Ockham College

Ockham College is the seventh founded college of the University of Aldergate.

Ocks have a reputation for being rather melancholy poetic-types. This may be the least well-founded stereotype in all of Aldergatianology.

History
More than a century after the founding of Delora College, the University was prosperous and flourishing. Despite a certain amount of speculation among historians that certain Aldergatians (notably alumnae of the Gwendolen Society) had played a role in the disastrous reign and eventual murder of Edward II, Aldergate's relationship with Ed 3 seems to have been fairly chummy.

It is clear that the abrupt decision to found two new colleges (Ockham and Queensmeade) was in some way connected to the escalating conflict that was to become the Hundred Years' War. The conventional wisdom calls it a cash dump - the aggressive investment of the University's resources into stone and timber at a time when the Crown might have been tempted to look towards Aldergate to help fund his invasion of Normandy. There are no contemporaneous records to support this view, however, and the founding scholars of the new colleges were unique in being almost wholly apolitical.

Ockham College was built on the donated estate of John Salton, and was the first college to back onto the Fay. The defensive benefits of this arrangement - though perhaps not premeditated - helped to largely preserve Ockham from would-be looters during the Forsaking of Aldergate in 1381.

Architecture
Ockham's famous "brick gothic" facade on North Queen's Parade is a softer counterpoint to the fortress-like faces of Empress and Delora. A recessed exterior colonnade (the "Ockham Arcade" serves as a frequent shelter for artists and musicians.

The picture is of the Stralsunder Rathaus - not a perfect match, the Ockham facade hasn't got those odd rose window things up top, but overall not too bad..