Living at Merton
Information on your accommodation, what to bring with you, eating in College, money and finances, and Oxford life.
Where will I be living?
Merton aims to accommodate all its fresher graduates and these rooms are allocated by the Accommodation Manager. These are single study bedrooms, mainly located close to the main college site in the Holywell Complex. This is a modern facility in central Oxford, located between Holywell Street and Jowett Walk and in three blocks, with a central Quad area, and close to the University science area and the Bodleian Library. You will be given your room number and precise location on arrival.
All rooms in Holywell Buildings are ensuite and are equipped with both wifi and ethernet connections. There are communal kitchens located in the basement of each building and kitchenettes on each level. All kitchens are provided with an oven and an induction hob; a microwave and fridge/freezer are also provided. Students need to provide their own cooking utensils/crockery and pans.
A communal laundry facility is provided and this is located across the Holywell Quad from the Holywell Buildings.
In subsequent years the Middle Common Room (MCR) run a ballot for the available rooms, usually around 70-80 depending on fresher requirements. The majority of rooms available in the ballot are located in Manor Place, close to St Catherine's College and Merton's Sports Ground and Pavilion.
For the duration of your time at Merton your postal address will be:
Merton College
Merton Street
Oxford
OX1 4JD
It is not necessary for the sender to provide your room number, as all mail is delivered to the Porters' Lodge, from where it is deposited into individual pigeon holes.
What should I bring?
The MCR First Days Checklist gives a lot of helpful advice about what you should pack for life in College. Please note that the College does not supply sheets, pillows, pillow-cases, duvets, towels, crockery, cutlery, glassware, electric kettles, or bed-side or desk lamps except where there are special requirements, such as in the case of disability.
Do also remember to bring key personal documents – e.g. birth certificate, passport, and proof of home address – to fulfil administrative needs in Oxford.
TV Licence
Once you move into College, you must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer - live, catch up or on demand. This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorder. It’s the law.
Meals are normally served in Hall three times a day. Copies of the menu (subject to last-minute changes) are published on a weekly basis on the intranet and online booking system. Vegetarian options are always available, and halal and kosher meals are available in the evenings on request. More information on meals is found in the College Handbook and here.
If you have any food allergies of which the College should be aware, please complete and return the Food Allergies Form before your arrival, and by Monday 30th September at the latest.
In addition, once you have arrived at Merton, you should declare your requirements each and every time you sign in for a meal in College. This is especially important if you are medically allergic to any of the 14 allergens listed below. In these circumstances, the Kitchen will be pleased to prepare an alternative meal free of the specified allergen(s). As well as declaring it on your meal booking, to avoid any possible mix up, junior members with a medical allergy to any of these allergens must identify themselves to the Dining Hall Supervisor before the meal begins and ask a member of the Catering/Dining Hall/Waiting staff if the food provided is safe for them before they start eating.
The allergens are:
- cereals containing gluten
- crustaceans
- molluscs
- eggs
- fish
- peanuts
- nuts
- soya
- milk
- celery
- mustard
- sesame
- lupin
- sulphur dioxide (at a level above 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre).
The College Handbook sets out all the fees and charges relevant to you during your graduate studies. If you have any enquiries concerning fee status or payments to College, please contact the Finance Bursary. Further information is available from the University's Student Funding website.
Details of the different types of financial support, grants and prizes available at Merton will be provided during your induction, and can be found in the College Handbook and intranet (SSO login required).
Oxford Language Centre
The Oxford Language Centre is open to all students, whether they are a proficient linguist or a complete beginner. Further details of courses on offer in 2025-26 will be published on their website.
Oxford University Newcomers' Club
The Oxford University Newcomers' Club welcomes to Oxford the partners of newly-appointed academics, visiting academics and postgraduate students.
