Oxford and the Inklings

Every once in a while I check the "Popular Posts" section in the right hand column to see what visitors to the blog have been reading (I can't identify who), and am sometimes reminded of a favorite. This is one of them, slightly modified, dating from 2014:

In 1988 two of my closest friends, Norman and Faith Burdick, were living in England with their then young daughter, Flannery, and I took advantage of that circumstance to make my first visit to the United Kingdom. I was there for three weeks and for one of them they were my hosts — the kindest and most generous of hosts. They took me many places I might not otherwise have visited. One of those places was Oxford. Each of us had read Lewis and Tolkien and were admirers. I took no pictures but they did and after my return I received a packet of them. I just happened across them after thinking they were lost. These are most of the ones that were related to the Inklings.

Magdalen College - where C.S. Lewis taught while at Oxford

Magdalen College Tower

Cloisters - Magdalen College

New Building, Magdalen College - where Lewis's rooms were located

Norman and me in front of the New Building

The location of the rooms that C.S. Lewis had while at Magdalen are just to the right of the entry on what the English call the first floor (we, the second). These are the rooms where the Inklings would gather in the evening to hear Lewis, or Tolkien, or one of the others, read from a work in progress.

Magdalen College Deer Park - behind the New Building

Entry gate to Addison's Walk

Pond at the end of Addison's Walk (with Flannery)

Tolkien's house

The pond on the grounds of The Kilns - Lewis's home in Headington

Holy Trinity Church, Headington - where Lewis worshiped and is buried

The grave of C.S. Lewis and his brother W.H. Lewis

Norman and me at the grave