I'm Guinivere- wife of King Arthur and wife of
Cerdic! Why you ask because much of the Arthurian
Legend is based on Cerdic
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I'm Cerdic. First
King of Wessex -Welcome to MY KINGDOM- See the Attractions below
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ATTRACTION
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PICTURE
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ADDRESS
/CLICK THROUGH & OPENING TIMES
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Tel
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Abingdon
Abingdon was occupied in
prehistoric times by settlers of the Bronze and Iron
ages. It was a flourishing town in the Roman period,
which in turn gave way to a Saxon settlement. The
earliest documents tell of a hamlet called
Sevekesham sited at a ford of the Thames. Hean,
nephew of King Cissa was granted land for founding a
Benedictine monastery called Abbandun (Hill of Ebba)
at the same time as his sister Cilla founded the
Nunnery of Helnestowe on or near St Helens Church,
the principal church in 675AD. When Henry VIII
dissolved the monasteries in 1538, Abingdon Abbey
was the 6th richest in Britain.The Monday
market has existed since 1556. The Michaelmas Fair
(now known as the Ock Fair) was originally a 'hiring
mart' for those seeking employment In 1810
the Wilts and Berks canal arrived with Abingdon
becoming a key link between such places as Bristol,
London, Birmingham and the Black Country. In 1906 it
was abandoned as the canal sides collapsed and the
railways offered faster transport. The first link to
the railway came in 1856 with a branch connection to
Culham and subsequently via Radley. The local
station closed in 1963.Abingdon was the
county town of Berkshire, becoming part of
Oxfordshire after local government re-organisation
in 1974.
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25 Bridge Street.Abingdon,
ABINGDON CLICK
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Tel:
01235
522711
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Abingdon
Museum
Abingdon Museum is
housed in The County Hall in the centre
of Abingdon and displays
collections unique to Abingdon,
England's oldest,
continuously inhabited Town.
The building dates from the 1670s and it
is worth viewing for its own sake.A
recent acquisition is an Anglo-Saxon
ring found locally. Some displays
are altered each month, including a
Cabinet of Curiosities. Until 2nd March
this features The Abingdon Buildings
Record's history of a mediaeval house.
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The
County Hall
Market Place
Abingdon
OX14 3HG
Daily 10.30am - 4.00pm. Ring to check Bank Holiday
opening times.
The roof is open on
fine Saturdays in the summer,
fascinating for photographers, artists
and others interested in an overview
of this beautiful region.
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Tel:
01235
523703 |
Kingston
Bagpuize House
Beautiful
1660s Manor House remodelled in early 1700s in red
brick with stone facings. Cantilevered staircase and
finely proportioned panelled rooms with some good
furniture and pictures. Set in mature parkland, the
gardens contain a notable collection of plants
including rare trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.
Available for private functions and corporate
events.
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Kingston
Bagpuize, Abingdon
Oxfordshire OX13 5AY
In Kingston Bagpuize village on A415 half a mile
south of A420/A415 junction
KINGSTON
BAGPUIZE
HOUSE CLICK |
Tel: 01865 820
259 |
Pendon Museum
A museum using modelling
excellence and live commentaries to illustrate
life as it was in the 1920's and 30s, with
displays and special themes throughout the year.
Prepare to be amazed! See in miniature a village
in the Vale of White Horse during the 1920s and
30s. Look along chalky lanes and see beetle browed
thatch, low over cottage doors. Peer through
cottage windows and see chintzy chairs, dark
framed pictures, the tick, tock, clock on the
mantlepiece.Rattling, squealing, a gasping,
thumping engine struggles up the grade striving
for the tunnel mouth beyond the station `neath the
hill, whistles, and is gone...dark portal swallows
guard's van, red lamp fades into the gloom...a
wisp of smoke...this is Pendon Parva. Listen to
live commentaries and marvel at other exquisitely
detailed scenes: the historic Madder Valley
Railway form the 1930s and, in the bleak, windy
wastes of Dartmoor, beyond the stunning replica of
Brunel's timber viaduct, passengers from the
express wait for the 'local' at lonely Pen Tor
Road station.
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Long Wittenham,
Abingdon,
Oxfordshire, OX14 4QD
PENDON
MUSEUM CLICK
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Tel:
01865
407365
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Priory
Cottages
Former monastic buildings,
now converted into two houses
South Cottage contains
the Great Hall of the original priory - Tenanted,
with limited public access
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1 Mill Street,
Steventon, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 6SP
PRIORY
COTTAGES
CLICK |
tel:
01793
762209
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Venn
Working Mill
A
working rural water-powered corn mill from about
1800.Wholemeal flour
from the local wheat is on sale.
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Venn Mill, Garford, Abingdon OX13
5PA.
Apr-Oct 2nd Su 10-5 |
tel:
01367 718888 |
Walk.About.Abingdon
Visit the oldest
town in England and take a walk through history.
Well trained and scripted guides take visitors on a
walk and talk, around and about historic Abing
don-on-Thames, throughout the year. The walks will
last between 1 and 1½ hours, and will take in all
the historic sites, landmarks and buildings around
the centre of Abingdon. The guides will be locals
and will make the tours their own. On special
anniversaries or events they will dress in historic
costume and make it a performance that customers
will never forget.Walk Route: Meeting point
next to The Guildhall Duration: 1½
hours Miles: 1
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WALK
ABOUT
ABINGDON
CLICK
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Tel:
07880
913819
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Appleton
The village of Appleton,
with which the smaller village of Eaton has long
been associated, stands on rising ground 100 ft
above the river Thames, which is its western
boundary. Woodlands, known as Besselsleigh Common
and Appleton Common, still partially cover its
eastern and southern boundaries. The Saxon name for
the village was Earmundslea or ‘Edmund’s clearing’.
One can still receive an impression of its old
character and charm as a considerable number of
stone houses remain standing in the centre of the
village, from the Tavern Inn to Charity House Farm.
Modern housing exists along the roads in and out of
the village, and in recent years a considerable
amount of in filling has taken place. The population
of the village is now approximately 1,000.
Unfortunately, most of the inhabitants work away
from the village, but there is a village shop and
post office, a butcher’s shop, a
greengrocer’s/market garden, and a wood yard making
garden furniture and fencing. Village people own all
these businesses. There is a saddler’s shop also,
which serves the surrounding area.
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APPLETON
CLICK
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Banbury
A nursery rhyme, 'Ride a
Cock Horse', has made Banbury one of the best-known
towns in England. It has been suggested that the
'Fine Lady' of the nursery rhyme may have been Lady
Godiva or Elizabeth I. More likely it was a local
girl who rode in a May Day procession. The original
cross was pulled down at the end of the 16th
century. The present cross was erected in 1859 to
celebrate the wedding of the then Princess Royal to
Prince Frederick of Prussia.
Banbury Cakes, a special fruit and pastry cake, are
still produced. At one time they were being sent as
far afield as Australia, India and America. The name
Banbury may be derived from 'Banna', a local Saxon
dignitary who is said to have built his stockade
here in the 500's. By the time of William the
Conqueror 'Banesberie' was mentioned in the Domesday
book. In the 13th century it had grown to become an
important wool trading centre bringing wealth to the
local population. In 1628 the town was ravaged by
fire which destroyed many buildings, though some
have survived to the present day. The opening of the
Oxford Canal in 1790 connecting Banbury with the
Midlands bought new industries and growth which
continued with the arrival of the railways. Today
Banbury is an expanding market and industrial town
experiencing growth as a direct benefit of its
proximity to the completed M40 motorway linking
London to Birmingham via Oxford. It is home to some
major industries such as Alcoa (aluminium products),
and Kraft Jacobs Suchard (coffee and custard).
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Tourist
Information Centre
Banbury Museum,
Spiceball Park Road,
Banbury OX16 2PQ
BANBURY
CLICK
Visitor Guide
A guide to North Oxfordshire, with
information on the town of Bicester
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Tel:
01295
259855
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Banbury
Museum
Visit Banbury Museum where
"Hands on" displays tell the stories that have made
Banbury famous. Find out what happened when ..
Roundheads beseiged the town - plush cloth was made
and exported around the world World War II came to
Banbury - Watch from the Waterways Gallery ... the
Oxford Canal pass beneath your feet boats being
repaired in the historic Tooley's Boatyard -
Discover treasures never before displayed - costume,
spanning four centuries, from baldrics to corsets -
a cannon from Banbury Castle - the hangman's gibbet
- Victorian toys - a carrier's cart - momentos from
the Home Guard
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Banbury Museum,
Spiceball Park Rd, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 2PQ.
Banbury Museum's main entrance is in the Castle
Quay Shopping Centre. Follow signs to Castle
Quay.Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm
Sunday and Bank Holidays 10.30am - 4.30pm
BANBURY
MUSEUM
CLICK
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tel:
01295 259855
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Broughton
Castle
Broughton
Castle is a splendid medieval manor house and the
family home of Lord and Lady Saye and Sele.There was
already a building on the site when Sir John de
Broughton built his manor in 1300. It was set on
island surrounded by a three acre moat.
In the late 16th century the house was
enlarged into an impressive Tudor home, decorated
with splendid plaster ceilings, fine panelling and
ornate fireplaces. In the 17th century William
Fiennes, 8th Lord Saye and Sele, opposed Charles I's
attempt to rule without Parliament and refused to
take the Oath of Allegiance. Broughton Castle became
a secret meeting place of the King's opponents.
However, he disapproved of the King's execution and
removed himself from public life. This act earned
the 8th Lord a pardon after the Restoration in 1660.
The oldest part of the house is found in the groined
passage and dining room. There are also passageways
with vaulted ceilings and a staircase leading to the
rare 14th century chapel. This has a stone altar,
traceried window and heraldic glass. The Great Hall
has displays of arms and armour from the Civil War
and the Fiennes family tree. The Oak Room has Tudor
oak panelling from floor to ceiling and an unusual
interior porch. Queen Ann's Room commemorates the
visit of James I's wife Queen Ann of Denmark in
1604. The King's Chamber was used by James I and
Edward VII and has a splendid stucco overmantel of
1554. The gatehouse, garden and park are also open
to the public. The gardens have mixed herbaceous and
shrub borders and the formal walled garden has roses
surrounded by box hedging in unusual design.
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Banbury
Oxfordshire
OX16
2 m SW Banbury, on B4035, open mid May-mid
September, Wed., Sun. 2-5, and Thurs. In July and
August.
BROUGHTON
CASTLE
CLICK |
Tel. 0295
262624
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Brook Cottage
Garden
Four-acre hillside garden
formed since 1964 surrounding 17th century stone
house. Wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants of
all kinds in areas of differing character, over
200 shrubs and climbing roses, many clematis.
Water gardens and colour coordinated borders.
Interesting throughout the season. DIY tea, coffee
and biscuits daily,
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Brook Cottage,
Well Lane, Alkerton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6N
Monday – Friday, Easter
Monday to end October 9am – 6pm.
BROOK
COTTAGE
GARDEN CLICK |
tel:
01295 670303
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Bygones
Museum
Housed in farm
buildings, the displays show 19th and early 20th
century material from the homes, farms, offices and
craft workshops of the Midland Counties. Also shown
are seven tractors, a 1903 traction engine, a 1912
steam roller, a 1915 Merry Weather fire pump, three
stationary steam engines and other model steam
engineAlso on show are around 25 stationary engines,
grass mowers, horticultural and agricultural
machines, motor-cycles, bicycles and a Sinclair C5
etc.
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Butlin Farm,
Claydon, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 1EP
All in steam on the first Sunday in the month and Bank
Holiday Sundays and Mondays from the months of April
to September
BYGONES
MUSEUM CLICK
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Tel: 01295
690258 |
Bloxham
Village Museum
In this day of computers, it is still the
written and printed word that gives us the key to
understanding our past. The village museum has a
treasure house of books and documents about Bloxham.
The exhibition brings
many of these documents together and links them to
other exhibits from the museum's collection. There
are many fascinating records and photographs about
Bloxham life and Bloxham people - Queen Victoria's
Jubilee celebrations, help for the poor, bugler
Harry Ayres (buried in the churchyard), the railway,
the telephone system, to name just a few.
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Church Street,
Bloxham
February 13thMarch
13th
2.30pm - 4.30pm March
27th until the end of September Every
Sunday & Bank
Holiday2.30pm - 5.30pm.PLUS
EVERY
WEDNESDAY in JULY
FROM 6th July 2.30
- 5.30pm
Up
until
October 16th every
Sunday 2.30pm - 4.30pm.
BLOXHAM
VILLAGE
MUSEUM CLICK |
tel:
01295
721256 |
Edge Hill Battle Museum
On 23 October
1642, the Army of Parliament commanded by Robert
Devereaux, 3rd Earl of Essex, clashed at Edge
Hill with a Royalist Army commanded by King
Charles 1. Thirty thousand Englishmen fought
this, the first major battle of the English
Civil War. The museum commemorates the events of
that day, and of those times, with displays of
arms, armour and period costume, together with
dioramas and maps of the Battle. The Edgehill Battle Museum is situated
(September 1994) in a range of farm buildings at
Farnborough Hall, a National Trust property several
miles south of the battlefield.
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The Estate Yard,
Farnborough Hall,
Farnborough,
Banbury OX16 1DU
Wednesday and Saturday
2 to 6 April to September
inclusive
EDGE HILL BATTLE
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tel:
0129595
89593
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Farnborough Hall
Farnborough Hall is a beautiful
honey-coloured stone house, built in the mid-18th
century and the home of the Holbech family for
over 300 years. Even today it is occupied and
administered by Mr. and Mrs. Holbech. The interior
plasterwork of Farnborough Hall is quite
outstanding and the charming grounds contain 18th
century temples, a terrace walk and an obelisk.
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Banbury,
Oxfordshire OX17 1DU
FARNBOROGH
HALL CLICK |
tel:
01295 690002 |
Hook
Norton Brewery Visitor Centre
The Visitors Centre is housed in
the original maltings that were bought by John
Harris in 1849 and where he commenced brewing.
Brewery tours are
available Monday to Friday. School educational
parties are welcome and are free of charge. The tour lasts approximately 2
hours and consists of a trip around the Brewery,
museum and village museum, followed by sampling of
beers, and on leaving, a badged glass as a momento
of the visit.
Regretfully the
Brewery itself is not suitable for people with
walking difficulties or babes in arms. However,
the shop and reception area is able to cater for
both, and disabled
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The Hook Norton Brewery Co LTD
Brewery Lane
Hook Norton, Banbury
OXON
OX15 5NY
HOOK
NORTON
BREWERY VISITOR
CENTRE CLICK |
Tel: 01608 730384
Fax: 01608 730294 |
Hook Norton Pottery
Hand made pottery, both for
catering and domestic purposes. As well as our
’standard’ Hotelware ranges - we also make a
number of individual pots - including pieces such
as large jugs, bowls, jars, decorative
candlesticks and cider jars. Also holiday cottages
with use of heated indoor swimming pool.
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East End, Hook
Norton,
Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 5LG
HOOK
NORTON
POTTERY CLICK |
tel:
01608 737414
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Macmillan
Way - Cross Cotswold Pathway
A
branch of the much longer Macmillan way, this walk
runs from Banbury Cross to Bath and is 86 miles
long. It follows a varied route across the
Cotswolds, including bridleways, footpaths, a
Roman road and a towpath. The walk has been
planned by the Macmillan Way Association to enable
walkers to get to its start and finish without
using public transport. Macmillan Cancer Support
encourages walkers to get sponsorship in aid of
Macmillan Cancer Support, and sponsor forms are
available by email from the organization.
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Banbury Cross,
Banbury,
Oxfordshire |
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National
Herb Centre
Welcome
to the National Herb Centre - Wonderful Herbs,
Fantastic Food, Plant Centre and Gift Shop, Herb
Bistro and Deli, Herb Display Gardens, Nature Trail,
Guided Tours, Childrens Activity Area, Workshops,
Demonstrations, Special Functions, Meeting
rooms...... So much to see and do throughout the
year.
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at Warmington,
nr Banbury, Oxon
Mondays to Saturdays from 9.00am to
5.30pm (or dusk if earlier)
Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10.30am to
5.30pm (or dusk if earlier)
NATIONAL
HERB
CENTRE CLICK |
tel:
01295
690999 |
Sulgrave
Manor
Sulgrave
Manor is a superb example of a modest manor house
and garden of the time of Shakespeare and was home
to the ancestors of George Washington. In 1539 the
manor was bought by Lawrence Washington from Henry
VIII and his descendants were to live there for the
next 120 years. In 1656, Lawrence Washington's
great-great grandson Colonel John Washington left
England to take up land in Virginia which later
became Mount Vernon. Col. Washington was the great
grandfather of George Washington, first President of
the United States of America. In 1914, Sulgrave
Manor was presented by a body of British subscribers
to the Peoples of Great Britain and the United
States of America in celebration of the Hundred
Years Peace between the two nations. In 1924 the
National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
generously endowed the Manor House and still
co-operates with the Board in its upkeep. The Manor
stands as a permanent reminder of the special
relationship between Britain and America, and today
visitors from all over the world .
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Banbury
Oxfordshire
OX17 2SD
SULGRAVE MANOR
CLICK |
Tel:
01295 760 205 |
Swalcliffe
Barn
Many
people in the area know Swalcliffe as the Tythe
Barn, having been built for the Rectorial Manor of
Swalciffe by the owners, New College Oxford. The
construction took place between 1400 and 1409, and
this structure is recognised as being one of the
best-preserved barns of its age in the country.
