Sir Walter Ralegh: Renaissance Man?



Overview

Born in the quiet Devon countryside, Ralegh lived more lives than most, and asked the kinds of daring, urgent questions that still echo today: What is power? What is empire? What is legacy?

Over five days we will follow his remarkable journey from poet and soldier, to courtier and colonist, to historian and doomed adventurer. He was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, a nemesis of King James I, and husband to the extraordinary Bess Throckmorton.

By tracing his multifaceted life; his early campaigns, his courtly rise, his explorations of the New World, his twilight years in the Tower and his execution in 1618, we’ll gain more than just the biography of one man. We’ll gain a window into an age of ambition, risk and change; an era in which the world opened up, and men like Ralegh dared to explore. His controversies, his triumphs, and his fall all invite us to reflect on how we, ourselves, chase legacy, how we negotiate power, how we respond when the world asks us to be more than we thought we could.

Join us for a week of spirited discussion, historical richness, derring-dos, and the kind of adventure that only the Elizabethan age can offer.

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school programme, held at Brasenose College.

Programme details

Daily schedule

After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).

Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.

Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).

Social programme 

We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:

  • Croquet on the quad
  • Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
  • Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
  • Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
  • River Thames afternoon cruise
  • Quiz night in the college bar
  • Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)

Seminars and field trip

Monday

Introductions: Devon-born Raleigh’s early years and the Irish campaigns

We begin by introducing Sir Walter Ralegh: his family background in Devon (born at Hayes Barton, near Budleigh-Salterton) and consider the social, religious and political landscape of mid-16th-century England.

We look at his education (briefly at Oriel College, Oxford) and his early soldiering (in France as a volunteer with the Huguenots) which shaped his views before exploring his role in the Munster plantations, as well as his involvement in suppressing rebellions and acquiring lands in Cork, Waterford and Tipperary.

Tuesday

Courtly Ambitions: Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth – the Courtier years

Today we enter the glittering world of the Elizabethan court. Ralegh emerges as a poet-courier, favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, bold in dress and refined in ambition. We chart his ascent; the knighthood, the lands, the monopolies and official posts, and then delve into the risk-and-reward dance of being a court favourite. We’ll also focus on his secret marriage to Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, the scandal it caused, and how it marked the beginning of his fall from grace. Expect lively discussion as we ask: what does it take to thrive at court, and what does it cost?

Wednesday

Voyages and visions: Ralegh the Colonist and explorer: Roanoke and the quest for El Dorado

Mid-week we set sail and follow Ralegh’s vision of empire across the Atlantic. We learn of his sponsorship of the first English attempts to colonise Virginia, including the ill-fated Roanoke Island venture, and of his role in introducing the potato and tobacco into English life. Next, we plunge into the myth and reality of his 1595 expedition to Guiana in search of the legendary city of gold, El Dorado; the so-called Orinoco voyage with its dazzling promise and grim truths.

Thursday

Full-day field visit to Sherborne Castle and Gardens

Today we leave Oxford to walk the gardens of power. We travel to Dorset to visit Sherborne Castle and its magnificent grounds, the estate Raleigh acquired in 1592. We explore how land-ownership, architecture and landscape became instruments of identity and prestige in the Elizabethan era. Amid beautiful surroundings, we’ll reflect on how country seats like Sherborne symbolised status, ambition and social performance.

Friday

Finale: The end of Raleigh – imprisonment, headlong voyage and legacy

We conclude our week with the dramatic final chapter of Raleigh’s life. We consider his fall from favour under King James I, and his arrest in the so-called Main Plot. We also discuss his 13 years of imprisonment in the Tower of London, his last epic expedition (1616-17) in pursuit of El Dorado, his return to England, and his execution on 29 October 1618. We then turn to evaluate Ralegh’s legacy: how his story has been told, and how it resonates today.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2699.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2349.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2509.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1929.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Inspiring Oxford Summer School programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis

Included in the course fee:

  • Any included excursions (see programme details above) and the full optional social programme.
  • Breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.
  • Morning refreshments and the welcome and closing drinks receptions.

Participants attending multiple weeks

Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. Please  email inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk to arrange this.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee

Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Programme Administrator, up to 1 May 2026; however, in accordance with our terms and conditions for our open access courses, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.​

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Anna Beer - Tutor

Anna Beer is a biographer, cultural historian, and experienced educator who has worked extensively with adult learners across undergraduate, postgraduate, and summer school programmes at Oxford University and elsewhere. She is a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford, and was Lecturer in Literature at the University of Oxford from 2003 to 2010. She also served as tutor and director of Oxford’s MSt in Creative Writing.

Anna is a leading expert on the life and times of Sir Walter Ralegh, author not only of Patriot or Traitor: the life and death of Sir Walter Ralegh but also of the only biography of Ralegh’s wife, Bess Throckmorton.

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people.

Teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Video recordings
  • Field trip

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2026 at 2pm BST (UK time).

If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single person accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page. Please do not complete an enrolment form for these. 

If you have any trouble booking online, please contact the Programme Administrator by emailing inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Twin bedrooms

Those requiring a twin en-suite room (for two people) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. Please note these rooms have limited availability. 

If requesting a twin room, each person should complete an enrolment form and name the other person who they wish to share a room with. 

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Brasenose rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form and indicate your requirements, or contact the Programme Administrator directly at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be completed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to Inspiring Oxford, Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Inspiring Oxford programme is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. Courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. All meals included are served in Brasenose College's dining hall. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.

Accommodation options at Brasenose

During your course, for an authentic Oxford University experience you can stay in typical student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. 

Please note that bedrooms are student rooms. They are simply and modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. You can find out more about Brasenose and its facilities by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available. 

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together, with private bathroom facilities.
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Non-residential option

Prefer not to stay on site? We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose College, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. Breakfast is not included.

Non-residential participants are warmly encouraged to take part in every aspect of the academic and social programme and enjoy the same access to Brasenose facilities as residential participants.

Participants attending multiple weeks

We welcome students who want to attend multiple Inspiring Oxford courses. Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. This option ensures a seamless and enjoyable stay in Oxford.

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Brasenose College prior to or following your course. Please visit universityrooms.com if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support