Exploring Oxford’s Astronomical History: Day Trip to Oxford – 26th September 2026
On Saturday 26th September, 47 Flamsteed members, joined by a few family members, headed to Oxford for a day exploring the city’s rich astronomical history. The group included some new members on their first Flamsteed trip, as well as members visiting Oxford for the first time. And what a wonderful introduction the day was to both the city and its astronomical connections!
Getting together at the start of the day
We made our own way to Oxford and met up at the King’s Arms pub. The Kings Arms served as our welcoming base throughout the day, they kindly hosted us for our morning meeting, and we were to return later for lunch and end-of-day drinks. We met at 10 am to register and collect either a silver and or a gold star sticker indicating which group we were in. With such a large party, we needed to divide into two groups for the day’s main activities. Our two guides, David Ingledew and Sumner Braund, joined us there too. We had coffees, some had breakfast, we completed registration, and we had our briefing there. And then, after must-have group photos, we set off on our day’s adventures - the city walking tour and museum tour!
These photos of the Flamsteed group were taken for us by the staff at the King’s Arms pub
Astronomy-themed curator’s tour of History of Science Museum, led by Sumner Braund
Sumner Braund, Curator of Founding Collections, began by giving us an engaging introduction to the museum’s history before highlighting some of its most remarkable objects. Sumner clearly had such a passion for the museum’s collection, and we were all impressed by her depth of knowledge and eloquence. For me, her discussion of astrolabes was especially fascinating, she brought these instruments to life with her expertise and story-telling.
Built between 1679 and 1683, this remarkable building is the world's oldest surviving purpose-built public museum! It originally opened as the Ashmolean Museum in 1683, housing the collection of Elias Ashmole. The museum was much more than a place to display objects, it became the centre of scientific enquiry in Oxford and an important and innovative hub for natural philosophers practising the “ideals of science”. The building was arranged with specimen collections on the top floor, an area of experimentation in the basement chemical laboratory and anatomy theatre, and a space for discussion and instruction in the entrance gallery. As the collections grew, they were redistributed to other new university institutions, and in 1894 the Ashmolean Museum relocated its art and archaeology departments to Beaumont Street where the museum remains today. Parts of the then empty building subsequently served as storage areas and as offices for the Oxford English Dictionary, and it was here that JRR Tolkien worked during his time with the OED early in his writing career.
In 1924, the History of Science Museum was founded through the efforts of Robert Gunther and Lewis Evans. Evans donated his private collection of more than 800 historic scientific instruments – mostly sundials and astrolabes, two of his greatest passions - and 1,000 manuscripts to the university, and Gunther successfully campaigned for them to be displayed in the museum building. This donation became the core of the museum collection, and the institution was originally known as the Lewis Evans Collection. As further objects were acquired, the collection grew in its scope, and in 1935 the name was changed to the Museum of the History of Science, and in 2018 to the History of Science Museum, as it is known today.
The objects highlighted by Sumner are described below. After her tour we were free to continue exploring the museum and its collections at our own pace.
Lewis Evans’ donation to the museum included an outstanding collection of 63 astrolabes (far outnumbering the British Museum’s collection of “only” 30 at the time!), and Sumner used one of them – a Persian astrolabe dating from 1647/8 CE - to describe how astrolabes work. Her knowledge of astrolabes was incredible and her story-telling captivating!
Sumner also spoke briefly about how nocturnals work, using a German 1557 CE piece as an example.
We then looked at another astrolabe, 1559, made for and owned by Elizabeth I. It was possibly gifted to her by her friend Robert Dudley, and/or perhaps used by John Dee, who became her royal adviser, to calculate the most auspicious date for her coronation. It was later owned by John Greaves, Savilian Professor of Astronomy, and used by him to take measurements of the 1637 lunar eclipse in the Levant.
Sumner then led us upstairs where she showed us a large armillary sphere, Italian, approx 1580 (unusually large as it was used for teaching not observations) showing a geocentric universe.
We then looked at an orrery, just one hundred years later, a heliocentric model, showing just how much theories had changed in a relatively short time. This showed six planets (no Uranus or Neptune yet!) and their moons. It was made in London approx 1758-1773, and is housed in the most beautiful wooden case.
Either side of this orrery are two globes - celestial and terrestrial – dating from 1740 and originally in All Souls College Library.
