MAGDALEN CHAPEL & HALL
Directions
From Addison’s Walk, return through the Cloisters toward the main quadrangle.
On your right, you’ll see the entrance to Magdalen College Chapel, followed by a passage leading into the Hall.
If open, you may visit quietly; services and tours are posted at the entrance.
Orientation cue: The Chapel’s tall windows face the Cloisters — you’ll hear the faint sound of the choir rehearsing if you’re lucky.
About
“The Hall (included on guided tour only): Notice the fine woodwork of the screen. It dates from the end of the reign of Elizabeth I or the beginning of James I.
The Chapel: After Lewis’s conversion to Christianity in 1931, he used to attend weekday services in the College chapel.”
The Chapel of Magdalen College was consecrated in 1480 and is still one of Oxford’s most beautiful places of worship, famous for its choir and painted roof. After his conversion, Lewis began attending services here most mornings — a habit that grounded his faith.
He described his religious life as “quiet and practical,” preferring liturgy and silence to spectacle.
The Hall, dating to the 16th century, was where Lewis dined with colleagues and students. Its timbered ceiling and portraits of past presidents preserve centuries of tradition.
Together, these two spaces reflect the twin poles of Lewis’s Oxford life: contemplation and conversation.
