The Lodge on Merton Street. Photo: © John Cairns - www.johncairns.co.uk
  1. Alumni & Friends
  2. Alumni Information
  3. Alumni: Coming back to College

Alumni: Coming back to College

Passing by?

Old Members passing through Oxford are more than welcome to stop by the Development Office for a cup of coffee. If you give us some advance notice we’ll be sure to set aside some time to catch up!

Visiting College

Please bring your Oxford Alumni Card to be given free entry to College (usually £5.00). Visiting hours for Merton College alumni are typically 10:00am - 5:00pm seven days a week. The College is closed to all visitors (including alumni) over the Christmas and Easter holidays. For details of any changes to our normal visiting hours please consult our Visitor information page.

If you wish to come to College outside visiting hours, please contact the Development Office or call 01865 276316 in advance, to make special arrangements.

Dining Rights

Mertonians who have obtained an MA or any higher Oxford degree are warmly invited to dine at High Table. However Mertonians do not have the power of introducing guests (including on Guest nights):

  • Mertonians may dine up to six times a year at their own expense
  • Dessert may be attended free of charge on guest nights (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during full term)
  • Dinner begins at 7:15pm (7:30pm Sundays) and those dining gather in the Queen’s Room (or the Upper Bursary outside term) from 7:00pm
  • Gowns are worn in Hall during Full Term. The dress code is black tie or equivalent when dining on Sunday evenings during full term

Please email the College Bursary or call 01865 286475 to put your name down for dinner, before 10:00am on the day you are dining or before 10:00am on Friday if you are dining at the weekend.

College Library

The College is happy to provide reference access to current publications.  It is essential to contact Merton's Library in advance of your visit to arrange an appointment, and to bring a form of identity with you on your visit.

To make an appointment to visit the historic library during term follow the link for more information. From July to September, at 2.00pm and 3.00pm, the College offers tours of the historic library, the Chapel and the main quadrangles. Alumni and two personal guests may attend the summer library tours without charge, but must book in advance by emailing tours@merton.ox.ac.uk.

If you wish to visit the Bodleian and you are not a current member of Oxford University, then you will need to apply for a Library card via the Admissions Office. This is free for Oxford University graduates.

Chapel Services

It is always a great pleasure to see Mertonians in Chapel for a service or a visit. Our main service of the week is on Sunday evening at 5:45pm. If you are coming to Oxford on a Sunday during term time, you would be most welcome to join us. Please see the Chapel and Choir webpages for details.

Accommodation at Merton

Accommodation is not available in College, except during specific College events. It will be detailed on the event webpage if College accommodation is available. If you are looking to come back to Oxford we hope that you might find the following links useful: 

  • The Eastgate Hotel, 73 High Street, Oxford OX1 4BE (01865 248332) - Situated very close to Merton
  • The Old Bank Hotel, 92-94 High Street, Oxford OX1 4BN (01865 799599) - Situated very close to Merton
  • Oxford City Guide - Information about accommodation including hotels, B&Bs and apartments
  • Oxford Rooms - Book a room at another Oxford college
Travel and Parking

Due to limitations of space we regret that parking is not available in College, except under special circumstances, and parking spaces cannot be reserved. Please contact either the Lodge (01865 276310) or the Development Office (01865 276316) if you would like to speak to someone regarding this. 

  • Parking in Merton Street is metered from 8am – 10pm every day.  If you are a Blue Badge holder, parking is available anywhere on Merton Street, provided your Blue Badge is on display. 
  • During certain College events parking will be made available. This will be detailed with the event information, and on invitations.
  • For information on parking in and around Oxford you can visit the Oxford City website, or to find out where your nearest Park & Ride car park is, visit their interactive map. 

If you are travelling from outside Oxford you may find the following links useful: 

These are third party sites and Merton College cannot be held responsible for any of the content.

Useful links

The following links might be useful to you, when planning your stay in Oxford. These are third party sites and Merton College cannot be held responsible for any of the content.

Tourist Guides

What's On