As we went up the stairs we passed by the magnificent 5 ft pastel drawing of the moon by John Russell, 1795. Russell was an acclaimed artist and portrait artist who was also a keen amateur astronomer and became obsessed with observing the moon. The picture is rather frustratingly hung high up on the staircase with a large chandelier in front of it, so difficult to get a good view. It is beautifully detailed and realistic, and even has a sign informing visitors that “this is not a photo”!
Also hung in the staircase was a new contemporary installation, Night Jewel, 2023, by Oxford-based artist Saad Qureshi. He wanted to show what it might be like to have the perfect home on the moon, and wanted it hung where it is to contrast it with the 18th Century observations of John Russell.
Another highlight on the staircase was a portrait of our very own John Flamsteed by Thomas Gibson, 1712, together with portraits of Tycho Brahe (a painting from Flamsteed’s own collection) and Johannes Hevelius.
Also by John Russell is the selenographia moon globe, 1797, which he made to demonstrate lunar libration and the parallax effect. It has a blank back dark side.
Our final stop was in the old laboratory in the basement where we saw Einstein’s blackboard, one of his blackboards with equations from his 1931 Oxford lecture on the Theory of Relativity. This was a highlight for many of us! Einstein specifically stated that his blackboards were not to be kept. However, two were retained by the university. One of them was wiped clean by a cleaner, which is why the one that remains is protected by a sheet of perspex/glass! Of course, we had to have our group photographs taken with this!
These photos by Poly Philippou, except for the last two group photos which were taken by Sumner our museum guide.
Astronomy-themed city walking tour, led by David Ingledew
David Ingledew is a historian and educator specialising in political and social, science and medical history. He led a fascinating two-hour walking tour that explored Oxford’s astronomical heritage, while also taking in other city landmarks, and the occasional public house and good beer recommendations! Something I found particularly interesting was learning about Henry Savile’s establishment of the roles of Savilian Professors of Astronomy and of Geometry in 1619, and how many of our Astronomers Royal held the prestigious posts. The stops on our walk are summarised below, drawing from David’s notes and with some additional observations of my own. I have tried to specifically highlight connections with Oxford and with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, although this only scratches the surface of the wealth of information David shared with us. David has kindly made his map and notes available to those who attended the walks, and they are also available to other Flamsteed members on request from Poly (email flamsteed@rmg.co.uk).
Sheldonian Theatre - Commissioned by Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury, and built 1664-1669. The architect was Christopher Wren, then Professor of Astronomy at Oxford, young with as yet little architectural experience (this was before he worked on the Royal Observatory 1675-1676). The unusual D-shaped design was inspired by drawings of Roman Theatres.
Sheldonian Heritage Heads - The 13 carved heads around the Sheldonian Theatre are an iconic feature of Oxford, though their identity and purpose are largely unknown, they have become widely referred to as the ‘Sheldonian Emperors’. These are not the originals, weathering over the years means that these are in fact the third set here.
David Gregory 1659-1708 Balliol College – A Scottish mathematician and astronomer, he was professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh, and a proponent of Isaac Newton's Principia. He was made Fellow of Balliol College, and in 1691 was elected Savilian Professor of Astronomy, instead of Edmond Halley, largely due to the influence of John Flamsteed and (possibly/probably) Isaac Newton.
James Bradley 1692-1762 Balliol College – Bradley entered Balliol College in 1711, he was appointed the Savilian Professor of Astronomy in 1721, and then succeeded Edmond Halley to become the third Astronomer Royal 1742–1762.
Christopher Wren 1632-1723 Wadham College - Architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist, in 1649/1650 he entered Wadham College to study Latin and the works of Aristotle. In 1653 he was elected Fellow of All Souls' College, in 1657 appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, and in 1661 elected Savilian Professor of Astronomy.
Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum – We walked past these incredible buildings, natural history and anthropologic and archaeological collections of the University. Worthy of another visit!
University Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Parks Road – a quick look at this while we walked past, a leading centre with a focus on climate and planetary physics.
Oxford Astrophysics Department - One of the UK’s largest astrophysics groups, renowned for research in cosmology, galaxy evolution, compact objects and exoplanets, and for developing radio, sub-mm, optical and IR instrumentation. It contributes to major facilities including the ELT, SKA and Vera Rubin Observatory, and is home to Zooniverse.
