PECKWATER QUADRANGLE

The Peckwater Quadrangle is one of the quadrangles of Christ Church, Oxford, England. It is a Grade 1 listed building. Christ Church Library is on the south of the quad whereas the Canterbury Quadrangle, with access ti Oriel Square via the Canterbury Gate is at southeast.

The buildings on the north, east and west sides are designated by Henry Aldrich and built by William Townesend during the 1700s. The Library, on the south side, dates from later in the 18th century. The first floor rooms in the quad have traditionally been sought after by undergraduate members of the college due to their size, with oak paneling and high ceilings.

Although Inigo Jones and a small group of other architects in the 17th century had conceived buildings that were rigorously faithful to ancient Roman buildings, it was not until after 1700 that patrons and architects became obsessed with designing buildings using the ancient orders of architecture precisely. An early example of this was the courtyard built at Christ Church by Dean Aldrich in 1707 to house rich undergraduates. The courtyard was a startling new look, and when the style was taken up by the circle of the royal court, it was adopted for houses, public buildings and churches everywhere.