Visitors are treated to the medieval beams and
half cruck roof amongst other architectural
delights.
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Swalcliffe,
Banbury,
Oxfordshire
OX15 5DR |
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Upton
House
Upton's known
timeline dates back to the reign of Richard 1 when
it belonged to the Arden family. The fortunes of the
Upton estate were as varied as the changes of
owners. Find out how it came into the hands of Lord
Bearsted in 1927. Viscount Bearsted acquired Upton
for entertaining and to house his important
collections of art and porcelain. He extended
the 17th century building at either end and
completely re-modelled, every room.
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Upton
House
Banbury OX15 6HT,
UPTON
HOUSE CLICK
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+44
-1295-670266 |
Beckley
‘I went to Noke and nobody
spoke; I went to Beckley, they spoke directly’. This
is an old aphorism, quite probably untrue of Noke
nowadays, but certainly true of Beckley. It is the
friendliest of villages, where passers-by always
speak to each other and newcomers are gathered into
the fold and made to feel at home. In spite of
Beckley’s close proximity to Headington and Oxford,
when you cross the B4027 you enter another world.
There has been a settlement at Beckley since Roman
times; the Roman road from Dorchester to Alcester
cuts the village in two. The present village is a
survival from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries with
only the original school building and a few nearby
cottages representing the Victorian era. Almost
every house is in some way associated with Beckley’s
ancient past, if only because some of its building
stone was originally part of the medieval royal
palace. Between the wars many of the tiny stone and
thatched farm labourers cottages became almost
derelict as farm work decreased and men took jobs in
the Cowley factories. Fortunately their potential
for amalgamation and conversion into larger homes
appealed to people wishing to move out of Oxford’s
growing eastern suburbs. Equally fortunately these
people wished to retain and even pinpoint the period
features of the cottages, so that even when they
were practically rebuilt they fitted in with the
Beckley landscape.
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Bicester
Bicester, situated in the
North East of the county has a traceable history
of over a thousand years and was recorded in the
Domesday book. It is a busy market town and now
home to Bicester Village - the factory designer
outlet shopping village. Like Banbury further
North, it is experiencing growth and prosperity
from its proximity to the M40 motorway linking
London with Birmingham via Oxford. Oxfam,
the
famine
relief
charity has its emergency warehouse near the town
which has given its name to one of the British
Army's largest Ordnance Depots. Flora Thompson
based her trilogy 'Lark Rise to Candleford' on the
area North East of Bicester including the nearby
villages of Juniper Hill, Cottisford, Fringford
and Hethe.
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Visitor
Information Centre
Bicester Village Outlet Shopping
Pingle Drive
Bicester
Oxfordshire OX26 6WD
BICESTER CLICK |
Tel:
01869 369055 Fax: 01869 369054
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Bicester
Village
Bicester
Village
is
the best place to go shopping in Oxfordshire.
Located a short drive away from Oxford, the
Village comprises some of the best retail outlets
in the country with top designer names such as
Dior, Ralph Lauren, and Ted Baker to name but a
few. Clothes, shoes, jewellery, household items,
lingerie, and accessories can all be found here at
bargain prices. The shops themselves are brightly
coloured and there are restaurants and cafés
available to recharge your batteries before
another few hours of bargain hunting.
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50
Pingle Drive, Bicester,
Oxfordshire OX26 6WD
BICESTER VILLAGE
CLICK |
tel:
01869 323200
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Ambrosden
Ambrosden is set in the
heart of the Ray valley in the beautiful Oxfordshire
countryside. Ambrosden, a village and a parish in
Oxfordshire. The village stands near the river Ray,
2 1/2 miles SE by S of Bicester, which is the
nearest railway station. Its name is supposed to
have been derived from Ambrosius Aurelius, the
British Merlin, who encamped here during the siege
of Alcester by the Saxons. Denton was the name of
the lord of the manor at Ambrosden in the 16th
century.The parish church of St Mary is
mostly 14th century in date, incorporating a Norman
doorway. The nearby vicarage dates from 1638. The
village school was built in 1876 in the Gothic
style. Nearby villages include Arncott, Blackthorn,
Merton, Piddington, Fencott and Wendlebury.Akeman
Street runs just north of the village and Bicester
Military Railway runs to the south.
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AMBROSDEN
CLICK |
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Rousham
House & Garden
Rousham
and its landscape garden should be a place of
pilgrimage for students of the work of William Kent
(1685-1748). Rousham represents the first phase of
English landscape design and remains almost as Kent
left it, one of the few gardens of this date to have
escaped alteration, with many features which
delighted eighteenth century visitors to Rousham
still in situ, such as the ponds and cascades in
Venus' Vale, the Cold Bath, and seven arched
Praeneste, Townsend's Building, the Temple of the
Mill, and, on the skyline, a sham ruin known as the
'Eyecatcher'. The house, built in 1635 by Sir Robert
Dormer, is still in the ownership of the same
family. Kent added the wings and the stable block.
The south front is almost as Kent left it, but for
the replacement of the octagonal glazing with plain
glass. This was unfortunately carried out by the
architect St. Aubyn when he added the north side of
the house in 1876. Kent made alterations to the
interior of the house, which retains some 17th
century panelling and the original staircases,
furniture, pictures and bronzes. Don't miss the
walled garden with its herbacious borders, small
parterre, pigeon house and espalier apple trees. A
fine herd of rare Long-Horn cattle are to be seen in
the park. Rousham is uncommercial and unspoilt with
no tea room and no shop. Bring a picnic, wear
comfortable shoes and it is yours for the
day.Rousham is also available for wedding receptions
(see link below) and fashion or other photographic
shoots. No children under 15. No dogs.
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nr Steeple
Aston, Bicester
Oxfordshire OX25 4QX
House – open from
May to September, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays
2pm – 4.30pm for guided visits
Gardens open daily all year 10am - 4.30pm
ROUSHAM HOUSE CLICK |
Tel: +44
(0)1869 347 110 |
Thrupp Canal
Centre
The new Canal Centre and tearooms are
located in the classic canalside hamlet of Thrupp.
North of Oxford on the Oxford Canal, often
featured as a location in 'Inspector Morse'.
Hire a narrowboat for the day from
Oxfordshire Narrowboats - renowned for our
top-quality purpose-designed craft. We show you
how everything works, including the locks and lift
bridges, and set you off on your voyage of
discovery for a day out like no other. You can
hire the boat for yourself ('self-drive') or we
can provide skippered charter (your guided tour on
water!). Hiring a boat for the day is the perfect
tonic to a busy tour itinerary or lifestyle!
Sightsee Oxford from a totally unique perspective.
Celebrate your birthday, graduation, or
anniversary afloat - or simply get a group of
friends or business clients together for a
memorable day out. Use our boat for an
entertaining day away for your corporate event for
clients or staff. From our Thrupp Canal Centre you
can enjoy a totally relaxing day in the country,
or embark on a fantastic must-do tour of Oxford by
water. Cruise into and around Oxford on both the
royal River Thames and the Oxford Canal,
sightseeing Port Meadow and the Dreaming Spires,
the famous Folly Bridge and adjacent Christchurch
meadow, cruising through bohemian Jericho, pas the
ruins of Godstow Priory where the ghost of
Rasamund the Fair still lingers.... Alternatively,
why not moor at a waterside pub and take in the
many familiar sights of the waterways that played
such an important part in the 'Inspector Morse' TV
series. Whichever route you choose, each boat is
fully licensed for all the waterways, so there are
no hidden extras.
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Canal
Wharf,
Station Road,
Lower Heyford,
Bicester,
OX25 5PD,
NARROWBOATS
CLICK
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Tel: 01869 340348 |
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Burford
In earlier times Burford
was a flourishing market town dependent on the sheep
of the Cotswolds, the local industries being
fulling, tannery, saddlery, glove making, and two
bell foundries at different times; all that was
necessary could be purchased locally. In 1990
Burford celebrated the 900th anniversary of its
first charter. It may seem strange that a community
of barely 1,200 people should have a Mayor and Town
Council (the population is probably smaller now than
in the 18th century at the height of the coaching
era, and much the same as at the end of the Middle
Ages). The present arrangement only dates from the
reorganisation of local government in 1974, but is a
reflection of Burford’s earlier history when it was
ruled by an Alderman and Burgesses, elected from the
Guild Merchants. The Burgesses’ roll is to be seen
in the local museum at the Tolsey, the 15th century
building where the tolls were collected from the
traders. It is also still used for the Town Council
meetings. Burford has grown very little
because of stringent planning restrictions which ban
any expansion outwards, and insist on any new
building being done in local materials. This means
that the cost of housing in the town is
exceptionally high, so that there is very little
chance for first time buyers to obtain property.
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|
Information
centre:
The Old Brewery, Sheep Street.Burford
Open
Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm, November to
February 10am-4.30pm, plus Sundays, May-September
11am-3pm.
BURFORD
CLICK
|
Tel: 01993
823558
|
Cotswold
Wildlife Park
A
great family attraction set in 160 acres of
beautiful gardens and parkland surrounding a Listed
Victorian Manor House. See Rhinos, Zebras, Camels
and Ostriches out in the open. Also view endangered
species including Asiatic Lions, Amur Leopards, Red
Pandas and Giant Tortoises. Visit the Tropical,
Reptile, Insect and Bat Houses and see many tropical
birds and mammals. Children’s Farmyard and Adventure
Playground and narrow gauge railway.
|
 |
BURFORD
OXFORDSHIRE
OX18 4JP
Open daily.10am -dusk
COTSWOLD WILDLIFE
PARK CLICK |
tel:01993
823006 |
Tolsey
Museum
Where
traders in Tudor times used to pay their tolls,
there is now a wide-ranging collection illustrating
Burford's social and industrial past, including the
town maces, seals and charters, exhibits recalling
the trades that flourished here - quarrying,
bell-founding, rope-making, brewing and others - and
an unusual doll's house.
|
 |
126 High
Street, Burford, OX18 4QU
April to October
Monday to Friday & Sunday 2pm - 5pm
Saturday and Bank Holidays 11am - 5pm
TOLSEY MUSEUM CLICK |
tel:
01993 823196 |
|
Carterton
Carterton
was
named
after a man called William Carter, who
bought up a lot of land locally. He then
sold it off in plots, for smallholdings and
market gardens. People even came to settle
here from London. The original
bungalows were built of wood with outer
shells of tin. One family also had a very
deep well where they kept their milk and
butter in a bucket, dangling on a rope.
Carterton has become best known for the
growing of tomatoes, the soil here seems to
give them a flavour all of their own. Sadly
though, many local nurseries have
disappeared over the years, the families not
carrying on the business and greenhouses
making way for housing development. Carterton
was once part of a parish with Black
Bourton, using St Mary’s church. A small
wooden building, St John’s, served as a
church until the present day brick-built one
in 1965. There are Catholic and Methodist
churches for the community here as well. Royal
Air Force Brize Norton came into being in
the 1930s. Carterton was to have been the
name of the airfield but it was changed to
avoid any confusion with Cardington in
Bedfordshire. In the 1960s the United States
Air Force was stationed here. To take their
larger bombers the runway was extended, thus
cutting the parish into two, and later Black
Bourton became a parish on its own.
|
|
Town
Hall, Alvescot Road.
Open Monday-Friday 9am-4.30pm.
|
Tel: 01993 842156
|
Charlgrove
Although not a large
stream, Chalgrove Brook was once powerful enough to
turn five mills, as is revealed in the Domesday
Book. Meandering across the fields to the south of
the village, it flows on through Stadhampton and
then to Chislehampton where it joins the river
Thame, a tributary of the Thames. During the 19th
century a sluice gate was constructed at the eastern
end of the village and from the original stream (the
back brook) water was diverted to run alongside what
is now the High Street. This artificially created
loop (the front brook) has become an attractive
feature in Chalgrove.Flooding was apparently
a regular occurrence and is strong in the memories
of Chalgrove folk. Written accounts, dating from the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, indicate that
stilts were popular among the young as a means of
getting about in such conditions. However, even
stilts were rendered useless when, in January 1881,
the temperature dropped sharply overnight and the
floodwater turned into a thick sheet of ice.
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CHARLEGROVE CLICK
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Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a small,
hilltop market town as compact as a village;
everybody meets in the High Street. It is built
mostly of hard, grey limestone, has no urban sprawl
and is picturesque enough to be under several
conservation orders. It is still a working
agricultural community with whiffs of pig manure and
bedding straw. Even the dozen antiques shops don’t
affect its everyday rural busyness.
Approach roads are lined with trees, and the
High Street manages to be both cosy and
spacious; cosy because it is completely enclosed
by 18th century stone frontages, spacious enough
to hold the September Mop Fair with its swings,
roundabouts and flying boats. For many years
Ronny Barker ran an antiques Shop here.
|
|
The Guild Hall. Open daily,
except Sun, Mar-Oct 9.30am-5.30pm, Nov to Feb
10am-3pm.
|
Tel: 01608 644379
|
The
Almshouses
Henry
Cornish was a prominent puritan in Chipping Norton
in the 17th Century, even having a street in the
town named after him. He gave this pretty row of
almshouses to Chipping Norton in 1640 to be used
by eight poor widows. Set back from the road and
in the typical Cotswold style, they are
constructed from Cotswold stone with Cotswold
slate rooves and reached via a grand gateway,
which has ornate cresting and finials.
|
|
Church Road,
Chipping Norton,
Oxfordshire |
|
Bliss
Valley Tweed Mill
A
striking landmark on the road out of Chipping
Norton, this former woollen mill is a very unusual
example of Victorian industrial architecture.
Designed by George Woodhouse, the mill and factory
architect, it has a striking Tuscan chimney rising
from a domed tower. The Mill was built for William
Bliss II, and used as a woollen mill until around
1980 when it was converted into luxury flats. Next
to it is Station Mill Antiques Centre.
|
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Chipping
Norton,
Oxfordshire - |
|
Chastleton
House
One
of England’s finest and most complete Jacobean manor
houses carefully conserved by the National Trust in
the 1990’s, after over four hundred years of
continuous occupation by the same family. The rules
of the game of croquet were codified here in 1865.
Timed tickets, maximum 175 visitors per day.
|
 |
Chastleton, Moreton-in-Marsh,
Oxfordshire GL56 0SU,
CHASTLETON
HOUSE CLICK
|
tel:
01494 755560 |
Chipping
Norton Museum
We
are an independent museum run by the Local History
Society. Among the many exhibits are the
following:Prehistoric and
Roman artefacts. From
Saxon Manor to Market Town in pictures - A
display of Farming Equipment
Local Industries - Chippy
at War - The Home Front - "Granny's
Kitchen" - Chipping
Norton Baseball Club - "All
England Champions" - Law
and Order in Chipping Norton
|
|
You will
find the entrance to the Museum opposite the Town
Hall Steps. The Museum itself is in the Co-Op Hall
on the First Floor
The Museum
opens Easter
until end-October
Tuesday
to Saturday
& Bank Holiday Mondays
2pm - 4pm
CHIPPING
NORTON
MUSEUM CLICK
|
|
Chipping
Norton Theatre
The Theatre, Chipping
Norton was one of the first theatres to receive
money from the National Lottery and in October 1996
reopened after 6 months extensive refurbishment. The
Spring Street (evening) Box Office was rebuilt and
the foyer space improved, new toilets featuring
specially commissioned tiles by Brian Elliott and
Sue Ayres and facilities for the disabled were
installed and the bar area was increased.
Improvements to the Auditorium included - better
access to balcony, side balcony benches were
replaced, a new control booth for stage management
and film projection was constructed, an induction
loop system installed for the hard of hearing and 3
new rows of seating were added. The roof was raised
over the stage area and wings, then squared off to
enable the full width of the space to be used. All
these improvements enabled the Theatre to host
larger companies, extend runs of shows and present a
dance programme.Chipping
Norton's
theatre
is lavishly decorated with murals depicting
pantomime characters. The theatre's professional
pantomimes have become a cherished institution, with
no concessions to TV celebrity. At one time they
were written by Graeme Garden who lives
locally. The first panto was staged in 1973 while
the theatre was still being converted from a
warehouse: The Beauty and the Beast ran for four
performances in the Town Hall.
|
|
The
Theatre, 2 Spring Street,
Chipping Norton. OX7 5NL
CHIPPING
NORTON
THEATRE CLICK |
tel:
01608 642350
|
Craft
Gallery
Oxfordshire
Craft Guild has been promoting the work of
Oxfordshire's best contemporary designers for over
25 years. The Craft Gallery in Chipping Norton is
its largest gallery. A unique and diverse range of
gifts and homeware is always on display and for
sale. Currently it includes jewellery, pewter,
stained glass, studio pottery, textiles and
woodturning. Most of the designers working here
will undertake commissions.
|
|
7 Goddards
Lane,
Chipping Norton,
Oxfordshire
OX7 5NP |
Tei: +44
(0)1608 641 525 |
Fairy
Tale Farm
Fairytale Farm is
now open every day until 2nd November 2014.
We have lots of new things to see,
including our brand new attraction: Rubber Duck
Racing (pictured right). Challenge your family to a
test of duck racing skill in this free new activity.