Frank (1863-1936) and Ethel Bellamy (1881-1960) 2 Winchester Road – I do love a blue plaque! And what a story these two have to tell! Oxford-born Frank Arthur Bellamy studied at Magdalen College School before joining the University Observatory as Second Assistant in 1881. Working under Savilian Professors Charles Pritchard and Herbert Hall Turner, he played an important role in the international Astrographic Catalogue project mapping all the stars and an initiative shared with 18 observatories around the world. Following disagreement with the newly appointed Savilian Professor HH Plaskett, he resigned in 1936 and died at this house two weeks later. He is buried in St Sepulchre’s Cemetery in Oxford. Frank had recruited his niece, Ethel Frances Butwell Bellamy, at seventeen, to assist with astrography, initially informally and later as Observatory staff. For their work on mapping the stars for the Vatican Observatory, they both received a silver medal in 1928. They also both became honorary Oxford MAs and RAS fellows. Together they recorded the positions of over a million stars. Ethel later worked in seismology, retiring in 1947 when the Observatory’s seismological work moved to Kew. She lived here at Winchester Road until 1949 and died in Weymouth in 1960.
Radcliffe Observatory - Thomas Hornsby 1733-1810, then Savilian Professor of Astronomy, first proposed building the Observatory here, and in 1768 he petitioned the estate of Dr John Radcliffe (1652-1714) for funding. On its completion in 1773, the Observatory quickly established a reputation as a centre of scientific knowledge internationally. Alongside making astronomical observations, the Observatory maintained meticulous meteorological records. Unfortunately for us today, the Observatory is undergoing major works and so was largely concealed behind scaffolding and tarpaulins. However, a rather attractive illustrated covering gave us at least a glimpse of what the Observatory looks like!
Penrose Paving, Andrew Wiles building, Observatory Quarter – A quick detour thanks to our member Jane’s recommendation, the pattern on this paving is made up of just two different diamond-shaped granite tiles in a unique non-repetitive pattern. In the photo below, because we are far enough from the Observatory building, you can see the globe on its roof peeking out above the scaffolding!
Mary Somerville 1780-1872 Somerville College - Scottish scientist, writer, and polymath. Somerville studied mathematics and astronomy in Oxford, and in 1835 she and Caroline Herschel were elected as the first female Honorary Members of the Royal Astronomical Society. Somerville College was founded in 1879 after her death in 1872.
Edward Bernard 1638-1697 St. John’s College - Studied at and became Fellow of St John's College. He began teaching astronomy as deputy to Christopher Wren, then Savilian Professor of Astronomy. Wren became too busy, resigned the chair, and Bernard succeeded him and held the post 1673 - 1691. He corresponded with and exchanged data with John Flamsteed regularly, and Bernard wanted Flamsteed to be the next Savilian Professor of Astronomy but that was not agreed as Flamsteed was not an Oxford graduate (he went to Cambridge).
Eagle and Child and Lamb & Flag pubs, on St Giles’ – Historic pubs frequented by CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and James Joyce. The Eagle and Child is currently behind scaffolding unfortunately undergoing restoration, but the Lamb & Flag is recently restored and open to all (though we did not have time to stop).
Nathaniel Bliss 1700-1764 Pembroke College - Bliss studied at Pembroke College and graduated with a BA in 1720 and MA in 1723. In 1742 he succeeded Edmond Halley as the Savilian Professor of Geometry and was elected to the Royal Society. Bliss worked with James Bradley observing the transit of Venus in 1761, and in 1762 succeeded Bradley to become the fourth Astronomer Royal, but held the post for only two years before his unexpected death.
Martin Ryle 1918-1984 Christ Church College – The great radio astronomer Ryle studied physics at Christ Church 1936-1939. He was the first Professor of Radio Astronomy in the University of Cambridge and founding director of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory. He was the twelfth Astronomer Royal 1972-1982. Ryle and Antony Hewish shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974, the first Nobel prize awarded in recognition of astronomical research.
Thomas Hornsby 1733-1810 Corpus Christi - Hornsby became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College in 1760, and Savilian Professor of Astronomy in 1763. Hornsby was especially concerned with the observation of the transit of Venus and in 1761 he observed the transit of Venus from Shirburn Castle in Oxfordshire. Hornsby was instrumental in the establishment of the Radcliffe Observatory (above) in 1772, and was made Radcliffe Observer in the same year. Hornsby made tens of thousands of astronomical observations, however these were not published until 1932, and were donated to Corpus Christi College in 1935.
Sir Henry Savile 1549-1622 Merton College - English scholar and mathematician, one of the scholars who translated the New Testament from Greek into English. He studied at Brasenose then Merton Colleges. He was warden of Merton College, Provost of Eton, and Fellow of Merton. In 1619 he founded the roles of Savilian Professors of Astronomy and Geometry at Oxford University, and many of those who held these posts were featured on this walk. Savile died at Eton in 1622 and is buried there. A mural in Merton College Chapel shows views of contemporary Merton and Eton and references to his literary achievements.
