 students, meaning you really get to know everyone and will be hard pushed to find a closer-knit community. The college is also home to many American visiting students every year, and has a strong MCR (graduate) body. In Regent’s, ‘brew’ is served every day at 11am and 4pm. It’s a great time for students to come together and take a break and basically means free tea and biscuits twice a day!
food! Regent’s is far from a ‘stuck up’ place. In the summer, you can walk/lie/ sleep/eat on the grass, play croquet and drink Pimm’s in the beautiful quad. If you want constant formality, you definitely won’t find it at Regent’s! Every Friday is formal hall. Unlike other colleges, most of whom have multiple formal dinners a week, by having just one a week Regent’s students actually attend and it’s a great way for staff and students to end the week. Oh, and Regent’s boasts the cheapest bar in Oxford – don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. At £1.50 a beer and £1 a shot, you can’t go wrong.
The oldest college member is Emmanuelle – the college tortoise. She regularly enters the Corpus Christi Race and always does well – despite being about 100 (nobody’s quite sure how old she really is). Regent’s is strong in sport and, on top of that, the college has a remarkable presence on the Oxford drama and music scenes – particularly for such a small college – with members of college being involved in all sides of production. Regent’s is one of the only colleges left to boast waiter-served lunches and dinners (and at incredibly low prices). You can get a three-course dinner for about £3.50! Tutors, staff and fellows all sit alongside students and eat the same
“Originally located in London, Regent’s is now one of Oxford’s most thriving communities.”
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