Place your ducks on the starting line and race along
our pump-powered wacky waterway. And play as many
times as you like - it is great fun for all the
family! You can
also see our three new micro-pigs and some rare and
beautiful new chickens which will amaze you. Our
ponies Hamish and Rupert have joined us since last
year, and we have new food choices in our cafe.
|
|
Fairytale
Farm
Southcombe
Chipping Norton
Oxfordshire
OX7 5QH
FAIRY
TALE FARM CLICK
|
01608
238014 |
Glyme
Valley Way Long-distance footpath
The 16-mile
route follows the river Glyme as it passes many key
historical sites including two Capability Brown
parklands, deserted villages, a Roman road, water
meadows, waterfalls, and a 12th century church. As
a part of the celebrations for Oxfordshire's
1000th birthday, BBC Oxford and the Countryside
Service demonstrated the rich history and
value of the county's countryside by leaving the
legacy of a suggested walking route along the River
Glyme, between Chipping Norton and Woodstock.
|
 |
Walking Route, River Glyme, between Chipping Norton
and, Woodstock, OX33 1QQ
GLYME
VALLEY WALK CLICK
.
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Manor House Gallery
Manor House
Gallery is one of the most influential in the
country. For over 20 years, it has exhibited the
work of contemporary British painters, specializing
in Scottish artists. Recent shows have featured
Peter Kelly, Judith Gardener and Jackie Phillips.
Other visual treats include views of the Cotswold
countryside and the 16th-century Manor House next
door, where exhibitions are sometimes held against
the backdrop of its stunning gardens.
|
|
Chipping Norton,
Oxfordshire
OX7 5LH
|
Tel: 01608
642620 |
Rollright
Stone
An
impressive late Neolithic stone circle in a secluded
and unspoilt location owned and run by a trust.
Remains of a burial chamber “whispering knights” and
the solitary “King’s stone” are close by. Try
counting the number of stones in the circle – it is
said the total changes each time.
|
 |
The
site is located just north of Chipping Norton in
Oxfordshire. All three sites are no more than
five minutes walk from the main parking area. The
Kings Men Stone Circle is a few strides from the main
lay-by. It is accessible by wheel chair although some
assistance might be needed to get up the kerb. The
King Stone is over a wobbly wooden fence across an
open privately owned field to which the owner permits
access. The Whispering Knights are about five minutes
walk from the main lay-by heading east. After about
100 yards go through a green farm gate and follow the
edge of the field down to the Knights. The field is
privately owned but access to the Knights is
permitted.
Open daily |
|
St
Mary the Virgin Church
Like
the churches at Cirencester and Northleach, St
Mary’s is a wool church, a grand church built with
the proceeds of the Cotswold wool trade. The 15th
century nave has been described as one of the
finest in the country. Among the highlights are
the Gothic curtain walling, which is similar to
that in Canterbury Cathedral, a rare hexagonal
porch, one of only three in the country, and 14th
century windows reportedly taken from Bruerne
Abbey after its disollution.
|
|
Church Street,
Chipping Norton,
Oxfordshire
OX7 5NT |
|
Wyatts
Countryside Centre
Farmshop in organic
conversion and garden nursery. Restaurant with
panoramic views over several counties. Childrens
play area, animal enclosures.
|
 |
Great Rollright - North of Chipping
Norton
Open daily all year
WYATTS
CLICK
|
tel:
01608
683835
|
Churchill
&
Sarsden
Heritage Centre
The Centre overlooks the
site of the 'lost' medieval village of Churchill. It
contains maps and historical records of the village
from 1600 to the present. Churchill was the
birthplace of Warren Hastings, the first Governor
General of India, and William Smith, the 'Father of
British Geology' (1769-1839)
|
|
Churchill Old Church, Hastings Hill,
Churchill Oxon
Opening Hours: From 1st April to 24th
September
Saturday and Sunday 1.30pm - 4.30pm
CHURCHILL
& SARSDEN HERITAGE CENTRE CLICK
|
tel:
01608 658603
|
|
Didcot
The building of the Great
Western Railway from London to the West Country
sparked the growth of Didcot in the 19th century. It
is now 160 years since the passing of the Act
authorising construction of the line. Didcot is
still an important railway junction for North-South
East-West traffic with connections to Oxford and the
North, London, Bristol and the South coast. Originally
a railway town, the local businesses have changed
with the times with the atomic energy establishment
at Harwell International Business Centre a major
employer as is National Power whose cooling towers
can be seen for miles around. It is a 2,000 megawatt
coal-fired station with a 650ft chimney and six
325ft cooling towers. In nearby Chilton the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory hosts the world's
most intense neutron source used for the study of
the structure of materials, an understanding of
which is vital to UK industry in the 21st century. Chilton
also has the National Radiological Protection Board,
and a laboratory of the Medical Research Council, as
well as an 11th century church with a unique nine
sided font. The highly successful Williams
formula one motor racing team was based in Didcot
but have now moved to Wantage.
|
|
118 Broadway,
Didcot, Oxon,
OX11 8AB
DIDCOT CLICK
|
Tel/Fax:
01235 813243
|
Didcot
Railway Centre
The Great Western
Railway was incorporated in 1835 to build the
railway from Bristol to London and it was designed
and engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to be the
finest in the land. Now, at Didcot, half way between
Bristol and London, members of the Great Western
Society have created a living museum of the Great
Western Railway. It is based around the original
engine shed and depot to which have been added a
typical branch line with a country station and
signalling demonstrations and a recreation of
Brunel's original broad gauge trackwork. There is a
large collection of GWR steam locomotives, carriages
and wagons. On Steamdays the locomotives come to
life and you can ride in the 1930s trains on one or
both of the demonstration lines.
|
|
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 7NJ
Open
Saturdays & Sundays all year and daily in most
school holidays and 24 June to 3 September.
Opening Times at weekends and on Steamdays are
10.00am - 5.00pm (10.00am - 4.00pm other midweek
dates and in the winter).
email:
didrlyc@globalnet.co.uk
DIDCOT RAILWAY
CENTRE CLICK |
Tel:
01235 817 200
|
|
Faringdon
Its strategic position
between the Thames and Ridgeway has given rise to a
long history for the town. Faringdon (meaning
'fern-covered hill') was once capital of the ancient
kingdom of Wessex and Alfred the Great had his
castle here. The Domesday book records a manor with
mill, fishing and land for 15 ploughs. The great
tithe barn at nearby Great Coxwell by the Abbey of
Beaulieu bears evidence to the fertility of the Vale
of the White Horse. King John gave the town a royal
charter in 1216 for a weekly market which continues
to this day in the Market place. Later during the
Civil War, Roundhead Sir Robert Pye found himself a
prisoner in his own home, Faringdon House, which
dates back to 1730. A poorly aimed cannon-ball
knocked the spire off All Saints church ! The 17th
century Town Hall remains the focal point of the
town, surrounded by Georgian-fronted inns and shops
of the market-place.
|
|
Pump
House , 5
Market Place , Faringdon
SN7
7HL
Email:
ourism@
faringdontowncouncil.org.uk
FARINGDON CLICK |
Tel:01367
242191
Fax: 01367 242191
|
Buscot
Park
Buscot
Park is a National Trust property, administered on
the Trust's behalf by Lord Faringdon. It is a fine
late 18th Century house and contains the Faringdon
Collection of paintings, (including works by
Rembrandt, Reynolds, Murillo, Rossetti and the
famous 'Briar Rose' series by Burne-Jones) and fine
furniture.There are extensive parklands offering
delightful walks, including a walled garden with a
pleached hop hornbeam avenue and a water garden by
Harold Peto. The Tearoom serves home made cakes and
cream teas. There is ample free parking.
|
 |
Faringdon
Oxfordshire
SN7 8BU
BUSCOT
PARK
CLICK |
Tel:
01367 240 786 |
Buscot
Old Parsonage
An
early 18th-century house of Cotswold stone, set on
the banks of the Thames and with a small garden.
|
 |
Faringdon
Oxfordshire
SN7 8DQ
Apr-end Oct Wed only 14.00-18.00,
BUSCOT
OLD PARSONAGE CLICK
|
tel:
01793 762209 |
Farmer
Gow's Activity Farm
Farmer Gow's is a
working livestock farm providing public access to
farming and the countryside. As a mixed
livestock farm - with sheep, cattle, pigs, goats,
chickens, ferrets, turkeys and ducks - there's lots
to see and do, and lots of fun to enjoy. All day ~
adventure play in the pedal tractor yard, giant bale
climb, indoor play areas and adventure
playground. All weather fun. Farmer
Gow’s is the ’favourite place on earth’ for lots of
our young visitors. Come and enjoy our
fabulous farm animals ~ cheeky bottle fed lambs
& goat kids plus chicks, goslings, piglets and
calves ~ at Farmer Gow’s, between Oxford and
Swindon.
|
|
Fernham
Road,
Longcot,
nr Faringdon,
Oxfordshire,
SN7 7PR
FARMER
GOW'S CLICK
|
Tel:
01793 780 555
|
Kelmscott
Manor
The summer
home of William Morris, Kelmscott Manor is a Grade I
listed farmhouse, built around 1600 adjacent to the
River Thames.William
Morris chose it as his summer home, signing a joint
lease with the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel
Rossetti in the summer of 1871. Morris loved the
house as a work of true craftsmanship, totally
unspoilt and unaltered, and in harmony with the
village and the surrounding countryside. He
considered it so natural in its setting as to be
almost organic, it looked to him as if it had "grown
up out of the soil". Its beautiful gardens, with
barns, dovecote, a meadow and stream, provided a
constant source of inspiration. The house - perhaps the most evocative of
all the houses associated with Morris - contains an
outstanding collection of the possessions and works
of Morris, his family and his Arts & Crafts
associates, including furniture.
|
|
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott
Oxfordshire
GL7 3HJ
KELMSCOTT
MANOR CLICK
|
Tel: +44 01367 252486
|
|
Henley
Henley is best
known for its Royal Regatta held every July
since 1839. For about a mile at Henley the river
is straight providing an ideal course for what
has become a major international event. It
became 'Royal' in 1851 when Prince Albert became
Patron of the Regatta. As well as a sporting
event it is a major social event retaining much
of the 'garden party' feel of Edwardian times.
The town became established in the 12th century
as a river crossing and port for the supply of
timber and grain along the river to London. The
present five-arched bridge over the river was
built in 1786 with the church of St. Mary close
by. The church has a16th century tower built
with decorative flint and stone chequerwork.
Although restored in the 19th century, the 13th
century and nave arcades can still be seen. Many
buildings in Henley are designated 'of special
architectural interest' including a 14th century
chantry house, connected to the church and the
Speakers house, the home of William Lenthall,
Speaker of the House of Commons (1629-1640) who
was a signatory to the warrant for the execution
of Charles I. The main street has many Georgian
frontages built on to older buildings. There are
many coaching inns including the Red Lion,
which, so legend has it, has accommodated
Charles I, Boswell and George III.
|
|
King's Arms Barn,
Kings Road, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2DG
Email: henleytic@hotmail.com
HENLEY ON
THAMES CLICK
|
Tel: 01491 578034 Fax: 01491
412703
|
Barn Galleries
The
Barn Galleries are one of the most important
cultural centres in this small community. They
display a rich and eclectic range of paintings and
sculptures which have been influenced by the local
area are created by artist' from Oxfordshire. This
is not to say that works of art cannot be
displayed by artists from other regions, in fact
the regular rotation of works is one of the
elements that has maintained this galleries
popularity, and retained its status as a well
visited tourist attraction.
The Barn Galleries Henley on
Thames venue is now closed to the public.
|
|
Aston,
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 3DX
BARN
GALLERIES CLICK
|
Phone: +44
(0)1491 577786 - Fax: +44 (0)1491
577786 |
Dusty
Springfield Memorial
The
permanent memorial to the famed musician Dusty
Springfield was placed in the grounds of St Mary
the Virgin on 7th June 1999. Dusty, who was
awarded an OBE for her contribution to the music
industry, died at her home in Henley on Thames
aged 59. Dusty’s hits included “You Don’t Have to
Say You Love Me” and “Son of a Preacher Man”. She
also performed with the Pet Shop Boys. The
memorial can be found beside the path through the
grounds of the church.
|
|
St Mary the
Virgin Churchyard, Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire
RG9 2AU |
|
Fawley Court
Fawley Court has a history
that dates back to the 11th Century, was
designed by the world famous Christopher Wren
and built in 1663 for Colonel William Freeman
as a family home. The breathtaking carved
ceiling in the drawing room, a work by
Grinling Gibbons from 1690, is one of only
three that have survived in the country. Since
1953 Fawley Court has been maintained by the
Congregation of Marian Fathers and houses a
museum and a library.
|
 |
Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire RG9 3AE
FAWLEY
COURT
CLICK
|
tel:
01491 574917
|
Greys
Court
A
picturesque and intriguing house, originally 14th
century but much added to later, with a beautiful
courtyard and one surviving tower dating from 1347.
The house has an interesting history and was
involved in Jacobean court intrigue. Inside, the
intimate rooms contain some outstanding 18th century
plasterwork. The outbuildings include a Tudor
wheelhouse, beautiful walled gardens full of
old-fashioned roses and wisteria, and an ornamental
vegetable garden.
|
 |
Rotherfield
Greys
Henley-On-Thames
Oxfordshire
RG9 4PG
4 Apr - 30 Sept
GREYS
COURT CLICK
|
Tel: +44
(0)1491 628 529 |
Kenton
Theatre
The Kenton Theatre is
the fourth oldest working theatre in the country
( opened in 1805) and is staffed entirely by
volunteers.There are people
around Henley-on-Thames - some of them very
sober and sensible citizens - who report that
they have seen a ghost. Now, the Kenton
Theatre is the fourth oldest theatre in the
country, so a ghost is not as unlikely as you
may think. In it's chequered history the
theatre has seen enough action (and inaction)
to attract the spirits of long dead actors,
managers, stage-hands or even theatre-goers.
An investigation by the Ghost Club Society
last year proved that the ghost did exist -
and we have a photograph to prove it!
|
 |
New Street
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire
KENTON
THEATRE CLICK |
tel:
01491 575698 |
Maharajah’s
Well
The
Maharajah’s Well is located in the heart of the
village of Stoke Row. It was a gift from the
Maharajah of Benares in 1864 to the villagers. The
well is 370 foot deep and is covered with a golden
dome and elephant. It was renovated after falling
into disuse and is now a visitor attraction with
benches and a guidebook available at the donation
box. The adjacent quaint well keeper’s cottage is
let out as a residential property.
|
|
2 Well View,
Stoke Row,
Oxfordshire
RG9 5QL |
|
Nuffield
Place
Nuffield
Place is the former home of William Morris, Lord
Nuffield, founder of Morris Motors and benefactor of
numerous medical and educational foundations. Set
high in the Chilterns, Nuffield Place is a rare
survival of a complete middle class home and garden
of the 1930's. In beautiful wooded surroundings, the
house and gardens provide a lovely family day out,
catering for architectural interest, beautiful
setting, historical background and wonderful teas!
|
 |
Huntercombe,
Nettlebed
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire RG9 5RY
April 24; May 8 & 22; June 12 & 26; July
10 & 24; Aug 14 & 28; Sept 11 & 25
2pm - 5pm
|
Tel: +44 (0)
1494 825556 |
River
& Rowing Museum
Visit
the award winning River & Rowing Museum with its
stunning architecture and unique interpretation of
the River Thames, the riverside town of Henley and
the sport of Rowing. History is brought to life with
interactive displays and fascinating exhibits.
Special exhibitions, family activities and events
are held throughout the year and the Riverside Café
offers excellent food in distinctive surroundings.
Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved tale has come to
the Museum in a spectacular permanent attraction. EH
Shepard’s famous illustrations are brought to life
in an enchanting recreation of the classic English
book. You can walk along the River Bank, through the
Wild Wood, into Badger's house and through all
twelve chapters of this delightful adventure story.
Using many theatrical and audio-visual techniques,
models, lighting, and sound you will be magically
transported into the world of Ratty, Mole, Badger
and of course the irrepressible Toad. The River
& Rowing Museum is an ideal venue for
conferences, product-launches, wedding receptions
with excellent on-site catering.
|
 |
Mill Meadows
Henley-On-Thames
Oxfordshire
RG9 1BF
RIVER
& ROWING
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel:01491 415
600 |
Stonor
Park
Historic
home of Lord and Lady Camoys and the Stonor family
for over 800 years. The house is surrounded by a
wooded deer park in a valley in the Chiltern Hills.
With its origins in the 12th century the house has
architectural features of medieval Tudor and
Georgian periods now with a warm red brick facade.
The ancient family Catholic chapel is situated
alongside near the site of a pre-historic stone
circle. To the rear of the house a hillside walled
garden affords commanding views of the deer park.
Inside on display are many items of rare furniture,
sculptures, bronzes, paintings and family portraits
from Britain, Europe and the USA. The family's
Catholic roots are evident and an exhibition within
the house features the life and work of St Edmund
Campion.
|
 |
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire
RG9 6HF
Stonor is open to the public in 2006 between
Sunday 2nd April and Sunday 24th September.Guided
Tours including House, Chapel, Gardens are available
to the general public between 2.00 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.
as follows during this time :Sundays (2nd April -24th
September inclusive) Bank Holiday Mondays Wednesdays
(July and August only)
STONOR
PARK
CLICK
|
Tel: 01491 638
587 |
|
Kidlington
The largest village in
England (population over 17,000) has resisted all
proposals to make it a town. Although expanding
rapidly in all directions with modern housing
Kidlington has grown from an ancient village with a
13th century church, farm and a vicarage dating from
the 16th century. It also boasts some large Georgian
houses and Hampden House with its 18th century
pavilion. The county Fire Service and Thames Valley
Police are headquartered in Kidlington. At Oxford
Airport, CSE Aviation have established a
world-renowned pilot training school. Since opening
in 1962 it has trained over 10,000 pilots for 80
airlines in 40 different countries.
|
|
Exeter Hall,
Oxford Road,OX5 1AB
|
Tel:
01865 378479
|
Tackley
Over the centuries the name
of the village has changed no less than 13 times.