John Bainbridge 1583-1643 Merton College – Noted for his observations of comets, and he published a book about the great comet of 1618 - An Astronomical Description of the Late Comet. Bainbridge's work had come to the attention of Henry Savile and this led to him becoming the first Savilian Professor of Astronomy in 1619. Bainbridge went to Merton College in 1620 and stayed there for the rest of his life. He is buried in the chapel at Merton College.
Stephen Hawking 1942-2018 University College - In 1959, at the age of 17, Hawking began his university education here at University College, where he received a first-class degree in physics. In 1962, he moved to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where in 1966 he obtained his PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, specialising in general relativity and cosmology.
Edwin Hubble 1889-1953 Rhodes Scholar & Queen’s College - A Rhodes Scholar, Hubble spent three years at The Queen's College 1911-13 studying jurisprudence instead of science (as a promise to his dying father), eventually earning a master's degree. He went on to study astronomy at the University of Chicago and its Yerkes Observatory, where he received his Ph.D. in 1921. After the end of World War I, Hubble spent a year at University of Cambridge. In 1919, Hubble was offered a staff position at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Mount Wilson Observatory and Hubble remained on staff there until his death in 1953.
Edmond Halley 1656-1742 Queen’s College and Halley House - Halley entered Queen's College in 1673. He took with him a twenty-four-foot (7.3 m) long telescope, apparently paid for by his father. He studied mathematics and astronomy there before leaving around 1676 without graduating, in order to go and chart the southern stars. In 1691, Halley sought the post of Savilian Professor of Astronomy, but faced opposition from John Flamsteed, and the church due to his religious views, and the post went to David Gregory instead. Some years later in 1703, Halley was appointed Savilian Professor of Geometry and moved to live at 7 New College Lane. There is a plaque commemorating him on the outside gate pillar, and you can see where his observatory was on the roof. Interestingly, the building (which was double the size beforehand) was divided into two houses, with the Savilian Professor of Astronomy on the western side (No. 6) and the Savilian Professor of Geometry on the eastern side (now No. 7). Halley succeeded John Flamsteed to become the second Astronomer Royal in 1720, a position he held until his death in 1742 at the age of 85.
These photos by Poly Philippou, except for the last group photo by Yvonne Jacobs and the penultimate photo of David outside Halley House by Amy Scammell
Group Lunch at the King’s Arms
Most of the group were back at the King’s Arms for a group lunch. We had pre-ordered our lunches, and the staff at the pub did such an impressive job serving 44 meals in remarkably quick time. The fish and chips and the vegan burger had rave reviews, and the truly unbelievably enormous onion rings attracted much admiration!
Social chat and drinks - and the Moon - to end a great day
By the end of the day, I think it is fair to say that many of us were exhausted, albeit in a most pleasant way!
We returned to the King’s Arms again for a well-earned rest, drink and chat, swapping stories about everything we had seen and learnt during an incredibly full day. A few members headed off to photograph the Harvest Moon, but unfortunately the clouds had rolled in after a day of mostly clear skies. Others lingered a little longer and moved onto the White Horse pub just down the road, and some of the photographers came back to join us there too. Later the cloud cover began to break and the Moon finally made an appearance. We spotted it out of the window of the pub, and quickly moved outside to finish our drinks there and to photograph the moon with the Sheldonian Theatre – a very fitting way to end a great day in Oxford!
Photos of the Harvest Moon and Sheldonian Theatre by Poly Philippou (first photo) and Tej Dyal (second photo)
Thank you to so many people!
Huge and sincere thanks of course to our two hosts, David Ingledew and Sumner Braund, for their help organising the day, for sharing their expertise through their excellent tours, and for spending so much of the day with us both during and after the formal activities. There has been so much positive feedback from those who attended with many commenting on their depth of knowledge and their generosity sharing it.
Our thanks also go to Piers and his team at the King’s Arms who made us feel so welcome throughout the day. From hosting our group three times to serving 44 lunches with impressive speed and efficiency, ensuring everything ran smoothly despite the size of our group and helping to make the day a success.
And finally many MANY thanks to everyone who came on this trip and helped to make it such an enjoyable day. Both David and Sumner have commented how much they too enjoyed the day and how friendly and engaging everybody was! We did Flamsteed proud once again!
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