Brasenose is one of the old mid-sized colleges located in Radcliffe Square with a stunning view of the Radcliffe Camera. With its warm and inclusive sense of community, Brasenose is known for being the “happiest” college. 

People often wonder about the origin of the name Brasenose College and how to pronounce it. It’s pronounced just as it’s spelled - Brase Nose. The college, founded in 1509, gets its name from the unusual bronze door knocker with a lion-like face, which now hangs above the high table in the dining hall. The original door knocker dates back to the 11th century, and was stolen by students from Lincolnshire in 1334 who wanted to found a rival university there. It was only returned to Brasenose in 1890 when the college bought the whole of the thieving school just to reacquire the door knocker. 

Famous alumni of Brasenose College included British prime minister David Cameron, Lord of the Flies author William Golding, Monty Python’s Michael Palin, Ashmolean Museum founder Elias Ashmole.