The ‘old ‘uns’ used to refer to it as Ensam, spelt
Ensham, its last spelling before the present one
which has been in use for most of the 20th century
and is not likely to be changed again.A Benedictine
abbey was founded here in 1005 and became very
wealthy, owning land throughout Oxfordshire. The
abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1539. The
ruins stood for a couple of centuries and then, as
they began to deteriorate, the land became a quarry.
The only remains now are carved pieces of stone
built into many of the cottages and garden walls.
Perhaps the villagers were encouraged to cart it
away and build their own dwellings, some which still
remain today. The abbey also owned the flour and
corn mill, the yearly rent payable by the miller
being ten shillings and 450 eels. Many years later
it became a paper mill supplying fine paper for the
bible presses, and it was there that experiments
were carried out to make paper from grass. During
the early part of the 20th century it became a glue,
rag and flock mill. Rags were turned into cheap
flock mattresses. This all came to an end in the
late 1920s, but the old mill buildings had a further
use. The rubble from them was used as ballast when
the nearby A40 was built in 1935. The lovely mill
house still remains.
|
 |
It is
about 6 miles
west of Bicester and
4.5 miles north of Kidlington.
|
|
|
Oxford
Oxford is renowned the world over,
as the home of one of the oldest and most highly
revered Universities in Europe. The city lies at
the confluence of the Rivers Cherwell and Thames,
or "Isis", as it is locally known, giving the
opportunity for boating, punting and many pleasant
riverside walks. Oxford is a compact city; its
main streets radiate from Carfax Tower in the
centre, with most of the colleges and University
buildings all within easy walking distance. It was
Mathew Arnold whose description lingers in the
mind, and best sums up Oxford: "And that sweet
City with her dreaming spires, she needs not June
for beauty's heightening". Just outside the City
on Boar's Hill is the best place to see an overall
view of the "dreaming spires", a hauntingly
beautiful and unforgettable sight. The University
Church of St. Mary the Virgin - First mentioned in
the Domesday Book, one of the best views of Oxford
is from the magnificent tower, which was built in
the 13th century, the nave dates from the 15th and
16th centuries.
|
 |
15/16 Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AS
E-mail: tic@oxford.gov.uk
Web: www.visitoxford.org |
Tel: 01865
726871
Fax: 01865 240261
|
All
Souls College
(1438) Founded by Henry Chichele
Archbishop of Canterbury, to commemorate those who
had lost their lives in the Hundred Years War
against France, and to pray for their souls. All
Souls has no undergraduate members, only graduate
fellows elected for their academic distinction.
The architecture of the college is among the
finest in Oxford, the north quadrangle and twin
towers are the work of Hawksmoor and the sundial
is by Wren. The Chapel is particularly fine, for
its hammer-beam roof with angels, the reredos was
uncovered and restored in the 19th century.
|
 |
High Street,
Oxford OX1 4AL
ALL
SOULS
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
279379 |
Ashmolean
Museum
Founded in 1683
and part of the University of Oxford, this is one of
the oldest public museums in the world, which contains
major pieces of Greek and Roman sculptures such as the
Parthenon frieze, the Apollo from Olympia and the
Prima Porta Augustus. |
 |
Beaumont
Street, Oxford OX1 2PH,
ASHMOLEAN
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel:
01865
278000 |
Balliol
College
(1263) Founded by John Balliol was given
its Statutes by his widow the Scottish Princess
Dervorguilla of Galloway in 1282. Most of the
college buildings are from the 19th century. Past
Students include: Chief Rabbi
Israel Brodie, Shogi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i
Faith, Cardinal Heard and Archbishop William Temple;
statesmen too - Lord Beveridge, Sir Edward Heath KG,
Lord Roy Jenkins, Sir Seretse Khama, Harold
Macmillan, Vincent Massey, Viscount Samuel; writers
- Robertson Davies, Graham Greene, Aldous Huxley,
Anthony Powell, Nevil Shute; creative artists in
other media - John Schlesinger in film and Laurence
Whistler on glass; sportsmen - the Nawab of Pataudi
and his son `Tiger', both famous Captains of India
at cricket, and Richard Sharp, Captain of England at
rugby in the year he took his degree
|
 |
Broad Street,
Oxford OX1 3BJ
BALLIOL
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 |
Bath
Place Hotel
The
Bath Place Hotel is a cluster of seventeenth century
cottages surrounding a tiny flagstone courtyard in
the heart of Oxford.The
cottages were built in the early sixteen hundreds by
Flemish weavers who won permission to build against
the outside of the city wall. It is believed there
had previously been a communal well and bath house
on the site. Going even further back in history, the
area now known as Bath Place would have been part of
the medieval defence area, being at the foot of the
city wall.Very little of the
original city wall remains. However, parts of it are
exposed on the back wall of the present dining room,
and one can see a well preserved section of it from
several of the hotel windows. The
buildings
stood
empty for some years in the early eighties until in
1987 the Fawsitt family completed a total
refurbishment of the buildings to create the
existing hotel. Their restaurant is superb - well
worth a drive out from London for Sunday lunch
|
 |
4&5
Bath Place, Oxford OX1
3SU
BATH PLACE
HOTEL CLICK |
tel:
01865
791812 |
Bate Musical
Collection Museum
The Bate
Collection celebrates the history of the western
musical tradition from medieval times to the modern
day. The museum houses a large collection of
instruments from around the world as well as a
complete bow maker’s workshop and historic bows. The
institutions aim is to further the understanding of
our musical past and preserve the enjoyment of
historical performances for all. The museum is
situated centrally, close to the river and Christ
Church College; admission is free.
|
 |
Faculty of
Music, St. Alate’s, Oxford OX1 1DB
Monday to Friday 14.00–17.00
Saturday 10–12 during Oxford Full Term
Closed – Christmas and Easter Holidays ring for
details
BATE
MUSICAL
COLLECTION
MUSEUM CLICK |
tel:
01865
276139 |
Blackbird Leys Park
Blackbird Leys Park is a large
area of greenery located in the middle of Oxford’s
Blackbird Leys estate and comprises of 9 hectares
of mixed habitats with an open grass area, a brook
and a number of tree lined meandering brooks. In
addition to the nearby Blackbird Leys Leisure
Centre the park boasts two very popular children’s
play areas and football and cricket pitches are
located close to the park’s bowls club. Well
suited for games of hide and seek, romantic walks
and family picnics.
|
|
Blackbird Leys Park
Oxford,
Oxfordshire OX4 |
|
Blackfriars
College
Blackfriars
College is unique within the University of Oxford
as it is the only specialist Theological and
Philosophical school. Friars began a Dominican
academic community in 1221 on the site and that is
where the college has remained ever since. The
college prides itself on its warm welcome to both
visitors and visiting students. The institution
takes a larger than usual number of mature
students. Situated between the Ashmolean Museum
and Pusey House, this centrally located college is
a popular visitor attraction.
|
|
64 St. Giles,
Oxford
OX1 3LY |
Phone: +44
(0)1865 278441 - Fax: +44 (0)1865
278441 |
Blackwell's Books
It is rare that a bookstore
becomes a tourist attraction, but Blackwell's is not
just any bookstore. For one thing, it lays claim to
the largest single room devoted to book sales in
Europe, the cavernous Norrington Room
(10,000sq.ft.). How, in cramped-for-space Oxford,
did Blackwell's manage to create enough space for
the Norrington Room? They excavated under
neighboring Trinity College Gardens, that's how! So
while students walk and - hopefully - study above,
shoppers peruse endless shelves of books well
underground.In truth, Blackwell's is not one Oxford
bookstore, but nine! The main store at 48-51 Broad
Street is the largest, holding 250,000 volumes, but
there are also specialised stores for Art, Music,
Rare Books, Paperbacks, Maps and Travel, Medicine,
Children's Books, and a University bookstore. The
main store also has a large used books
section.Benjamin Blackwell founded his store in 1879
in a tiny building at 50 Broad Street, which is now
the main store. That first store measured only 12
feet square, and held just 700 used books!
Blackwell's catered exclusively to the academic
market, and gradually opened new stores in
university towns around the UK.
Since the 1920s Blackwell's has also published its
own text books, medical texts, and periodicals.
|
 |
48-51 Broad
Street
Oxford
OX1 3BQ
BLACKWELLS BOOKS
CLICK
|
Tel:
01865 792792 |
Bodleian
Library
Founded in 1602 and
regarded as a masterpiece of English Gothic
architecture, the Bodleian is one of the oldest
libraries in Europe and today serves as the main
research library of the University of Oxford.The
Divinity School and the Bodleian's exhibition room
are open to the public, and receive a quarter of a
million visitors each year
|
 |
Broad Street,
Oxford OX1 3BG
Easter Monday opening - Monday 17 April 2006
Library open on Saturday
afternoons during term
BODLEIAN
LIBRARY
CLICK |
Tel: 01865
277180 |
Brasenose
College
(1509)
Founded on the site of an earlier community. The
name is thought to derive from the Brazen Nose
doorknocker hanging in the dining hall, which
resembles an animal snout. The front, the first
quadrangle and the gateway tower are all original,
the hall and chapel are attributed to Wren. Past
Members - Field Marshal Haig, Jeffrey Archer, and
William Golding, Colin Cowdrey & Henry
Addington, Lord Sidmouth.
|
 |
Radcliffe
Square,
Oxford OX1 4AJ
BRASNOSE
COLLEGE
CLICK
|
tel: 01865
527
7823
|
The Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of
Sighs in Oxford is almost as famous a landmark as
its Italian counterpart. The bridge was built in
1913 and is named after the famous Venice Bridge.
However, it was modelled on the Rialto Bridge,
another famous bridge in Venice. The bridge links
two buildings belonging to Hertford College and is
close to the Radcliffe Camera. Visitors can take a
walk underneath the bridge to the Turf Tavern, a
popular pub with tourists and students alike.
|
 |
New College
Lane, Oxford OX1 3BL |
|
Brilliant
Weekends
in
Oxford
Stag
Weekends, Hen Weekends, Activity
Breaks, Corporate Weekends, Birthday
Celebrations, Golf Weekends.The
dreaming spires of Oxford conjure an image of calm
serenity and reservation in the English heartland.
Forget it! However well-reputed the university may
be, it's still full of young people and where there
are students there are clubs, parties and a
nightlife to knock you flat! Oxford is a busy and
cosmopolitan city, and a popular destination for
groups travelling from all over the country. A major
and historic city nestled between the Thames Valley
and the Cotswolds, Oxford has everything a brilliant
Stag or Hen weekend could require.
|
 |
Brilliant
Weekends Limited,
Mardyke House, 18 Hotwell Road, BRISTOL, BS8 4UD
Monday 8.30am -
6.30pm
Tuesday 8.30am -
6.30pm
Wednesday 8.30am -
6.30pm
Thursday 8.30am -
6.30pm
Friday 8.30am -
6.30pm
Saturday 10am -
3.00pm
Sunday closed
OXFORD
BRILLIANT WEEKENDS |
tel:
01295
721256. |
Bury
Knowle Park
Bury Knowle Park in Oxford was
first established in 1930 as a public park when
Bury Knowle House was purchased by Oxford City
Council for its owner Henry Beaufoy in 1930 so
that its grounds could be developed into a park
for the people of Oxford to enjoy. In addition to
large areas of open space and woodland the park
boasts a range of activities including mini golf,
a Narnia inspired children’s play area, tennis
courts and a special sensory garden for the
visually impairments.
|
|
Headington
, Oxford,
Oxfordshire
OX3 9HX |
|
Carfax
Tower
The name Carfax, derives
from the French "carrefour", or "crossroads", and
the tower's location makes it a good central
reference point for touring the old city centre of
Oxford.The Tower is all that remains of the 13th
century St. Martin's Church. If you are fit (or
simply determined) a climb to the top of the 74 foot
high tower is rewarded by an excellent view over
central Oxford. Look for the clock on the east side
of Carfax. It is a copy of the original church
clock, with mechanical figures called "quarterboys"
which hammer out the quarter hour on bells. Carfax
Tower is open from Easter to October 1000-1730 and
from October - Easter 1000-1530
|
 |
Carfax Tower
stands at the conjunction of St. Aldate's, Cornmarket,
Queen, and High Street in central Oxford
|
|
Cherwell Boat House
(CBH)
There are two main
punting stations in Oxford, near the city centre
below Magdalen Bridge and in North Oxford at the
Cherwell Boat House (CBH). The CBH is tucked down a
lane off Bardwell Road between Dragon Prep and
Wolfson College. The CBH itself is a gem of
Edwardian architecture from 1904. The family
run Boathouse now has over 80 handmade punts in the
water and is an idyllic spot for punting, dining and
picnics.
The Teahut Bar and Cafe is open in season and serves
light food and drinks on a river terrace whilst our
restaurant is open all year round. With an alfresco
terrace on the decking in the summer, the Cherwell
Boathouse is the perfect spot for a relaxing
afternoon. We can cater for private
parties, events and corporate entertainment.
|
|
Bardwell Road,
Oxford
OX2 6ST
CHERWELL
BOAT HOUSE CLICK
|
Tel :
Restaurant 01865 552746
| Punts 01865 515978 |
Christ
Church
(1525) known as "The House", Founded
as Cardinal College by Cardinal Wolsey on the
site of St. Frideswide's Monastery. Re-founded
by Henry VIII (1546) and re-named Christ Church.
Oxford's largest and most magnificent college,
incorporates England's smallest Cathedral, which
is also the college chapel. Tom Tower, designed
by Christopher Wren contains the great bell
weighing over seven tonnes, known as Great Tom.
Each evening at five minutes past nine the bell
rings 101 times, one peel for each member of the
original college. The Cathedral is mainly a
Norman building with many interesting features,
the choir with its lovely Norman columns rise to
delicate fan-tracery in the roof. The stained
glass is by Burne-Jones and William Morris. Past
Members - Thomas More, Philip Sidney, William
Penn (founder of Pennsylvania U.S.A.), C.L.
Dodgson (alias Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in
Wonderland while he was a mathematics fellow at
the college), John Ruskin, John Wesley, A.
Waugh, Sir Adrian Boult, John Taverner, John Locke, Robert
Hooke , Robert Peel, William Gladstone, Albert
Einstein, Frederick Lindemann, William Walton, W.H.
Auden, Hugh Trevor Roper, Jan Morris, David
Dimbleby, Rowan Williams, Richard Curtis and Howard
Goodall .
The Picture Gallery at Christ Church, contains a
superb collection of paintings and drawings from
the 14th-18th centuries. Paintings from Italy,
Flanders and France, with works by Michelangelo
and Leonardo da Vinci.
|
 |
St Aldate's,
Oxford OX1 1DP
Christ Church is situated on St
Aldates, just two minutes walk heading south from
the junction of Cornmarket and the High Street, the
crossroads at the centre of the city. The visitor
entrance is through the Meadow Gate on the South side
of the College. It is easily reached by
walking down St Aldates, past the majestic Tom
Tower and turning into the Memorial Garden
entrance to Christ Church Meadow, which brings
you immediately to the Meadow Gate on your left.
CHRIST CHURCH
CLICK |
Tel:
01865
276 150
|
Christ Church College
Christ
Church College has an interesting history. It was
initially founded by Cardinal Wolsey in the 16th
Century and was re-founded later in the century by
Henry VIII. During the Civil War Charles I lived
here and held Parliament in the Great Hall, and
Christopher Wren, a former student, designed a
bell tower for the college. In more recent times,
the college has been used in the Harry Potter
films to depict Hogwarts and fans will enjoy
reliving their favourite scenes as they wander
through the college.
|
|
St Aldate’s,
Oxford
OX1 1DP |
Tel: 01865
276158 |
Corpus
Christie College
(1516) Founded by Bishop Richard Fox of
Winchester. The college is the smallest in the
University, but one of the most academic.
Its 16th and 18th century buildings are some of the
most beautiful in Oxford, and it enjoys an
unrivalled position, overlooking gardens and meadows
yet within five minutes walk of the city centre and
the Bodleian Library.In the twentieth
century, its graduates included the philosophers
Isaiah Berlin and Thomas Nagel, the writer Vikram
Seth and David Miliband, a Cabinet minister in the
current Labour government.
|
 |
Corpus
Christi College
Merton Street
Oxford
OX1 4JF
CORPUS
CHRISTI
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 276700 |
Cricket
in the Parks
The
Parks is the cricket ground for Oxford University
and a magnificent setting to watch the present team
playing during the summer term. Colin Cowdrey, Mike
Smith, Tiger Pataudi, Maurice Manasseh and many
other leading cricketers played for O.U.CC here
|
 |
University
Parks, South Lodge, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RF
CRICKET
IN THE
PARKS CLICK |
tel:
01865
282040 |
CutteslowePark
A nice friendly family park
with sports facilities (Cricket, Tennis, Bowls,
Football). It has an aviary which in addition to
many fine birds also holds bunny rabbits and guinea
pigs. There is a duck pond with many ducks and
occasionally swans, a heron, and mad local people
feeding them too much over-processed bread. There is
also miniature railway on which children of all ages
can purchase tickets to ride. The park also boasts
the Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile, a measured mile
dedicated to a peace campaigner. The park is
occasionally used as a venue for outdoor
performances by large rock bands. It is often used
for take-off or landings by local Balloonists and in
May it hosts an annual Balloon Festival.
|
 |
Harboad Road
Oxford
Oxfordshire |
|
Eagle
and Child
Without a doubt this pub is top of the
list for a great deal of literary pilgrims to
Oxford. Famed as the meeting place of the
‘Inklings’, a group of writers including JRR
Tolkien and CS Lewis between the years 1939 and
1962, the ancient inn attracts tourists from
around the world. The famous ‘Rabbit Room’ at the
back of the pub was the location for the group’s
regular Tuesday morning drinks and discussions
about their latest works. This room still survives
and has several commemorative plaques explaining
the history. More recently the pub was a favoured
watering hole of Inspector Morse creator Colin
Dexter.
|
|
St. Giles’,
Oxford
OX1 |
|
Examination Schools
Oxford
University’s impressive Examination Schools
building was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson and
constructed between 1876 and 1882. Jackson had
been inspired by the Jacobean architecture of
Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire, although he also
used elements of Gothic and classical styles.
