The Bridge, Oxford, UK, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford, officially Hertford Bridge, is a covered bridge that links two parts of Hertford College across New College Lane. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city, and it sits in the middle of the old university quarter, a few steps from the Bodleian Library.

The story behind it

Hertford Bridge was completed in 1914 to a design by the architect Thomas Graham Jackson, and it joins the college's old and new buildings high above the street. The nickname comes from its resemblance to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice, though it is not a copy of it. The two bridges have little in common beyond being covered and arched.

The lane beneath it leads past some of Oxford's oldest university buildings, including the Bodleian Library. The Bodleian opened to scholars in 1602 and owes its name to Sir Thomas Bodley, who rescued and extended an earlier university library. Its oldest reading room, Duke Humfrey's Library, dates from the 15th century and lost many of its books in the religious upheavals of the 16th century. Students call the library 'The Bod'. It is the second-largest library in the UK after the British Library. Bodley's rule that books never leave the building still stands, and the story goes that even King Charles I was refused a loan in 1645. Duke Humfrey's will look familiar to Harry Potter fans, as it appears as the Hogwarts library in the films.

What to look for

• Stand in the middle of New College Lane and look straight up at the enclosed bridge, with its arched windows and stone tracery, for the classic view.
• Notice how the bridge connects two different buildings of Hertford College, one older and one added in the early 20th century.
• Look back from the bridge's far end towards Catte Street to see the Bodleian and the Radcliffe Camera close by.
• Pay attention to the narrow, winding lane itself, with its high college walls, which feels much as it might have for centuries.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the bridge from the street for free. It is part of a working college, so it is not a public crossing.
• Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the bridge and the lane, or longer if you combine it with the Bodleian and other nearby colleges.
• Go early in the morning or later in the day when the lane is quieter and it is easier to take photos without crowds.
• The Turf Tavern, a well-known old pub, is reached by a narrow passage close to the bridge. Check current opening hours for the Bodleian and the colleges if you want to go inside.

See it on a quest

Oxford Famous Alumni: City Tour & Escape Game Adventure is a good way to see the bridge as part of a longer walk through the university quarter. You walk to it on foot, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Oxford and the Thief of Time takes you through the same historic streets with a time-themed adventure. The app gives you the background at each stop, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you see. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Oxford, UK turns the lanes around the bridge into a mystery to work through on foot. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.