The Clarendon Building was built between 1711 and 1715 to house Oxford University Press, which had previously occupied rooms in the Sheldonian Theatre. In 1829, the University police took over part of the Clarendon Building, with the cells located in the basement. The building now houses the Bodleian Library’s Admissions Department. These gates, from Broad Street, form part of a series of four other arched gates connecting Broad Street and Radcliffe Square, via the quad of the Old Bodleian. The gates are rarely locked during the day; this Bulldog, or Proctor’s Officer, is about to unlock them after the ceremony of Encaenia. Recognisable by their distinctive bowler hats, Proctor’s Officers can be seen outside the Examination Schools and at official University events, such as here, before the Encaenia ceremony.

Photograph © Martin Anderson.