During the main exam period in June, students are
required to sit their exams here dressed in
traditional ‘subfusc’ clothing - a rule that the
university strictly enforces. Outside of term-time
the building is used as a conference
|
|
75-81 High
Street,
Oxford,
OX1 4BG |
Tel:01865
276903 - Fax: 01865 276904 |
Exeter
College
Exeter,
one of the three 'Turl Street Colleges', is in the
middle of Oxford. It would be difficult to be more
central. It's a short step to just about everything
- cafes, shops, libraries, lectures, the science
labs, the parks and the river (or more exactly,
rivers: it's hard to get away from water in Oxford).
With its exquisite Chapel, tranquil Fellows' Garden
and terrace overlooking Radcliffe Square, the
College is an enviable place to call home.J.R.R.
Tolkien was an undergraduate here, as were William
Morris and Edward Burne Jones. Alan Bennett and
Martin Amis studied here; Philip Pullman, another
Exonian, based Jordan College on Exeter. The
fictitious Inspector Morse died in the front quad.
|
 |
Turl Street,
Oxford OX1 3DP
EXETER COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel: 01865
279600 |
Florence
Park
This
pleasant small park towards the east of Oxford was
opened to the public in the summer of 1934 by
Councillor F. E. Moss and named in memory of his
sister Florence. In addition to a large amount of
open space for use by the public the park also
boasts a number of well maintained and colourful
flowerbeds with a variety of different blooms, a
bowls green and six tennis courts which can be
rented in advance. A large children’s play area is
very popular as is a seasonal kiosk that serves
refreshments between May to September each year.
|
|
Cowley Road,
Oxford,
OX4 3PW |
|
Garsington
Opera
Garsington
Opera, founded by Leonard Ingrams in 1989, runs
for a month in the summer and successfully combines
a repertoire of well known operas with discoveries
of little known works. These have included British
premieres of Haydn’s Orlando Paladino,
Richard Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena,
Rossini’s La gazzetta, L'equivoco stravagante and
the first British professional productions of
Haydn’s La vera costanza, Richard
Strauss’s Die Liebe der Danae, Janácek’s
Šárka and Tchaikovsky's Cherevichki.
Garsington Opera has been keen to promote young
singers and as a result of this policy, a number of
notable UK debuts have taken place at Garsington.
|
 |
Garsington
Opera, Garsington Manor, Oxford OX44 9DH
GARSINGTON
OPERA CLICK |
tel:
01865 361636 |
Green
College
Green
College is a Graduate College of the University of
Oxford. At the centre of the College is the
magnificent Radcliffe Observatory. Green College is
made up of over 300 graduate students in various
disciplines including medicine, health, education,
welfare, the environment and the social, behavioural
and life sciences.The College was established in
1979 and named after its principal benefactors, Dr
Cecil Green (a founder of Texas Instruments) and his
wife, Dr Ida Green. At the centre of the College
estate is the outstanding Radcliffe Observatory,
built over 200 years ago with inspiration drawn from
the Tower of the Winds in Athens.
|
 |
Green College
At the Radcliffe Observatory
Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6HG
GREEN COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
1865 274770 |
Harris
Manchester College
Harris
Manchester College is Oxford University's newest
College,The College recruits mature students and is
the foremost Higher Education establishment in the
United Kingdom for the education of older
students. Harris Manchester College was founded
in Manchester as Manchester Academy in 1786 by
English Presbyterians. It was one of the last of a
long line of "dissenting academies" established
after the Restoration to provide higher education
for Nonconformists, who were denied degrees from the
ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge by
religious tests. In 1996 Her Majesty the Queen gave
her approval to a new royal charter for the College,
granting it full college status within the Oxford
University.
|
 |
Harris
Manchester College
Mansfield Road
Oxford, OX1 3TD
HARRIS
MANCHESTER COLLEGE CLICK |
tel. 01865
271006 |
|
Hogwarts, Harry Potter's
prestigious wizarding prep school, is a composite of
several locations, many of them real places in Oxford.
Christ Church College inspired two film sets familiar
to Potter fans. In The Sorcerer's Stone, the kids are
ferried to Hogwarts and then ascend a stone staircase
that leads into the Great Hall. Christ Church's
high-ceilinged dining hall was a model for the one
seen throughout the films (with the weightless candles
and flaming braziers). Later in The Sorcerer's Stone,
Harry sneaks into the restricted book section of
Hogwarts Library under a cloak of invisibility. This
scene was filmed inside Oxford's Duke Humfrey's
Library. Hermione reads about the Sorcerer's Stone
here, too. At the end of The Sorcerer's Stone, Harry
awakens in the Hogwarts infirmary, filmed in the
big-windowed Divinity School, on the ground floor of
the Bodleian Library; Ron also recuperates here after
being poisoned in The Half-Blood Prince. In The Goblet
of Fire (2005), Mad-Eye Moody turns Draco into a
ferret in the New College cloister.
|
The
Headington Shark
The
Headington Shark is one of Oxford’s more bizarre
tourist attractions. Created by the sculptor John
Buckley, the fibreglass shark is 25 feet long and
weighs four hundred weight. It was commissioned by
Bill Heine, an American Oxford graduate and placed
in the roof of his house in 1986 to commemorate the
41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb
on Nagasaki. The last two decades have seen opinions
of locals and tourists divided on this strange
artwork, many claiming it is an eyesore and others
marvelling at the ingenuity of the project.
|
|
2 New High
Street,
Oxford OX2 |
|
Hertford
College
Hertford
has enjoyed a colourful history since its foundation
in 1282 by Elias de Hertford, having been dissolved
and recreated on a number of occasions. The
modern-day College, created by Act of Parliament in
1874 after a very substantial benefaction by Thomas
Baring MP. The College is centrally located on Catte
Street, directly opposite the Bodleian Library and
within a few minutes' walk of all the other
principal libraries and laboratories of the
University. The main College site is composed of
three intimate quadrangles -- Old, New and Holywell
Quads -- whose buildings date from the 15th to the
late-20th centuries.
|
 |
Hertford
College
Catte Street
Oxford OX1 3BW
HERTFORD
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
279
400 |
Hinksey
Park
The
site on which Hinksey Park now resides was
originally the Oxford Waterworks and was given to
the people of Oxford to enjoy in the 1930’s as a
recreational area. Today the park is a haven for a
wide variety of flora and fauna and attracts large
numbers of people who enjoy the peace and quiet.
One of the most prominent features of the park is
the avenues of Giant Redwood and Pine trees,
whilst other areas of the site have been set aside
for picnics, sports and woodland.
|
|
Abingdon Road,
Oxford,
OX1 4RR |
|
History
& Science Museum
The Museum of the History of
Science houses an unrivalled collection of
historic scientific instruments in the world's
oldest surviving purpose-built museum building -
the Old Ashmolean on Broad Street, Oxford. By
virtue of the collection and the building, the
Museum occupies a special position, both in the
study of the history of science and in the
development of western culture and collecting. The
present collection of the Museum preserves the
material relics of past science. As a department
of the University of Oxford, the Museum has a role
both in making these relics available for study by
historians who are willing to look beyond the
traditional confines of books and manuscripts as
well as presenting them to the visiting public.
The objects represented - of which there are
approximately 10,000 - cover almost all aspects of
the history of science, from antiquity to the
early twentieth century.
|
 |
Broad Street, Oxford
OX1 3AZ
12 to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, and 2 to
5 p.m. Sunday. The Museum closes over Christmas and
New Year.
HISTORY & SCIENCE
MUSEUM CLICK |
+44 (0)1865 277
280 |
Jesus
College
Jesus
College, the only Oxford college to date from the
reign of Queen Elizabeth I, received its first royal
charter on 27 June 1571. Jesus College is perhaps
most accurately described as the 'major Welsh
college' at Oxford.Labour Party leader Harold
Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (1916-95), Prime
Minister 1964-70 and 1974-76. & T E Lawrence of
Arabia were notable students. Other well-known
20th-century undergraduate and graduate members have
included the quiz-master Magnus Magnusson; the poet
Dom Moraes, who won the 1958 Hawthornden Prize as an
undergraduate of 19; the historian Lord (Robert)
Skidelsky; the novelist William Boyd (author of
works including 'Brazzaville Beach' and
'Armadillo'); and Ffion Jenkins
|
 |
Turl Street,
Oxford OX1 3DW
JESUS
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 279700
|
Jewish
Heritage Trails in England Oxford
Description: Home to some of the most
celebrated scholars and academics of all time, since
the days of the Domesday Book, Jews have made a
vital contribution to both Oxford the university and
Oxford the town.
|
 |
In 2006,
Anglo-Jewry celebrated the 350th anniversary of the
readmittance of Jews to England. But, in fact, the
history of the Jewish community in England stretches
back well over 1,000 years. JTrails,
the National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail, is a new
initiative of the Spiro Ark to raise awareness of this
rich, but often unknown, history among both Jews and
non-Jews alike, and to encourage individuals to
further investigate their own roots as well as the
fascinating origins of the community
JEWISH
HERITAGE TRAILS
IN OXFORD
CLICK
|
|
Keble College
The Victorians
founded Keble College, most notably Edward Pusey, in
1870. The college is named after Pusey’s friend and
colleague John Keble who was a fellow member of the
‘Oxford movement’ and died four years before the
college was completed. The college was not a welcome
addition to the university for many, and was
especially despised by neighbouring St. John’s
college students who started a secret society, which
aimed to eventually destroy Keble. In recent times
the college has expanded and is now a well thought
of constituent of the University.
|
 |
Parks Road,
Oxford OX1 3PG
Keble College is situated on the northern edge of
Oxford city centre, just off Banbury Road and the
northern end of St Giles.Keble College is open to the
public during the Vacations (Summer – July, August and
September; Christmas – mid December to mid January;
and Easter – mid March to mid April) between 2pm and
5pm. However, we do sometimes have events which
necessitate closing the College to visitors, so it is
always wise to contact prior to planning a visit
KEBLE
COLLEGE CLICK |
Tel:
01865 272727 |
Kellogg
College
Kellogg
College is now responsible for those students who
are on part-time courses leading to qualifications
such as MSc, MSt, DPhil or PGCE and are matriculated
members of the University. All remaining students
fall under the Department for Continuing Education.
The name Rewley House lives on and is now reserved
for the building in Wellington Square which houses
Kellogg College and the Department for Continuing
Education.
|
 |
Wellington
Square,
Oxford OX1 2JA
KELLOGG
COLLEGE CLICK |
Tel:
01865
270383
|
Lady
Margaret Hall
Lady Margaret
Hall, the first women’s college in Oxford, was
founded in 1878 by Elizabeth Wordsworth, a
great-niece of the poet William Wordsworth. It was
named for Lady Margaret Beaufort, a medieval nun of
exceptional learning and high birth. The college’s
original house, Old Old Hall, is still in use. Its
first nine students were (by rule) Anglicans, and
Somerville College opened as a non-sectarian Oxford
alternative a year later. In 1979, along with most
of the other women’s colleges, it decided to admit
men as well as women
|
 |
Lady Margaret
Hall,
Oxford, OX2 6QA
LADY
MARGARET
HALL CLICK
|
tel: 01865
274300 |
Lincoln
College
Lincoln College is
one of the oldest academic institutions in the world
and is situated in the heart of Oxford’s historic
centre. It has a medieval hall, a 17th Century
chapel, and a Baroque library, and is a beautiful
building for visitors to enjoy. Its Front Quadrangle
has a fifteenth-century façade which has changed
very little since it was first built. The college
was also the first of Oxford’s colleges to have a
Middle Common Room for the use of graduates.John
Radcliffe,Sir Osbert Lancaster,Sir Edward Abraham,
John le Carré, Stephanie Cook, Lord Florey, Norman
Heatley, Dr. Seuss, Nevil Sidgwick, Edward Thomas
and John Wesley are among the past students at
Lincoln.
|
 |
Lincoln College
Oxford
OX1 3DR
LINCOLN COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 279800 |
Lewis
Carroll
Lewis Carroll was the
pen-name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He studied at
Christ Church College in Oxford and after graduation
became a mathmatics teacher and stayed on. He also
became the "Reverend" Charles Dodgson, taking holy
orders in 1861 A shy, retiring batchelor, he
was happiest in the company of children, and his
favourite was Alice Liddell, daughter of the Dean of
Christ Church. A keen amateur photographer, he took
many pictures of Alice and her sisters and they
often accompanied him on outings around the town and
boat trips along the river On the 4th of
July 1862, Dodgson and his friend Duckworth treated
the three older Liddell sisters to a boating trip up
the river Isis for a picnic at Godstow Lock. There
he told the story of "Alices' Adventures
Underground", weaving into it many of the places and
things which they'd seen on their days out around
Oxford. Alice was enchanted by the story and
begged him to write it down. By the following
February Dodgson had written a first draft, and
decided to publish it as "Alices' Adventures in
Wonderland". As with the follow-up story, "Through
the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There",
Dodgson adopted the pen-name "Lewis Carroll" and,
although he wrote a wide range of other books,
including many on the subject of advanced
mathematics, it's probably these two for which he'll
best be remembered.
|
Authors
at Oxford
Lewis Carroll was
at Christ Church. Robertson
Davies, Graham Greene, Aldous Huxley, Anthony Powell,
& Nevil Shute were at Balliol.C.S.Lewis
& Oscar Wilde were at Magdalen.John le
Carré, at Lincoln, T.S.Elliot & J
R R Tolkein at Merton
Jeffrey Archer, and William Golding
at Braesnose
A.E. Housman, Robert Graves, Kingsley Amis,
Philip Larkin and John Wain at St.Johns. To
name but a few. |
Alice got no royalties,
nor did the Mad Hatter. |
|
Magdalen Bridge
Boathouse
A trip to
Oxford would not be complete without trying out the
traditional activity of punting down the River
Cherwell. The Magdalen Bridge Boathouse is
conveniently situated at the bottom of the High
Street next to Magdalen College and offers visitors
the chance to try punts (either self-drive or
chauffeured), rowing boats and pedalos. Glide past
the Botanic Gardens, the playing fields of Magdalen
College, and even up to Christ Church meadow if you
are feeling adventurous!
|
|
High Street,
Oxford OX1 4AX
MAGDALEN
BRIDGE
BOATHOUSE CLICK
|
tel: 01865
761586 |
Magdalen College
Magdalen College was founded in 1448 by
William of Waynflete and was one of the first
colleges to teach science. The impressive
buildings of the college are situated next to the
river and are surrounded by over a hundred acres
of woodland. Visitors can enjoy some of the best
riverside walks in Oxford including the Addison
Walk where visitors can try and spot a few of the
57 species of bird that the grounds are home to.
Magdalen’s Great Tower is perhaps the most
spectacular of the college buildings as it stands
at the East entrance to the city. Famous students
include:Joseph Addison, Lord Richard Atkin,
Stephen Breyer, Lord Alfred Denning, Lord
Alfred "Booosie" Douglas, Sir John Eccles , Rt.
Hon. William Hague MP, Professor Howard
,Edward Gibbon ,Omar Hassan , Seamus Heaney,
C.S. Lewis , Sir Peter Medawar, Dudley Moore, Sir
Robert Robinson , Dr Erwin Schrodinger, Sir
Charles Sherrington , David Souter, and
Oscar Wilde
|
 |
High St.,
Oxford, OX1 4AU
MAGDALEN
COLLEGE CLICK |
Tel: 01865
276000 |
Mansfield College
The college
was originally founded (under the name of Spring
Hill College) in Birmingham, as a college for
Nonconformist students, who could not at that time
be admitted to Oxford or Cambridge. The college
moved to Oxford following the relaxation of the
religious restrictions, and was founded in its
present form in 1886. The Victorian buildings were
designed by Basil Champneys. The college is one of
the smallest of the Oxbridge colleges and has had a
long rivalry with Corpus Christi College after
stealing their crown.
|
 |
Mansfield Road,
Oxford OX1 3TF
MANSFIELD
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 270999 |
Martyrs'
Memorial
In 1841 a memorial was
erected to commemorate Cranmer Latimer and Ridley,
the three protestant martyrs. The cross was built as
an initiative in response to the Oxford movement.
