# Turl Street

Turl Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.

## Location

The street is located in the city centre, linking Broad Street at the north and High Street at the south. It intersects with Brasenose Lane to the east, and Market Street and Ship Street to the west. These streets link Turl Street to the busy Cornmarket, and to the iconic Radcliffe Square.
It is colloquially known as The Turl and is home to three of the University of Oxford's historic colleges: Exeter, Lincoln and Jesus. It meets the High Street by the early 18th century All Saints church, which has been Lincoln College's library since the 1970s.

## History

Turl Street was called St Mildred's Street in 1363, but was known as Turl Gate Street by the mid-17th century. It acquired this name from a twirling gate (demolished in 1722) which was in a postern in the city wall. The part to the south of Ship Street was known as Lincoln College Lane in 1751.
Originally the Turl came to an abrupt halt at its junction with Ship Street, where it reached the city wall and the twirling gate. By 1551, it was extended by a path (known as "The path leading from the Hole in the Wall") to reach what is now Broad Street, and in 1722 the gate was removed altogether.
The Turl has been closed to traffic (except for access) since 1985. A rising bollard, installed by the Oxford City Council, cuts it off in the middle.

## Commerce

As well as the three Turl Street colleges, the street houses several shops, including an Oxfam bookshop, one jewellery shop, a café, a stationery shop (Scriptum Fine Stationery), a whisky shop, a wine shop and the traditional gentleman's tailors, Walters of Oxford.
From about 1900 to 2016 No.6 was the sole retail outlet shop of bespoke handmade shoemakers Ducker and Son. Ducker's ladies department operated from No.13 in post-war years. Duckers shoes were posted to customers worldwide, having been made on personal foot lasts.
16 Turl Street was the site of one of the first Indian restaurants in England outside London, opened in 1937 by an Indian-born law student; Bir Bahadur, who having established an Indian restaurant in London (The Kohinoor in Roper Street), moved to Oxford and opened his second. The exotic decorations of the restaurant were recalled by Kenneth Tynan, who was a regular diner, in his diaries The Taj Mahal closed in 1992.
The building then went on to be a number of different restaurants, before becoming the QI Building ("QI Oxford") (associated with the Quite Interesting television series), a private members club, in the autumn of 2004. In May 2007 the building was purchased by Curious Group, who enlarged the venue to include a former Millets shop next door at no. 17 and renamed it Corner Club. Corner Club closed in December 2009 after failing to agree a new lease with the building owner; Oxford City Council.
From 2011, 16-17 was occupied by the Hub, a centre for Oxford student volunteers, and the Turl Street Kitchen. Profits from Turl Street Kitchen funded the Hub, located in the rooms above the restaurant. Turl Street Kitchen later closed and the Hub relocated to Little Clarendon Street.
The Turl Street colleges also have student housing above and around many of these shops.

## Miscellaneous

Turl Street is the subject of an obscure ecclesiastical joke, based on its location. "How is the Church of England like Turl Street? It runs from the High to the Broad and it bypasses Jesus."
Turl Street is also the site of another famous (probably apocryphal) story. An American tourist is said to have entered Lincoln College and asked the porter: "Say buddy, is this Jesus?" To which the porter replied: "Typical Yank; thinks Lincoln was Jesus."
Turl Street Wanderers FC is a football club playing in the London Football League Sunday PM Premier Division. For the first four years of its existence the club played in the West End (London) Amateur Football Association. The club was founded in 2004 by alumni of Lincoln College and Jesus College.
The Turl Street Arts Festival is organised annually by students from the three colleges in the street: Exeter, Jesus and Lincoln.

## Gallery

* Looking south along Turl Street towards All Saints with Lincoln College on the left.
* View north from the south end of Turl Street with exterior of Lincoln College on the right.
* View of Exeter College, looking north along Turl Street.
* A bay window in Exeter College as seen from Turl Street, adjacent to the entrance to Brasenose Lane.
* The northern end of Turl Street, looking into The Broad, towards Balliol and Trinity Colleges.