Gradel Quadrangles: William of Wykeham Statue

In this series, we spotlight the architectural features of the Gradel Quadrangles of New College, which officially opened on 13 April 2024. Designed by David Kohn Architects, the Gradel Quadrangles represent one of the most exciting architectural additions to Oxford in recent history.

As students enter what must be Oxford’s most beautiful Porters’ Lodge, sinuous in outline, they'll see a larger-than-life statue of the Founder of New College, William of Wykeham. The statue, which was carved by Oxfordshire stone carver Fergus Wessel, stands against the wall of the Tower and New Warham House complex.

Commenting on the statue, Warden of New College, Miles Young, said:

"New College is very conscious still of its Founder, and a since the Gradel Quadrangles are seen by us as part of the college proper it seemed important that William of Wykeham was represented here, just as he is in the buildings he himself caused to be constructed.

Here, we chose to show him face on. There was much discussion as to what he actually looked like; we don’t know for certain but we have some guidance from his funeral effigy in Winchester Cathedral, and Fergus Wessel has acknowledged this. Our sculpture of course is stylised, empathetic with the architecture, but something of the power of the man does seem to emerge".