And intended to re-emphasise the role of protestant
martyr's in the churches history. It was designed by
Gilbert Scott, and modelled on the Eleanor Cross at
Waltham The story goes that gullible tourists can be
persuaded that this is really the spire of a sunken
church.
|
 |
St.Giles,
Oxford
|
|
Merton
College
Merton College was
founded in 1264. It is one of three ancient Oxford
colleges founded in the thirteenth century. The
College buildings, set in extensive gardens and
grounds, are of exceptional historical and aesthetic
interest. The Library is probably the oldest
surviving working library in the United Kingdom, and
the Hall, Chapel, Lodge and Mob Quadrangle also date
from the College's early years.Former students
include: Archbishop Thomas
Bradwardine,.John Wyclif (1356), Sir Thomas
Bodley (1563),Sir Henry Savile (1565),Admiral Blake
(1615), Dr William Harvey (1645), Sir Richard Steele
(1691),Cardinal Newman (1825),Cardinal Manning
(1832), Lord Halsbury (1842), hop Mandell Creighton
(1862), Lord Randolph Churchill (1867), Sir
Max Beerbohm (1890), Professor Frederick
Soddy (1895) (c.1321) , F E Smith (1896),
Sir Basil Blackwell (1907), T S Eliot (1914), Andrew
(Sandy) Irvine (1921), Lennox Berkeley (1922), Louis
MacNeice (1926), Edmund Blunden (1931),
Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno, Leonard Cheshire (1936),
Professor J R R Tolkien (1945),Professor Niko
Tinbergen (1949) (1934), Sir Roger
Bannister (1950), Professor Anthony Leggett (1959),
Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys (1968) , Professor
Sir Andrew Wiles (1971) , Mark Haddon (1981)
Crown
Prince Naruhito of Japan (1983)
|
 |
Merton College
Merton Street
Oxford OX1 4JD
MERTON
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 276310 |
|
Mini
Plant Oxford
Plant Oxford is the birthplace and
heart of MINI production. Manufactured to individual
customer specifications, hundreds of MINIs leave the
plant's assembly lines each day, off to meet new
owners in 108 countries around the world. Gain
insight into the automotive production during a guided
plant tour. Experience the production of MINIs, from
the welding of steel parts into car bodies to the
individual interior equipment in the assembly. We are
open Monday to Friday. You may book a tour Monday to
Thursday between 9 am and 6 pm and Friday between 9 am
and 1 pm after previous booking. We are looking
forward to welcoming you at MINI Plant Oxford.
We offer the following options for guided tours:
Guided Tour (mixed Group)
Exclusive Guided Tour Vouchers for guided tours
|
|
Eastern
Bypass Road
Oxford,
Cowley,
Oxfordshire
OX4 6NL
MINI
PLANT
OXFORD CLICK
|
Tel:
01865 824 000 |
Modern
Art Oxford
Modern Art Oxford is the leading centre
for modern and contemporary art in the South East,
with a national and international reputation. A
full programme of events including free gallery
tours, talks, music, films, poetry and family
activities accompanies each exhibition. Free
admission.
|
 |
30
Pembroke Street
Oxford, Oxfordshire
OX1 1BP Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm,
Sunday 12.00pm to 5.00pm, closed Mondays.
email:
info@modernartoxford.org.uk
MODERN ART
OXFORD CLICK |
+44 (0)1865 722 733 |
|
  Oxford was the key location for
the filming of Inspector Morse and Lewis. In 2012 we
saw the young Detective Constable Endeavour Morse
solve the murder of a young girl in Bagley Wood, set
in 1965. We have now seen the ITV series put
Endeavour back on the TV screen. If
you're lucky enough to visit during filming, you can
turn the corner and unexpectedly find Shaun Evans in
front of the cameras! At other times there is
still plenty to see and do to follow in the detectives
footsteps. Have a coffee in the Morse
Bar at the Randolph Hotel, or take a walk around some
of Morse's favourite pubs, The Eagle and Child, The
White Horse, The Kings Arms and The Bear are all in
the city centre and have featured in episodes. Visit
Exeter College and see where John Thaw acted Morse's
fatal heart attack scene. Take the
short trip to The Trout Inn at Wolvercote, where so
often we saw Morse with a pint glass in his
hand! Visit The Ashmolean Museum
and see 'The Hunt in the Forest' painting as featured
in the 'Point of Vanishing' Lewis episode. The
museum also featured in an Inspector Morse episode
'The Wolvercote Tongue', as did Didcot Railway
Centre. Other Oxford city locations,
like the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Martyr's
Memorial, The Sheldonian Theatre, and Blackwell's
bookshop can all be visited. Travel out of the city to
Blenheim Palace, Burford and Thrupp to tick off more
locations. Download the pdfs of the Inspector
Morse Trails by clicking on the leaflets on either
side of here.
|
Museum
of Oxford
Housed in the historic Town Hall, the
Museum of Oxford tells the story of the city and the
University using finds from local archaeological
excavations including an outstanding Medieval
collection. The museum offers atmospheric room
settings, replica college treasures, a rescued
college barge, and the town's first charter of 1192,
one the oldest in England, showing the "Ox" and the
"Ford".
|
 |
St Aldates , Oxford
Oxfordshire, OX1 1DZ
Tue -
Fri 10.00am - 4.30pm, Sat 10.00am - 5.00pm and Sun
12.00 - 4.00pm. Monday Closed.
Email:
museum@oxford.gov.uk
MUSEUM OF
OXFORD CLICK |
Tel:
01865 252 761 |
Natural
History Museum
Housed
in a Victorian-style building, this University
museum features collections of zoological,
entomological and mineral specimens that have been
collected over the last three centuries.
|
 |
Parks Road,
Oxford OX1 3PW
NATURAL
HISTORY
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel:
01865
272950 |
New College
New College is
one of the University of Oxford’s largest colleges
and was the first college to be designed around a
quadrangle. The college has an interesting history
as it was built to replace the clergy that had died
during the plague in 14th Century Britain. In
addition to marvelling at the grandeur of the
college’s architecture, visitors can see New
College’s collection of silver, pictures, medieval,
18th and 19th Century glass, and Epstein’s statue of
Lazarus
|
 |
Holywell
Street,
Oxford OX1 3BN
NEW
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 279555 |
|
Nuffield College
Nuffield is a graduate
college of the University of Oxford specialising in
the Social Sciences, particularly Economics,
Politics, and Sociology. It aims to provide a
stimulating research-orientated environment for
postgraduate students (about 75 in number) and
faculty (approximately 60 academic fellows of the
College). Nuffield College, which was founded in
1937, is located in the centre of Oxford.
|
 |
Nuffield
College
New Road Oxford OX1 1NF
NUFFIELD
COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel:
01865 278500 |
Old
County Hall
The Old County Hall building in the
centre of Oxford is apparently often mistaken by
tourists as a castle but was actually built in the
19th Century in a Norman style. The building still
houses the Council Chamber and a courtroom of
historic significance. The County Hall was built in
the form of a castle because it is on the site of
Oxford Castle which was built in 1071. Visitors can
still see parts of the castle such as St George’s
Tower and the Mound which are situated next to this
interesting building.
|
 |
Castle Street,
Oxford OX1 |
|
Old Fire Station
Theatre
The Old Fire Station
Theatre is a studio theatre situated on George
Street in the centre of Oxford. Officially the
studio theatre to New Theatre Oxford, it runs as its
own separate venue, with its own management and
theatre technician. About 20 student shows are
performed there per year, with the rest of the weeks
being filled by a mixture of professional, semi-pro
and community theatre. The capacity of the theatre
is about 170.
|
 |
40 George
Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 2AQ |
tel:
01865 297170 |
Old
Parsonage Hotel
An
oasis in the middle of Oxford. The building was
once the lodgings of Oscar Wilde.
A real fire burns in the warm lobby all year round,
the décor, traditional meets modern best describes
the Parsonage. 30 recently refurbished rooms
situated over 2 floors around a herb and lavender
planted roof garden provide luxury accommodation.The
Parsonage Bar/Restaurant has the intimate appeal of
a private members club and is open from breakfast to
11pm serving modern British classics, its emphasis
on fresh local ingredients. Whether it’s the
simplicity of a good steak and chips, stunning
seafood imported from Jersey or a lobster salad in
summer, you’ll be guaranteed great quality food and
service. 24 Hour room service provides guests with a
club sandwich, burger or good selection of a la
carte dishes anytime. From
July to the end of September there is a nightly
barbeque on the front terrace, with live jazz
all year round every Friday evening between
8-10pm. We pride ourselves in using local
suppliers where possible, fish and shellfish
from Jersey, meat and vegetables from our owners
farm in Oxfordshire and cheese from a local
supplier.
|
 |
1 Banbury Road,
Oxford OX2 6NN
OLD
PARSONAGE
HOTEL CLICK |
Tel: 01865
310210 |
Oriel College
Oriel College
is in the centre of Oxford and is the fifth oldest
college in the university. While none of the
original buildings remain, the college’s
architecture is of considerable historic interest
and is extremely beautiful. Many of the buildings
standing today date from the 17th Century, and the
college boasts three quadrangles each with their own
distinctive character. Notable graduates of the
college include Beau Brummel, Sir Walter Raleigh,
and Samuel Wilberforce.
|
 |
The Lodge,
Oriel College, University of Oxford,
Oxford OX1 4EW
ORIEL
COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel:
01865 276555 |
Oxford Bus Museum
The Museum has on
display more than a century of Oxfordshire public
transport and Morris Motors covering the 1920s to
the 1980s. There over 40 vehicles on display in the
Bus Museum, most of which are in the ownership of
the Museum. However, some are privately owned and
are on long-term loan for display to the public. In
addition there are various other exhibits on loan to
add a period feel to the core collection. These vary
from fire engines to bicycles. For reasons of
safety, and to preserve the more fragile exhibits,
visitors cannot enter all the vehicles on display
but access to a number of them is possible.
|
|
Station
Yard , Long Hanborough, Witney
Oxfordshire
OX29 8LA
Wednesday,
Saturday & Sunday 10.30am - 4.30pm (last entry
4.00pm).
Open all Bank Holidays.
Closed Christmas Day.
OXFORD BUS MUSEUM CLICK
|
tel:
01993 883 617
|
Oxford
Canal
The Oxford Canal
starts by the River Thames in Oxford and runs for 77
miles, mainly through quiet rolling countryside, to
near Coventry where it connects with the midlands
canal system. At one time it was the main transport
route from the midlands to the south of England and
it is now one of the most beautiful and popular
cruising canals.
|
|
THE
OXFORD
CANAL
CLICK
|
|
Oxford
Castle
Oxford Castle was founded
after the Norman invasion and first became a prison
in the 13th Century although the main buildings date
from the 1770s. The prison closed in 1996 and was
used occasionally as a film or television location.
It has now been completely renovated and converted
into a leisure quarter in the heart of Oxford city.
The main prison building has been converted into a
hotel and is surrounded by a varied collection of
bars, cafés, restaurants and galleries to suit a
variety of tastes and budgets. Oxford Castle
Unlocked, opened in May 2006, gives an insight into
the history of the city and its castle, bringing the
history of the ancient buildings to life. Oxford
castle is across the road from the Westgate shopping
centre car park and within walking distance of
Oxford railway station.
|
|
The
Treadwheel Building, 43 Oxford Castle, Oxford OX1 1AY
OXFORD
CASTLE
UNLOCKED CLICK
|
tel:
0871 2300 780
|
Oxford
Covered Market
The indoor market in Oxford
high street has a long and interesting history.
Designed by architect John Gwynn, creator of
Magdalen Bridge, the market opened its doors for the
first time in 1772. It was built in an attempt to
keep the messy market traders off the main part of
Oxford High Street, thus creating a cleaner and
tidier thoroughfare. The market quickly grew;
housing butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetable
traders and in more recent times boutique style
shops and stalls selling more exotic produce from
around the world.
|
|
High
Street,
Oxford
OX1
Click
here to see shops in Oxford High Street
|
|
Oxford
New Theatre
The New Theatre
(formerly the Appollo Theatre) puts on everything
from musicals to comedians, strippers to singers,
and Mr. Men musicals to opera. It also regularly
hosts gang shows - the highlight of any scout or
guides' year.
|
 |
George
Street
Oxford OX1 2AG.
NEW
THEATRE
OXFORD CLICK |
Tel:
0870
606 3500
|
|
|
|
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Oxford
Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse has a
reputation as one of Britain’s leading theatres and
has done since its foundation in 1920. The theatre
has strong links with the University and has helped
to launch the careers of many of Britain’s biggest
acting stars such as Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian
McKellen, Ronnie Barker and Dirk Bogarde. The
theatre offers a wide variety of plays throughout
the year from classics to contemporary and also
hosts dance and performance art.
|
|
11-12
Beaumont
Street,
Oxford OX1 2LW
OXFORD
PLAYHOUSE
CLICK |
tel:
01865 305305
|
Oxford
River Cruises
Step aboard and experience the beauty,
peace and tranquility of river life. A trip aboard an Edwardian
River Launch in Oxford offers a taste of a slower
life, where cares drift away with the gentle flow
of the water and life’s pleasures can be enjoyed
to their utmost. Oxford River Cruises offers
a range of trips and charters to suit all tastes,
from lazy lunchtime picnics and sunset dinner
cruises, to corporate day charters and birthday
parties afloat. Whatever your taste or whim we
will endeavour to meet and exceed your
expectations.Oxford River Cruises provides a range of luxurious cruises
along the same stretch of the River Thames as that
taken by Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell in a
small rowing boat almost 150 years ago, when the
timeless tale of Alice in Wonderland was created.
|
|
Oxford River Cruises
7 Rogers Street
Oxford
OX2 7JS
All trips
leave from our landing stage in the centre of the
city opposite Christchurch College.
OXFORD
RIVER
CRUISES CLICK
|
Tel:
0845
226 9396
|
Oxford Story
Discover the world of
Oxford University at The Oxford Story: how it began,
how it works today and where it will lead us
tomorrow. On board a 25-minute indoor ‘dark’
ride you will travel through 900 years of
University history, complete with sights, sounds and
even smells. On your relaxing journey
through scenes from the University’s past you will
meet some of the writers, scientists,
politicians and eccentrics whose careers began in
Oxford. You will encounter 14th
Century riots between ‘town and gown’, the Tudor
threat to the colleges and Oxford as the
capital of Charles I’s realm. Magnus
Magnusson provides the commentary and, for younger
visitors, an entertaining
children’s commentary is available.
Commentaries are also available in French, German,
Italian, Spanish and Japanese. Our
Children’s Literature Celebration exhibition
explores Oxford’s many connections with
popular authors such as C S Lewis and J R R
Tolkein, whilst our interactive exhibition ‘Innovate’
lets you quiz world-leading experts from Oxford
University on modern day issues
using touch screen technology.
|
|
The Oxford
Story,
6 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AJ
The Oxford Story is open every day except
Christmas Day. Jan – Jun
& Sep – Dec 10.00 – 16.30 Mon – Sat 11.00
– 16.30 Sun Jul –Aug 09.30 –
17.00 Daily CLOSED
CHRISTMAS DAY
OXFORD
STORY CLICK |
tel:
01865
728822
|
The
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union is the
most famous debating society in he world. Housed in
an architectural masterpiece at the very heart of
the city the union hosts debates and guest speakers
throughout term time at the university. In its
illustrious history dating back to the early
nineteenth Century the union has played host to some
of the most famous academic, political and social
speakers on the planet. It continues to attract
world leaders, politicians and learned thinkers as
well as an eclectic mixture of popular celebrities
to its hallowed chambers week in week out.
|
|
Frewin
Court,
Oxford
OX1 3JB
|
tel:
01865 241353
|
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY
SPORTS CENTRE
Perhaps the most renowned
running track in England for it was here in 1954
that Roger Bannister became the first man to break
the 4 minute mile ably assisted by Chris Brasher (
Olympic steeplechase gold medal and
Christopher Chataway ( later Government
minister)
|
|
Oxford
University Sports Centre
Iffley Road
OXFORD
OX4 1EQ
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY
SPORTS
CENTRE CLICK
|
Tel:
01865 240476
|
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry Regimental Museum
The militaria
of the county regiment of Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire, now incorporated in the Royal
Green Jackets. Includes a fine medal collection,
uniforms, badges, pictures and regimental
silver.
|
|
TA
Centre, Slade Park,
Headington
|
tel:
01865 716060 ext 8128
|
|
Pembroke
College
Founded in 1624, Pembroke
College is concentrated in its traditional site in
the centre of Oxford but it has a fine new building
on the Thames, as well as its own renovated graduate
facilities close by the College. The main site is
particularly attractive, being primarily built
between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries
with Cotswold stone.From the early days of
the University, Broadgates Hall, now Pembroke
College, existed as a hostel for law students. The
combined generosity of an Abingdon merchant, Thomas
Tesdale, and a Berkshire clergyman, Richard
Wightwick, provided the necessary endowment for the
transformation of this Hall into Pembroke College,
originally intended to supply places at Oxford for
boys from Abingdon School .
|
|
St Aldate's,
Oxford OX1 1DW
PEMBROKE
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 276444.
|
Pitt
Rivers Museum
One of Oxford's
most popular attractions, famous for its period
atmosphere and outstanding collections from many
cultures around the world, past and present.
|
|
University of Oxford , Parks Road,
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PP
Daily
12.00 - 4.30pm.
email: prm@prm.ox.ac.uk
PITTS RIVERS
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel:
01865 270 927
|
Queen's
College
QUEEN'S
IS
ONE
OF THE OLDEST constituent Colleges of the University
of Oxford. Our College motto is 'Reginae erunt
nutrices tuae' or 'queens shall be thy nursing
mothers' (Isaiah 49:23). The queen in whose honour
the College was named is Edward III's wife Philippa,
whose chaplain Robert de Eglesfield founded the
College in 1341. Several other Queens of England
have played a significant role in our history.
