Christ Church was originally founded by Cardinal Wolsey as Cardinal's College in 1524. The college buildings took over the site of St. Frideswide's Monastery, which was suppressed by Wolsey to fund his college.
In 1851, Charles Dodgson came to Christ Church to study mathematics. He spent the rest of his life here as a student and teacher. It was while he wrote for a student paper that he was given the writing name - "Lewis Carroll," by his editor.
It was at Christ Church that Dodgson first met the children of the then Dean: Harry, Alice, Lorina and Edith. Little did he know, the story of Alice in Wonderland was starting to form. He had asked permission to photograph the Cathedral from the Deanery garden.
This garden is hidden from view today as it always has been, a long wall dividing it again from the cathedral and its garden. It was a wooden door in this wall which tantalised Alice as a young girl, because it was kept locked and she was told it was out of bounds. The whole story of Alice is based on her attempts to get into just such a secret garden.
The door in Deanery Garden is the green door that later became the White Rabbit's door. Behind it was a large horse chestnut tree with a great horizontal bough, which still stands in the Deanery Garden, is reputedly the one in which the Cheshire Cat sat, just as Alice’s own cat, Dinah, did. This tree also served as the inspiration for the Cheshire Cat’s favorite place to flash its signature smile.There is also a stained glass window inside the Cathedral that served as the model for the treacle well in Alice in Wonderland. While in the process of setting up his cumbersome equipment Charles was approached by Alice and her two sisters who wanted to be photographed.
When you read closely, you can discover the date on which 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' took place. The date of the book is 4 May; Alice Liddell's birthday.
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