A new bench on the Mound

Some years ago, Josh Atwell, when he was JCR President, brought a suggestion to the Warden about the top of the Mound. This had become a degraded area, with broken paving stones, weeds, and the occasional addition of a wooden bench carted up by the students. The question was, shouldn’t there be something slightly more rewarding if a member of College actually ascended the grand staircase to the top? Finally, there is. 

Thanks to the generosity of Peter Paine, a friend of our late alumnus and supporter, Anthony Loehnis, a stone bench has been carved and placed there. The carving has been done by Fergus Wessel, whose work now adorns the Gradel Quadrangles in various places. The bench echoes a famous Oxfordshire stone seat, Lord Moreton’s in Sarsden, with a slate inscription. The inscription is in Latin, and creates a link with the College’s other “Staircase to Nowhere” in the subterranean part of the Gradel Quadrangles, which is in Greek. The two riddles therefore connect. The Latin inscription was drafted by Stephen Anderson, our Rodewald Lecturer in Classical Languages.

The bench was unveiled in the presence of Anthony Loehnis’s family and a small group of his friends. Credits are due to Robin Lane-Fox, Gez Wells, Jason Lowe and Harry O’Connor for their contribution.