Elizabeth I granted the College a new Charter in
1584, and George II's wife Caroline contributed
towards the building of the Front Quadrangle in the
mid-eighteenth century. By tradition, the female
consort of the reigning or former king serves as
Patroness of the College.
|
|
Woodstock Road,
Oxford OX2 6HS
QUEEN'S
COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel:
01865
279120
|
Radcliffe Camera
Completed in 1737, this
domed classical building forms the hub of
architectural Oxford, and is considered one of
England's earliest examples of a round library.Sadly,
the Radcliffe Camera is not open to the public.
|
|
Radcliffe
Sq.,
Oxford
OX1 4AJ
|
|
RSPB
Otmoor
We are
restoring and enhancing the wetland habitat at our
Otmoor nature reserve, in Oxfordshire, which is one
of the most important wetland sites in central
England. A portion of the site is lowland wet
grassland within a river floodplain. The
RSPB bought the site in 1997 when it had been
identified as one of the top potential wetland
restoration sites in the country. Since then, the
site has been added to as we bought
additional land to restore the former wetland
within the reserve. The total amount of land
now owned by the RSPB at this site is over 260 ha. In
the 1960s and 1970s about a quarter of the land
at Otmoor had been drained for intensive arable
farming. In 1994, a scheme called UTTESA - The Upper
Thames Tributaries Environmentally Sensitive Area -
was established to try and restore the area and
improve the river valleys flowing into the
floodplain. However, by 1997 only one farmer had
restored arable land to grassland and no other
action was forthcoming. At that time, Otmoor was the
most important single site within the Upper Thames
Tributaries ESA area as it was home to 41 pairs of
breeding wading birds, including lapwings,
redshanks, snipe and curlews. We
began to restore the site in 1998 in partnership
with the Environment Agency and with support from
the Heritage Lottery Fund and many others. A project
team of RSPB and Environment Agency staff have
overseen the work from concept to the present day.
They designed the habitats, completed feasibility
studies, and involved a number of people from
conservationists and ecologists to landscape
architects, land agents and civil engineers.
|
|
Nr
Beckley village
Oxfordshire
Open at all times during daylight hours.
Please note: The neighbouring army firing range may be
active every day except Monday and Thursday. If
the red flags are flying do not enter the rifle
range area.
RSPB
OTMOOR CLICK |
Tel:
01865 351163
|
St Anne's College
St. Anne's College, founded
in 1952, can trace its origins back to 1878 and the
formation of the Association for the Education of
Women in Oxford, later known as the Society of
Oxford Home Students. Today it is one of the largest
of the Colleges and Halls which admit undergraduate
and graduate students to read for degrees within the
University of Oxford. It is fully co-educational,
with a near equal mix of men and women both in the
student body and on the teaching staff.
|
|
St Anne's
College Oxford
Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6HS
ST.ANNE'S
COLLEGE
CLICK
|
tel:
01865
274800
|
St Antony's College
St Antony's College is the
most international of the seven graduate colleges of
the University of
Oxford, specialising in international
relations, economics, politics and history of
particular parts of the world - Europe, Russia and
the former Soviet states, the Middle East, Africa,
Japan, China, South and South East Asia and Latin
America.
|
|
St Antony's
College
62 Woodstock Road,
Oxford
OX2 6JF
ST.ANTHONY'S
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865 284700
|
St Catherine's
College
The
origin of today’s College was a ‘Delegacy’ (a
non-collegiate organisation under the control of
the University) founded in 1868 in order to
provide access to an Oxford education for those
who could not afford the costs of college
membership. That mission is once again
particularly relevant as we approach our 150th
anniversary.
It was not until 1952
under the auspices of the eminant historian Alan
Bullock that the conversion to a full college was
muted. The college opened in 1962 and by 1978 had
become the biggest college.
|
|
Manor Road,
Oxford OX1 3UJ
ST.
CATHERINE'S
COLLEGE CLICK
|
tel
01865
271700
|
St Cross College
St Cross College is one of
the few colleges in the University of Oxford that
specifically cater for graduate students. It was
founded in 1965, and occupies attractive,
traditional-style buildings on a central site in St
Giles', five minutes' walk from the major University
laboratories, libraries, institutions and parks. It
is renowned for its friendliness and informality,
its high standard of care for its members and its
excellent food. It provides the atmosphere,
structure and life of a modern graduate college with
the appearance and location of a traditional
undergraduate college.
|
|
St Giles',
Oxford OX1 3LZ
ST.
CROSS
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
278490
|
St Edmund Hall
Although a College in the
strict sense only since 1957, the history of St
Edmund Hall goes back to the thirteenth century, for
it is the sole survivor of the medieval Halls that
provided undergraduates with accommodation and
tuition before the Colleges began to do so.In 1957
Queen Elizabeth II approved the grant to the Hall of
its charter of incorporation as a College, which
H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh presented to it on 6
June 1958.
|
|
Queen's Lane,
Oxford OX1 4AR
ST.
EDMUND
HALL CLICK |
tel:
01865
279000
|
St Hilda's
College
St. Hilda's was founded as
an Oxford hall for women in 1893 by Dorothea Beale,
Principal of the Cheltenham Ladies' College. In 1897
St. Hilda's was accepted as a recognized hall for
women by the Association for Promoting the Higher
Education of Women (A.E.W.) and the Hall became an
incorporated company with its own governing council.In
1959 the women's societies made an application to
the University to be admitted as full Colleges of
the University. This was agreed and the change in
status was effected by a supplemental charter and
amended statutes in 1961.St.
Hilda's is now the only remaining women's college in
the University.
|
|
Cowley Place,
Oxford OX4 1DY
ST.
HILDA'S
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
276884
|
St Hugh's College
Compared to many Oxford
Colleges, St Hugh's is young. It was founded
in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth, the great
niece of the poet. But she had a strong sense of the
historical perspective in which her new foundation
would take its place. Using money left to her by her
father, a bishop of Lincoln, she named it after one
of his twelfth century predecessors, Hugh of Avalon,
who was canonised in 1220, and in whose diocese
Oxford had been. Elizabeth Wordsworth was a champion
of the cause of womens education, and her foundation
was intended to enable poorer women to gain an
Oxford education.
|
|
St Margaret's
Road, Oxford OX2 6LE
ST.
HUGH'S
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
274900
|
St John's College
St John's was founded in
1555 by Sir Thomas White, a wealthy London merchant.
White was Master of the Merchant Taylors'
Company, and established a number of educational
foundations including the Merchant Taylors'
schools. Although the College was closely linked to
those institutions for many centuries, it became a
more open society in the later 19th century.
The endowments which St John's was given
at its foundation, and during the 20 or so
years afterward, served it very well. In the second
half of the nineteenth century it benefited, as
ground landlord, from the suburban development of
the city of Oxford and was unusual among Colleges
for the size and extent of its property within the
city. Although primarily a producer of Anglican
clergymen in the earlier periods of its
history, St John's also gained a
reputation for both law and medicine. Fellows and
alumni have included Archbishop Laud, Jane
Austen's father and brothers, the early Fabian
intellectual Sidney Ball, who was very influential
in the creation of the Workers' Educational
Association (WEA), and Abdul Rasul, one of the first
Bengalis to gain the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law
at Oxford. More recently, graduates of St
John's have included the novelists and poets
A.E. Housman, Robert Graves, Kingsley Amis, Philip
Larkin and John Wain, as well as the present
Prime Minister, Tony Blair
|
|
St Giles',
Oxford OX1 3JP
ST.
JOHN'S
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
277300
|
St Peter's College
St. Peter's College occupies the site
of two of the University's oldest Inns or medieval
hostels, Bishop Trellick's, later New Inn Hall,
and Rose Hall, both of which were founded in the
thirteenth century. But its history really began
in 1929 when St. Peter's Hall was founded by
Francis James Chavasse, Bishop of Liverpool, who
was concerned at the rising cost of education in
the older universities in Britain, and projected
St. Peter's as a College where promising students,
who might otherwise be deterred by the costs of
College life elsewhere, could obtain an Oxford
education. The commitment to make Oxford
accessible to any student of ability, irrespective
of means, remains a feature of St. Peter's today.
In 1961 the University approved a
statute giving St. Peter's Hall full collegiate
status. With the granting of its Royal Charter in
the same year, it took the name St. Peter's
College. Among the distinguished
students who have studied at the College are a
former President of Ghana, Edward Akufo Addo; a
former Speaker of the United States House of
Representatives, Carl Albert; a former
Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Paul Reeves;
the film director, Ken Loach; and the former
Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Condon.
St. Peter's students have achieved eminence in
academic, political,
|
|
New Inn Hall
Street, Oxford OX1 2DL
ST.
PETER'S
COLLEGE CLICK |
01865
278900
|
Saxon
Tower
The Saxon Tower of St
Michael at the North Gate is nearly 1000 years old
and is Oxford’s oldest building. Visitors who pay to
go inside the tower can see the Prison Door of
Martyrs, an exhibit of church treasures which
includes Elizabethan silver, John Wesley’s pulpit,
William Morris’s marriage certificate, and a 19th
century chiming clock. The tower also offers
spectacular views across what Samuel Johnson
referred to as the “city of dreaming spires”.
|
|
Cornmarket
Street,
Oxford
OX1
|
tel:
01865 240940
|
Sheldonian
Theatre
Built by Sr. Christopher
Wren from 1664-9, the design of this architectural
gem was inspired by the Marcellus Theatre in Rome.
|
|
Broad
Street, Oxford
|
|
Somerville College
Somerville is a college for
women and men. It was founded (as Somerville Hall)
in 1879 to provide an opportunity for women, who at
that date were excluded from membership of the
University, to gain some kind of higher education in
Oxford. The founders' insistence that students
should be subjected to no religious tests or
obligations marked Somerville off from its Anglican
counterpart, Lady Margaret Hall, and set the tone of
cultural diversity which has characterised the
college to this day.
|
|
Somerville
College, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HD
SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE CLICK
|
tel:
01865
270600
|
Telecom Museum Oxford
The exhibits
comprise a selection of telephone and telegraph
equipment illustrating the history and evolution
of telecommunications.
|
|
35 Speedwell Street,
Oxford
|
Tel:
01865
246601
|
Templeton
College
Founded in 1965, Templeton
is a full graduate college of the University of
Oxford dedicated to management studies. Its
programmes for executives are international in
scope, combining academic rigour with practical
relevance, and focusing clearly on the needs of the
individual participant. Its faculty and students are
drawn from around the world. Templeton College and
the Saïd Business School are partners in business
and management at the University of Oxford.
|
|
Kennington
Road, Oxford OX1 5NY
TEMPLETON
COLLEGE CLICK |
01865
422500
|
Trinity College
Trinity College was founded
by Sir Thomas Pope in 1555. A devout catholic with
no surviving children, Thomas Pope saw the
Foundation of an Oxford college as a means of
ensuring that he and his family would always be
remembered in the prayers and masses of its
members.Trinity saw many significant changes in the
last century, and many of these are reflected in the
more modern buildings of the College. The
undergraduate Library was built in 1928 as a
memorial to the 155 members of Trinity who died in
the First World War. The years following the Second
World War were another period of great expansion of
student numbers within the University, and Trinity's
Cumberbatch building was completed in 1966 to
provide increased accommodation. Women were admitted
to Trinity College in 1979.
|
|
Broad
Street,
Oxford
OX1 3BH
TRINITY
COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel:
01865
279900
|
The
Trout Inn
17th Century
inn constructed from the ruins of Godstow Abbey.
The Trout is VERY popular with tourists as it
appears in all the guides due to its long
history which includes being torched by
Parliamentarian troops. Over the years
unfortunately it has become a Vintage Inn thus
losing the old individuality. It once even had a
butchers shop in it & Peacocks strutting
around.The menu is the same as any other Vintage
Inn, Many graduates used to drive down
from London for Sunday lunch there but find the
ambience a little too commercial these days.
More than likely the fault of "Inspector Morse".
The Trout however, is blessed with a stunning
location on the banks of the Thames.
|
|
195
Godstow Road, Lower Wolvercote, Oxfordshire,
OX2 8PN
TROUT
INN CLICK
|
Tel: 01865
302071
|
University College
University College owes its
origins to William of Durham, who died in 1249. A
legend grew up in the 1380s that we were really
founded even earlier, by King Alfred in 872, and,
understandably enough, became widely accepted as the
truth. Nowadays, however, William of Durham is
accepted as Univ's true founder, but that still
gives us a claim to be the oldest College in Oxford
or Cambridge.Two twentieth-century Prime Ministers
have been associated with Univ: Clement Attlee was
an undergraduate here, and Harold Wilson a Fellow.
Other political leaders include President Bill
Clinton, and Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia.
Outside politics, recent Old Members of Univ include
William Beveridge, the social reformer and author of
the Beveridge Report, Professor Stephen Hawking, C.
S. Lewis, author of the Narnia books, the Poet
Laureate Andrew Motion, the novelist and Nobel Prize
winner Sir V. S. Naipaul, the actors Michael York
and Warren Mitchell, the broadcaster Paul
Gambaccini, and - perhaps the most exotic of them
all - Prince Felix Yusupov, the assassin of
Rasputin.
|
|
High Street,
Oxford OX1 4BH
UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
CLICK
|
tel:
01865
276602
|
University
of Oxford
Oxford is the oldest
university in the English-speaking world and lays
claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. As
an internationally renowned centre for teaching and
research, Oxford attracts students and scholars from
across the globe, with almost a quarter of our
students from overseas. More than 130 nationalities
are represented among a student population of over
18,000. Oxford is a
collegiate university, with 39 self-governing
colleges related to the University in a type of
federal system. There are also seven Permanent
Private Halls, founded by different Christian
denominations. Thirty colleges and all halls admit
students for both undergraduate and graduate
degrees. Seven other colleges are for graduates
only; one has Fellows only, and one specializes in
part-time and continuing education.Oxford
University is a member of the Russell
Group of 19 research-intensive universities.
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|
UNIVERSITY OF
OXFORD CLICK
|
|
Universtity
of
Oxford
Botanic Gardens
The
University
of
Oxford Botanic Garden is nearly 400 years old and
is the oldest in Britain. The garden has over
7,000 different types of plant, the majority of
which are clearly labelled. There are three
sections: a glasshouse for plants that require
protection from the British climate, a walled
garden where plants are grouped for research
purposes, and an area outside the walled garden
that has classic garden features for visitors to
enjoy. Admission is free for children and they
will enjoy the children’s trails that are
available. There is a small admission charge for
adults.
|
 |
Rose
Lane,
Oxford OX1 4AZ -
UNIVERSITY
OF OXFORD BOTANIC GARDENS CLICK
|
tel:
01865 286690
|
Wadham College
Wadham College was founded
by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham in the reign of King
James I. Nicholas Wadham, a member of an ancient
Somerset family, died in 1609 leaving his fortune to
endow a college at Oxford.The college was founded
for men only. Indeed, under the original statutes no
woman was even to be employed in the college, except
for the laundress, and she was to be of 'such age,
condition, and reputation as to be above suspicion'.
These rules were relaxed over the years. But a
momentous change occured in 1974, when the statutes
were altered to allow the admission of women as full
members of the college at all levels.Two
twentieth-century Lord Chancellors, F E Smith (Lord
Birkenhead) and John Simon, were undergraduates
together in the 1890s, along with the great
sportsman C. B. Fry; Sir Thomas Beecham was an
undergraduate in 1897, though soon abandoning Oxford
for his musical career. Frederick Liridemann, Lord
Cherwell, Churchill's scientific adviser during the
Second World War , was a fellow of the college.
Cecil Day-Lewis, later Poet-Laureate, came up in
1923, and Michael Foot M.P. in 1931. Sir Maurice
Bowra, scholar and wit, was Warden between 1938 and
1970.David Manners read law here to.
|
|
Parks Road,
Oxford OX1 3PN
WADHAM
COLLEGE
CLICK |
tel:
01865
277900
|
Waterperry Gardens
The beautiful 8-acre gardens of
Waterperry House were founded by Beatrix Havergal
in the 1930s. Today it includes formal gardens, an
herbaceous border, woodland garden, rose garden
and a wildlife walk by the banks of the river
Thame. The gardens also offer free admission to
the ‘Art in Action’ arts and crafts gallery, the
‘Pear Tree’ teashop, a plant centre and gift shop,
as well as the Waterperry Rural Museum. This
houses a large collection of gardening,
agricultural, veterinary and domestic tools,
equipment and memorabilia.
|
 |
Waterperry, Near Wheatley, Oxfordshire OX33 1JZ
Apr-Oct, daily, 0900-1730
Nov-Mar, daily, 0900-1700.
