One of Oxford’s wealthiest and most tranquil colleges, All Souls was founded as a centre of prayer and learning in 1438. Much of its facade dates from that era, while the smaller Front Quad has remained largely unchanged for five centuries. The eye-catching mock-Gothic towers on the North Quad, though, were the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1710, and were originally lambasted for ruining Oxford’s skyline. The North Quad also contains a beautiful 17th-century sundial designed by Christopher Wren.

　　All Souls is a graduate college, but it doesn't accept just any old Oxford graduate. Each year, the university's top finalists sit what’s said to be the hardest entrance exam in the world. On average, only two candidates achieve the required grade to become Fellows of All Souls, which is one of the country's highest academic honours.

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