Radcliffe Observatory
Georgian observatory crowned by an octagonal wind tower, zodiac reliefs and globe-bearing giants.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford looks past the astronomy to the sculptors who dressed an eighteenth-century stargazing building in the costume of ancient Greece. You'll meet John Bacon and his wind gods copied from Athens, J. C. F. Rossi working for the Coade factory, and Robert Smirke with his panels of Morning, Noon and Evening. Best heard from the lawn in front of the tower, where you can count the figures for yourself.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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