Wadham College has just celebrated its 400th anniversary. Founded by Somerset landowners in the reign of King James I, Wadham College is one of the historic colleges of the University of Oxford.

Despite the task of establishing Wadham College falling to Nicholas Wadham's 75 year-old widow, Dorothy, the college originally only admitted and employed males. In 1974, however, Wadham College was one of the first colleges to admit women. Amongst its historical alumni are Christopher Wren and the father of British Mediterranean sea power, Robert Blake.