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

The Heads, often called the Emperors' heads, are a row of carved stone heads set on pillars along the railings of the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street in Oxford. They have looked out over the street since the 17th century and are among the most photographed small details in the city centre. You can see them for free from the pavement at any time.

The story behind it

The Sheldonian Theatre was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built in the 1660s. It is still used for the University of Oxford's matriculation and graduation ceremonies, so the heads have watched generations of students arrive at the start of their studies and leave at the end. Wren left his mark on Oxford, but he is buried in his greatest work, St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The stone faces suffer from the English weather, and the heads you see today are not the originals. They have been replaced more than once over the centuries, and the current set was carved in 1972. Look at them for a moment and you will see why people often describe their wide, staring eyes as startled.

What to look for

• Each head has its own bearded, heavy-browed face, so walk along the railings and compare them rather than glancing at just one.
• The pillars and the railings frame the Sheldonian's classical stone front, which is a good way to appreciate Wren's design from the street.
• The weathering on the stone shows how the elements have worked on the carvings, and why the originals needed replacing.
• Next door, the Old Ashmolean building houses the History of Science Museum, which holds the blackboard Albert Einstein used in a lecture in Oxford in 1931, with his chalk equations preserved.

Tips for your visit

• Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty for the heads themselves. Allow more if you plan to go inside the Sheldonian or the museum.
• The heads are outdoors and can be seen at any hour. Morning light is gentler for photos and the street is quieter then.
• Check current opening hours before you plan to go inside the Sheldonian Theatre or the History of Science Museum, as visiting arrangements change.
• Broad Street is in the heart of Oxford, so you can easily combine the heads with nearby colleges, bookshops and the Bodleian area on foot.

See it on a quest

Oxford Famous Alumni: City Tour & Escape Game Adventure is a good fit for this spot, since the Sheldonian is where Oxford's students begin and end their studies. You reach the heads on foot as one stop on a longer route through the city, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Oxford and the Thief of Time takes you past the heads on a self-guided walk through the same streets. You get the story of each place as you reach it and a puzzle to solve on the spot, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Oxford, UK suits readers who like their sightseeing with a darker edge. You walk to the Sheldonian and the heads as one stop on the route, hear about the place from the app, and work out a puzzle from what is around you. One ticket covers the whole group.