St Mary the Virgin Church is built in Perpendicular Gothic (late 15 C) and has a 13 C Decorated Gothic tower. From the tower, admire the view of the city's dreaming spires, domes, quads, and the surrounding hills. It has a charming and unusual Baroque porch by Nicholas Stone (1637). St Mary's is the University Church, and adjoins the first rooms used by the university, Congregation House, with the first library just above.

It was founded in 1509. The entrance and the main hall are also from the early 16 C, the library and the chapel from the mid 17 C, and the old kitchen is a 14 C relic of Brasenose Hall (the name come from the brass knocker which is nose shaped).

The Bodleian Library is one of the richest libraries in the world, with its almost 5 million books, manuscripts and maps. It was built in the 14 C and redesigned in the 17 C.

Trinity was founded in 1555, in the buildings of the former Durham College, which was abandoned during the Dissolution. Set back off Broad Street, behind gardens, the chapel houses the «adorable cherub» and woodcarvings by Grinling Gibbons. The 17 C library can be seen from the Durham quad, and north side of the Garden quad, opposite et Trinity Gardens, is composed of a row of buildings designed by Wren.