My day-trip destination is Oxford, to see three of the less visited but no less impressive university sites. However, on the main route from London there鈥檚 an historical gem hidden in West London鈥檚 leafy suburbia, known as 鈥楾he Hillingdon Battle of Britain bunker鈥�. Its correct name is HQ of No. 11 Fighter Group, RAF Fighter Command. Like many second world war sites, we can see it exactly as it was when the door was locked after VE Day, May 1945.
This is where No.11 Group coordinated the South Eastern squadrons of Spitfire and Hurricane fighters. Famous airfields such as Biggin Hill, Northolt and Kenley took their command from this Operations Room, ultimately winning the Battle of Britain and remaining 11 Group HQ until the end of the war.
We鈥檙e given a tour deep into the bunker itself. Descending into 1940, the history is palpable. We see the original operations table used by the 鈥楶lotters鈥� and the 鈥榯ote boards鈥� with their series of indicator lights (still working!) which communicated the readiness of the young pilots and their aircraft to fly into battle. It鈥檚 perfectly preserved and we have a demonstration of how it was operated. During the Battle of Britain defences were stretched to the limit, and when the visiting Winston Churchill saw all the tote board bulbs glowing red he asked the Commander in Chief 鈥渨hat other reserves do we have鈥�? The response was 鈥渨e have none鈥�.
280 personnel, mostly WAAFs (Women鈥檚 Auxiliary Air Force) operated the bunker day and night. It was visited by Churchill on a number of occasions and by General Eisenhower. It was Churchill鈥檚 visit here in August 1940 which inspired his famous speech, 鈥溾�楴ever in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few鈥�.
On climbing the steps back to ground level I briefly visit the fascinating RAF museum, then set off for the 45 minute drive to Oxford.
There鈥檚 so much to see in Oxford, but I鈥檝e set my sights on The Divinity School and two of the colleges, Magdalen and Balliol.
Entering the City, the first view is of Magdalen College Tower, from the top of which the choir sings at 6am every May Day, and the bridge over the river Cherwell before it flows into the Thames. Magdalen was founded by the Bishop of Winchester in 1458 and Its alumni include Henry 8th鈥檚 Cardinal Wolsey, CS Lewis & Oscar Wilde. It鈥檚 the largest of the university colleges and I have a wander through it鈥檚 chapel and the spectacular 鈥楥loister Quad鈥�, then into the college鈥檚 own deer park from where there is one of the best views of the Tower from the water meadow.
My next stop takes me back another 200 years to Balliol, one of the oldest colleges, founded in 1263, with its grand dining hall and leafy grounds. Its western side was once the site of The Catherine Wheel Inn, where the 鈥楪unpowder Plot鈥� to blow up James 1stParliament in 1605 was planned.
The university grew organically during the 1100鈥檚, as opposed to being 鈥榝ounded鈥� on a specific date. The pupils lived in 鈥榟alls鈥�, the private homes of the masters, before the university was formally recognised in 1231. University College, founded 18 years later being the first of the colleges (although there are other contenders for that title)!
As such, there were originally no purpose-built central university buildings, the first being the Divinity School built in the 1400鈥檚, my final stop. With its ornate vaulted ceiling and tall windows lighting up the space, it鈥檚 one of the most beautiful buildings to visit. Its main purpose was for the oral examination of the pupils, who would have studied theology, medicine or law, with questions and answers being spoken entirely in Latin. Today it is still used for the students to don their gowns prior to receiving their degrees in the adjacent Sheldonian Theatre, built by Sir Christopher Wren, some 200 years later.It鈥檚 time to head back to London, having spanned 700 years of 妻友直播 history, from the founding of its oldest university to the Battle of Britain.
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Post by Tom, 妻友直播 Tour Guide