Grand Tour

   (History of each of
   the hundred houses
   of Holywell Street)

Holywell Bowling Green

Holywell Cemetery

Holywell Church 

Holywell Cock Pit

Holywell Cottage

Holywell Gallows

Holywell Manor

Holywell Mill

Holywell School

The Holy Well

Window tax

Listed buildings

House numbering

1830 directory

1839–1847 directories

1667 poll tax

Pubs

Timeline

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In 1866 New College started purchasing a very long line of 27 cottages on the north side of Holywell Street (Nos. 69–95 inclusive) from Merton College, with a view to expanding outside the city wall for the first time in order to accommodate its growing number of undergraduates.

The result was two enormous blocks, separated by the Holywell gate with its tower, plus an adjoining tutor’s house to the east. The college insisted that all drainpipes and plumbing were put on the Holywell side of the buildings, which thus show their backs to the street.

The range was built in five phases, and the table below gives the order in which the Holywell houses were demolished. Continue to follow the arrow above to see the occupants of the houses which disappeared, and pictures of the current college buildings.

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW COLLEGE’S HOLYWELL STREET FRONTAGE
East of Holywell entrance				Entrance	West of Holywell entrance
Phase 4: 1887	Phase 6 1894	Phase 3: 1885	Phase 5b: 1896–7	Phase 5a: 1896–7	Phase 1: 1872–4	Phase 2 1875–7
Tutor’s house by Champneys	An extra staircase inserted to join the tutor’s house to the 1885 block	Three-storey block by Champneys (“Pandy”)	Two more staircases by Champneys linking tower to his earlier block	Robinson Tower over Holywell Gate by Champneys	Four staircases (“Holywell Building”) by Scott	Married tutor’s 5-storey tower by Scott	Two more staircases by Scott
Formerly Nos. 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95 Demolished in 1887	Formerly No. 89 Demolished in 1894 Also filled gap to side of tutor’s house	Formerly Nos. 88 and 87 Demolished in 1885	Space beside original gateway	Formerly Gateway between 86 and 87	Nos. 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 Demolished in 1871	Nos. 70, 71, 72 73, 74 Demolished in 1874

The 1876 OS map (above) shows Nos. 87–95 Holywell Street before they were demolished to make way for Champneys’ Pandy Building. Their back gardens stretched as far as the Slype, which New College was using for stables.