MSc Historic Conservation: visit to Worcester College 2026

During February 2026, students on the MSc in Historic Conservation visited Worcester College Oxford, to look at the college’s extraordinary collection of 16th, 17th and 18th century architectural drawings - courtesy of Worcester’s librarian, Mark Bainbridge - as well as its equally remarkable collection of medieval, Georgian and modern buildings.

In the drawings room, with librarian Mark Bainbridge showing us some of George Clarke and Nicholas Hawksmoor's designs for the college library

The main quadrangle, with the medieval buildings of Gloucester College (Worcester's predecessor) on the right, and the 1720s Clarke/Hawksmoor library on the left

The college gardens, some of the largest in Oxford and a Registered historic landscape in their own right

The Sainsbury Building, an intriguing Postmodern addition of 1983 by Richard MacCormac

And the final photo showing the chapel, a 1780s building by James Wyatt rendered almost unrecognisable by a comprehensive High Victorian makeover of 1863 designed by William Burges.

Thanks to the staff and students for the report and photos. To find out more about the MSc Historic Conservation take a look at the web page here.