Sheldonian Head Hunting: Dr Katrin Wilhelm, (School of Geography and the Environment)

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The necklace of the 13 carved Heads around the Sheldonian Theatre are a venerable feature of Oxford, and yet, a great deal of mystery surrounds them. Our project aims to shed more light on their mystery.

The Heads seen today are the third generation, installed in the 1970s. The former sets (dating from 1669 and 1868) were replaced because they were badly eroded and disfigured by rainfall and air pollution, despite conservation efforts. Surprisingly, many of these Heads are still present in the local area. For the past 6 years we have been ‘hunting’ the Heads and investigating their history in the Oxfordshire area.

 

Organisers: The Oxford Centre for the National Trust

Price: £5 for OCNT members; £6 for non-members