The House of St Gregory (of Nyssa) was founded by Dr Nicolas Zernov in 1959 and was joined in 1970 by the House of St Macrina. It functions in three overlapping ways: as an ecumenical residence for students and visiting scholars; as a meeting place for the Orthodox parishes in Oxford; and as a place of scholarly interaction for those with an interest in the traditions of the Christian East and West and in relations between the two.

The House accommodates 19 graduate and undergraduate students. Providing both a comfortable home and an intellectually stimulating environment, it brings together people of different religious background in the hope of greater understanding between traditions. A small guest room is available throughout the year. More rooms are available to students and visiting scholars for short lets during the summer vacation.