Robert Boyle Wall Memorial
Oxford, OX1 1LQ, GB
Rating: 4.7 ★ (45 ratings)
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A modest plaque on High Street marks the site where the eminent natural philosopher Robert Boyle lived and worked from 1655 to 1668. It was within a house named Deep Hall, sadly demolished in 1809, that Boyle conducted experiments that profoundly shaped modern science. Here, assisted by the equally brilliant Robert Hooke, Boyle formulated his famous law describing the relationship between the pressure and volume of a gas and experimented with an innovative air pump designed by Hooke. This period in Oxford was incredibly fruitful, with Boyle also investigating the nature of air, its necessity for combustion and life, and even identifying the living cell with Hooke's microscope. Though the original laboratory is gone, the commemorative plaque, now attached to University College's Shelley Memorial which stands on the former site of Deep Hall, serves as a quiet reminder of the groundbreaking scientific activity that once animated this very spot.
Visitors to Oxford with an interest in the history of science can find this significant location at University College on the High Street. While the original structure Boyle inhabited no longer stands, its former location is clearly indicated, inviting contemplation of the intellectual ferment that characterized 17th-century Oxford. Boyle, a key figure in the "Invisible College" which later became the Royal Society, made substantial contributions to physics and chemistry, championing the experimental method. His time in the city, lodging with an apothecary and working closely with Hooke, was pivotal to his emergence as a leading natural philosopher. Standing near the plaque, one can almost imagine the bustling experiments and fervent discussions that led to discoveries still fundamental to our understanding of the physical world, all within the historic academic heart of Oxford.
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Opening Hours
Monday: Open 24 hours; Tuesday: Open 24 hours; Wednesday: Open 24 hours; Thursday: Open 24 hours; Friday: Open 24 hours; Saturday: Open 24 hours; Sunday: Open 24 hours
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