Somerville College
Somerville was founded (as Somerville Hall) in 1879 to provide an opportunity for women, who at that time were excluded from membership of the university, to gain some kind of higher education in Oxford. Now, it educates both female and male students.
The college has educated many eminent scientists, politicians and writers: Dorothy Hodgkin (Nobel Laureate), Dame Janet Vaughan (scientist), Indira Ghandi (former Prime Minister of India), Baroness Margaret Thatcher (former British Prime Minister), Shirley Williams (MP), Iris Murdoch (novelist), Dorothy Sayers (novelist), and Esther Rantzen (journalist), to name just a few.
Somerville College is well placed for visitors to Oxford. It has excellent facilities, particularly the Flora Anderson Hall (and Brittain Williams Room) and the Margaret Thatcher Centre, and offers a versatile environment for groups or individuals requiring meeting rooms, lectures, receptions, or dinners all year round. Somerville has a wide range of venues suitable for up to 192 guests or delegates and offers handsome surroundings for both indoor and outdoor events, including beautiful gardens and a wood-panelled dining hall.
The college can also accommodate large groups of residential visitors during college vacation periods and its spacious gardens can be used by guests throughout the year. We are able to cater for drinks receptions, tea parties, dinners and banquets as well as meetings for up to 200.
Somerville College
Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD
Venue Contact
Dave Simpson
01865 270677
events@some.ox.ac.uk
www.some.ox.ac.uk
7 meeting spaces with capacity for up to
250 guests for
- dining
- buffet
- theatre
- classroom
- boardroom
- cabaret
functions plus 307 bedrooms for accommodation.
Summary
| Bedrooms | Ensuite | Standard | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 307 | 68 | 239 | yes | yes | yes |
| Dining | Buffet | Theatre | Classroom | Boardroom | Cabaret | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Thatcher Centre | ||||||
| - | - |
60
See image
|
40
|
25
See image
|
36
|
100
|
| New Council Room | ||||||
| - | - | - | - |
20
See image
|
- | - |
| New Powell Room | ||||||
| - | - | - | - |
18
See image
|
- | - |
| The Eleanor Rathbone Room | ||||||
| - | - | - | - |
14
See image
|
- | - |
| Dining Hall | ||||||
|
192
See image
|
- | - | - | - | - | - |
| Reading Room | ||||||
|
35
See image
|
60
|
- | - | - | - | - |
| Flora Anderson Hall (and Brittain Williams Room) | ||||||
| - | - |
190
See image
|
100
|
50
|
50
|
250
|
Room by room
-
Margaret Thatcher Centre, Somerville
Mtc lecture theatre Margaret Thatcher Centre
Available during Term-time & vacation
Description: Opened in 1990, the centre comprises a spacious lobby, lecture room and anteroom, all with excellent disabled access opening out to a private garden. All three areas are interlinked; they can be used independently or on an open plan basis.
Facilities: Built-in audio-visual facilities and wireless internet access available college-wide with prior arrangement.
Accessibility: Full disabled access.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other - - 60 See image
Theatre space for up to 60 guests 4025 See image
Boardroom for up to 25 guests 36100 -
New Council Room, Somerville New Council Room
Available during Term-time & vacation
Description: Curved stone stairs lead to a first floor, elegant neo-classical style meeting room. With pale green walls and ornate plaster detail, there is a large meeting table and cane-backed chairs for 26. Excellent for boardroom meetings or presentations.
Facilities: Full wireless internet access college-wide with prior arrangement.
Accessibility: First floor, no lift.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other - - - - 20 See image
Boardroom for up to 20 guests - - -
New Powell Room, Somerville New Powell Room
Available during Vacation
Description: Located on the ground floor of a residential block, the New Powell Room seats 18 boardroom-style with natural daylight.
Facilities: Full wireless internet access college-wide with prior arrangement.
Accessibility: Ground floor, one step on entry to building.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other - - - - 18 See image
Boardroom for up to 18 guests - - -
The Eleanor Rathbone Room, Somerville The Eleanor Rathbone Room
Available during Vacation
Description: Intimate meeting room lined with books on ground floor of a residential block, Park 3 seats 14 boardroom-style with natural daylight.
Facilities: Full wireless internet access college-wide with prior arrangement.
Accessibility: Ground floor, one step on entry to building.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other - - - - 14 See image
Boardroom for up to 14 guests - - -
Dining hall, Somerville Dining Hall
Available during Term-time & vacation
Description: A beautiful, wood- panelled hall with south-facing sash windows, hung with velvet curtains, overlooking the College gardens. Portraits of the former Heads of the College adorn the walls below a majestic high ceiling. There are three steps leading to a stage and the High Table which seats 24. All other tables seat 12 to 14 guests on wooden chairs.
Facilities: Built-in sound system.
Accessibility: Full access via lift.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other 192 See image
Dining for up to 192 guests - - - - - - -
Reading Room, Somerville Reading Room
Available during Term-time
Description: An intimate dining space adjacent to the Dining Hall, with French windows opening out to a stone balcony overlooking the gardens. There is a wood parquet floor, cane-fronted book shelves on one wall with padded bench seating around the perimeter of room.
Facilities:
Accessibility: First floor, three stairs leading down to room.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other 35 See image
Dining for up to 35 guests 60- - - - - -
Flora Anderson Hall, Somerville College 
Flora Anderson Hall, Somerville College Flora Anderson Hall (and Brittain Williams Room)
Available during Term-time & vacation
Description: Recently refurbished, this is a modern and open space comprising of a large lecture room (Flora Anderson Hall) and ante room (Brittain Williams Room). Light and airy, the Flora Anderson Hall has inbuilt AV and a stage, with a lectern and static microphone. The Brittain Williams Room is often used to serve refreshments in or for break out space, and has a beautiful view overlooking the Quad.
Facilities: Built-in audio visual facilities and wireless internet access available college-wide with prior arrangement.
Accessibility: Full disabled access.
Dining Buffet Theatre Classroom Boardroom Cabaret Other - - 190 See image
Theatre space for up to 190 guests 1005050250