Closed 25 Dec-2 Jan
WATERPERRY
GARDENS
|
Tel: +44 (0) 1844 339254 |
Westgate Shopping
Centre
Oxford’s
Westgate Shopping Centre is in the centre of the
city and offers shoppers the option of escaping the
traffic and tourists of the main streets by
providing a whole host of undercover shops. It is
also linked to Oxford’s multi-storey car park making
it easily accessible. There is a good selection of
shops selling clothes for men and women, household
furnishings, food and drink, jewellery,
entertainment and technology so you won’t have to
battle with the crowds outside.
|
 |
Centre
Management Office, 37 Westgate Galleries, Oxford OX1
1NZ |
tel:
01865 725455 |
Wolfson College
Wolfson College is a large graduate
college of the University of Oxford situated in
North Oxford beside the River Cherwell. At present
it consists of some sixty Governing Body Fellows,
thirty Research Fellows, forty Junior Research
Fellows and about four hundred and fifty Graduate
Students. The total membership of Common Room is
nearly 1200. |
 |
Linton Road,
Oxford OX2 6UD
WOLFSON
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
274100 |
Worcester College
There has
been an institution of learning on the College site
since the late thirteenth century, though Worcester
College, in its current form, was founded only in
1714.The buildings,
particularly in the main quad, are diverse. On one
side there is an imposing eighteenth century
neo-classical building, and on the other the “Pump
Quad” and the picturesque row of medieval “cottages”
which are among the oldest residential buildings in
Oxford, and are the surviving parts of Gloucester
College, Worcester's predecessor, which was founded
in 1283 for the Benedictine order.
The Dissolution of the Monasteries in about 1539
ended the existence of Gloucester College. After a
brief interlude, Gloucester Hall, which lacked the
full range of powers of an independent College,
occupied the earlier buildings but in 1714 it was
refounded as Worcester College after a
Worcestershire baronet, Sir Thomas Cookes, had left
a benefaction for the foundation of a new college. The
eighteenth century buildings were erected for the
new College.
|
 |
Walton
Street,
Oxford, OX1 2HB
WORCESTER
COLLEGE CLICK |
tel:
01865
278300 |
 |
Thame
Thame is managing
to retain some of its historic character whilst
steadily expanding. It was first mentioned in the
Domesday Book in 1087. In the 13th Century the
Parish Church was rebuilt and the boat-shaped market
area made, with a main road that was diverted to run
into it. During the Civil War the town was occupied
by Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. Oliver
Cromwell's cousin, John Hampden died in what was
then the Greyhound Inn in 1643 after the battle of
Chalgrove. The wide main street includes houses and
inns dating from the 15th century and a grammar
school, Lord Williams's from the 16th century. The
picture on the right shows the prominent Victorian
Town Hall. The parish church includes memorials to
Lord Williams and his wife and Geoffrey Dormer who,
with two wives, had no less than 25 children.
Also masquerading as 'Causton' in the TV series
"Midsomer Murders" - Causton town hall is really
Thame town hall - its weekly and monthly markets are
popular with tourists after local produce. DCI
Barnaby is also no stranger to its streets;
portrayed as the classic British super sleuth, he's
often seen wandering its shops and streets piecing
together evidence.
|
 |
Market House, North Street, Thame,
Oxfordshire, OX9 3HH
www.thame.net
|
Tel/Fax: 01844
212834
|
Chinnor
Chinnor
is situated at the base of the Chiltern Hills, 18
miles east of Oxford and just five miles from the
M40. There has probably been a settlement here for
many centuries because of the proximity of the
ancient Icknield Way running from Lincolnshire down
to Wiltshire, which is thought to be pre-Roman and
was certainly used during the Middle Ages for
driving cattle and sheep.
Still standing in the village today
is the mostly 14th century church of St Andrew,
although parts of it go back to the 12th and 13th
centuries. The wooden screen is reputed to be the
sixth oldest in England and a splendid collection of
wall-mounted brasses include a foliated cross from
about 1338. The stained glass windows date from 1350
through to modern. The bells link the Elizabethan
reigns, the tenor having been cast during Elizabeth
I’s time and the sanctus in 1965. The church is
undergoing much needed restoration.There is
also a Congregational church built of brick and
flint, the local building material, opened in 1805,
the year of the battle of Trafalgar. The Methodist
church is the most recent of the three places of
worship, having been rebuilt in 1873 after blowing
down the previous year two months after opening. Because
of Chinnor’s position near Oxford a certain amount
of Civil War activity took place in the vicinity.
Oral tradition maintains that Prince Rupert was
involved in a skirmish in the High Street before the
battle of Chalgrove Field in 1643. Industries
based in and around Chinnor included lacemaking,
chair-making and agriculture. There were four lace
schools in Chinnor in the early 19th century. Among
the 268 lacemakers there were many children working
to supplement the very low agricultural wages.
Timber for chairmaking was known to be stored in the
barn at Chairmakers, a 16th century property in the
High Street. ‘Bodgers’ were the men working the
beech woods in the surrounding hills.
In more recent times the cement works
opened in 1908 which brought facilities to the
village earlier than in surrounding areas. The
village is the centre today for several small
industries including a sawmill and a funeral
director
|
 |
Chinnor is a village in
the county of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom.
It is approximately 30 miles north west of London
and about 20 miles east of the city of Oxford.
CHINNOR CLICK |
|
Chinnor
& Princes Risborough Railway
Originally known as the
Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway Company,
the railway was largely promoted by local land
owners following the failure of the planned
extension of the Wallingford branch through to
Watlington. Construction of the branch was
authorised by an Act of Parliament dated 26th July,
1869. This authorised the
construction of the branch as a Light Railway,
commencing from the Great Western Railway Station at
Princes Risborough and running for a distance of 8
miles 66 chains to a terminus at Pyrton just outside
Watlington. On 20th December, 1989, a class
47 diesel (No. 47258) together with 35 hopper wagons
made the final journey into Chinnor cement works,
with the locomotive sporting a headboard with the
legend “Last BR Train on the Watlington Branch”.
Maintenance of the branch from Chinnor to the
junction with the Thame branch near Princes
Risborough was given to the Chinnor and Princes
Risborough Railway Association from January, 1990.The
Chinnor and Princes Railway was granted a Transport
and Works Order under section 6 of the Transport and
Works Act 1992 on 4th July 1994, the order coming
into force on 26th July 1994. Thus the legal of the
C&PRR status was assured and passenger services
recommence.
|
 |
Chinnor
Station,
Station Approach
Station Road
Chinnor, Oxon.
OX39 4ER
CHINNOR
& PRINCES RISBOROUGH
RAILWAY CLICK
|
Tel: 01296
433795
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Cuttle Brook Nature
Reserve
Cuttle Brook is a tributary of
the River Thame and this local nature reserve,
opened in 1995, covers about 30 acres of wet
grassland flood plain. This habitat is becoming
nationally scarce and the Cuttle Brook reserve
offers superb, open river-meadow views and a
network of paths through mixed meadows, young
woodland, sedge and reed beds, hedges, trees,
riverbanks and scrubland. There are several
entrances to the reserve, which is just a few
minutes walk from Thame town centre, and a picnic
area.
|
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Cuttle Brook
Nature Reserve, Brook Lane, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9
CUTTLE
BROOK
NATURE RESERVE CLICK |
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The Phoenix Trail
The Phoenix Trail is a 5-mile
long shared use path for walkers, cyclists and
horseriders. Forming part of the national cycle
network, it was constructed along part of the old
branch railway line to Oxford. As well as
providing a traffic-free route between the market
towns of Thame and Princes Risborough, the trail
is a haven for wildlife and also boasts a
collection of award-winning sculptures by
contemporary artists such as Angus Ross. The trail
is accessible to wheelchair users and seating is
provided every 250 metres.
|
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Thame
(Oxfordshire) to Princes Risborough (Buckinghamshire) |
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Rycote
Chapel
A 15th-century
chapel, with exquisitely carved and painted woodwork
and many intriguing features, such as two roofed
pews and a musicians’ gallery.Elizabeth I
worshipped here as a princess. The wedding
scene from LWT’s Jane Eyre was filmed here. Owned
by Mr and Mrs Bernard Taylor and managed by the
Rycote Buildings Charitable Foundation, this
15th-century chapel has original furniture,
including exquisitely carved and painted woodwork.
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Rycote Chapel,
near Thame.
1st April - 30th September: Friday - Sunday & Bank
Holidays, 2 - 6 pm.
RYCOTE
CHAPEL CLICK
|
tel:
01424
775705 |
St. Mary the Virgin
St. Mary’s is located in the
oldest part of the attractive market town of Thame
in Oxfordshire. The church dates from the 13th
Century and contains features dating from that
time right up until the present day. Many original
features were removed during the reformation and
the church also shows damage from the civil war
when Thame was on the front line between Royalist
Oxford and Paliamentarian Aylesbury. Many points
of interest remain including the early English
font, a fragment of a medieval mural, the Tudor
chancel stalls and screen and the Jacobean carved
altar table. There is a prominent albaster tomb
for Lord Williams of Thame and his wife, Elizabeth
Bledlow.
|
 |
Church Road,
Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3AJ
St.
MARY THE
VIRGIN CLICK |
tel:
01844 213491 |
Thame Leisure
Centre
Thame Leisure
Centre is a modern swimming and fitness centre
located on the outskirts of the attractive market
town of Thame. The centre has a 25m adjustable depth
main swimming pool and a shallow parent and toddler
pool with water slide, water cannons and bubble
makers. There is also a fully equipped gym, sports
hall, dance studio, squash courts, sauna and sun
beds. The pool and gym both have stunning views of
the Chiltern hills. The cafe offers snacks, drinks
and meals for those who need an energy boost! There
are regular children’s fun sessions in the pool and
special events during the school holiday |
 |
Oxford Road,
Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2BB
THAME
LEISURE
CENTRE CLICK |
tel:
01844 215607 |
eader
|
Wallingford
Wallingford was a walled
Saxon Town on the Thames, and the remains of the
town walls can still be seen today. William the
Conqueror built Wallingford Castle, which was used
as a royal residence until the time of the Black
Death. The Castle was demolished by the order of
Oliver Cromwell in 1646 after a 65 day siege. The
350th Anniversary of the siege is being celebrated
this year. The remains of the Castle can be seen
from the Castle Gardens.
The Town Hall, built in 1670, houses the Town
Plate and many portraits including the only known
portrait of Judge Blackstone. Other portraits
painted by Hayller, Lawrence and Gainsborough may be
viewed by appointment. Wallingford was
formerly a Borough, having its first Charter granted
in 1155. The Council are still robed and the Mace is
processed on Ceremonial occasions.Dick
Turpin’s favourite Inn was said to be in Berkshire
- the George in Wallingford. Here, he could sleep
soundly in the small room overlooking the yard,
because he knew he could make a quick getaway if
the need arose. Black Bess was tied up in the
entrance arch below, and he could jump from the
window to her back and be away in a few seconds.
Today Wallingford is a thriving Market Town;
the centre is a major conservation area with
examples of churches and architecture dating back to
the 14th Century. The landscape from the River
Thames is officially designated as an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. The narrow
streets with their variety of small shops, pubs and
restaurants, the antique shops in the Lamb Arcade,
and the parks, commons and gardens make it a very
pleasant town.
Wallingford’s not the sort of place you’d
immediately think of for ‘Murder and Mayhem’ but
Agatha Christie, ‘The Queen of Crime’, is one of
Wallingford’s best kept secrets! This creator of
Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple had a house in
Winterbrook for over forty years, where she wrote
many of her later books, inspired perhaps by the
tales she heard as she visited the local Post Office
and shops! Wallingford Museum's new exhibition
includes various letters she wrote and you can
detect for yourself the intriguing story of her
association with Wallingford. She was President of
local drama group The Sinodun Players, who now run
the Corn Exchange Theatre. Wallingford
is within easy reach of both the M40 and the M4, and
is only 15 miles from Oxford.
|
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Town Hall,
Market Place, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 0EG
WALLINGFORD
CLICK
|
Tel:
01491
826972
Fax: 01491 832925
|
Aston Martin Heritage Trust
Museum
The Aston Martin Heritage Trust
Museum at Drayton St. Leonard, Oxfordshire is
dedicated to preserving and interpreting the
significant historic heritage of Aston Martin
Lagonda Ltd. through our collections and educational
programmes. The medieval barn in which the Museum is
housed provides the perfect backdrop to display our
extensive collections. Built in the fifteenth
century by the monks of Dorchester Abbey, the great
tithe barn at Drayton St. Leonard now houses the
Trust Museum and Archives and is HQ for both the
Aston Martin Owners Club and the Aston Martin
Heritage Trust.
The Car Collection is Aston Martin's
living heritage, from the oldest surviving Aston
Martin to the prototype AMR1/01.
A3 - the oldest
known Aston Martin in existence
A 1933 Ulster, one
of only 29 in existence
A 1972 AM Vantage
AMR1/01, the
protoype that came 11th in the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hour
Race.
'Buzzbox', the
only Renwick & Bertelli built car and kindly on
loan to the Trust.
1990 Aston Martin
Virage, part of the Virage Production Photo Essay.
(Kindly on loan)
|
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Drayton
St Leonard
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 7BG
ASTON
MARTIN MUSEUM
|
Tel
+44 1865 400414
Fax +44 1865 400200 |
Benson
Veteran
Cycle
Museum
A fine
collection of about 450 veteran bicycles dating from
1818 to 1930.
|
 |
61
Brook Street, Benson, Wallingford, OX10 6LH. |
tel:
01491
838414
|
Berinsfield
Berinsfield
is a village and civil parish in the South
Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, with a
population of 2,700 (2001 census). The village is
just north of Dorchester-on-Thames
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BERISFIELD
CLICK
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Cholsey
& Wallingford Railway
The
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a preserved
former Great Western Railway branchline that links
the national railway network at Cholsey, with the
historic market town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
Trains run on selected weekends and bank holidays
throughout the year and, where available, are steam
hauled. Known locally as "The Bunk",
passenger services ceased in 1959. Having secured
the line in 1981, the CWR Preservation Society now
aims to re-create a GWR Station, similar to the
original, at its site in Hithercroft Road.
|
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c/o 5
Hithercroft Road
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 9GQ
10am - 5pm
CHOLSEY
&
WALLINGFORD
RAILWAY CLICK |
Tel: 01491
835067 |
Dorchester Abbey
Museum
The Museum
has displays in the Abbey, notably the newly opened
Cloister Gallery, and in the Old School in the
adjoining Abbey Guest House. The Cloister Gallery
display, described as the best of its kind in the
country, tells the story of the Abbey through an
interpreted collection of carved and moulded
medieval stonework. The displays and artefacts in
the Abbey Guest House pick out special features of
the village of Dorchester-on-Thames and its
environs, both past and present; the area has been
an important centre of civilisation since Neolithic
times, and the attractive village buildings are
regularly used as sets for period films and TV.
|
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The Abbey,
Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Old School Room, in the Abbey Guest House, Saturday
15th April to 30th September, 2.00 – 5.00 pm
dailyCloister Gallery, in the Abbey, 1st January to
31st December, 8.00 am – 6.00 pm daily
DORCHESTER
ABBEY
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel.
01865 340007
|
Mapledurham
House
&
Watermill
Nestled
on the banks of the River Thames is Mapledurham
House. Historic home of the Blount family for over
500 years. Visit the last working watermill on the
River Thames. Inside the house visitors will see a
collection of portraits, furniture, great oak
staircases and original plaster ceilings. Enjoy a
cream tea in the Old Manor Tea Room and browse the
well-stocked gift shop. Visitors may also arrive by
boat.
|
 |
Mapledurham
House
Mapledurham
Oxfordshire
RG4 7TR
MAPLEDURHAM
HOUSE CLICK |
Tel: 01189 723
350 |
|
Thankfully,
the Midsomer Murders faced by Inspector Barnaby are
fictional, but the villages and market towns seen in
each episode are not. Location teams spend hours
finding period properties in locations full of
character and charm, the real stars of the show. hese
two driving tours pass through South Oxfordshire's
Midsomer Murders countryside, an area easily
accessible from the M4 and M40. Travelling without a
car? Rail and bus routes to the area
lead to many walking and cycle paths. We recommend
taking an overnight stay to stop, eat and enjoy the
routes at your leisure. The
Southern Trail, taking in Causton Playhouse
and Badgers Drift Primary School, as well as
opportunities to enjoy manor houses, village pubs,
museums, river trips and a steam railway
Covers Henley on Thames - Nettlebed – Wallingford –
Moulsford - Goring - Mapledurham - Rotherfield
Peppard/Rotherfield Greys - Henley on Thames (total
drive time approximately 3 hours). Download
and print a PDF of the Southern
Trail
The
Northern Trail, taking in Midsomer Newton
Museum and Causton Library, as well as pubs,
churches and shops filmed for the series; with
options to visit the gardens and nature reserves
set in Midsomer countryside. Dorchester
- Wallingford - Ewelme – Watlington – Lewknor – Aston
Rowant – Chinnor – Thame – the Miltons and the
Haseleys – Dorchester (total drive time approximately
3.5 hours). Download
and print a PDF of the Northern Trail
Linger a little longer - take your pick of places
to stay and things
to see in South Oxfordshire. Not
keen on selfguide / self drive? Then
why not take a guided/escorted
Midsomer Murders tour. Among the companies
offering such a service are Absolute Touring Limited, Detective Tours, Sho4Travel and Brit Movie Tours. They are happy
to discuss your detailed requirements. |
St
Thomas of Canterbury
Travelling over the double
bridges joining together the villages of Goring
and Streatley, after taking in the breathtaking
views of the River Thames, you will spot St.
Thomas of Canterbury on the right hand side (from
Streatley into Goring). This charming church was
built around 1100. It is thought that the church
was built by the great Norman Baron, Robert
D’Oilly who was a supporter of William the
Conqueror. St Thomas’s is a short walk from Goring
and Streatley train station.
|
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Manor Road,
Goring on Thames, Oxfordshire RG8 |
tel:01491
872196 |
Wallingford
Castle
There is not much of
the old Castle left above ground but the green
mounds you will see are the remains of what was
once one of the largest, strongest, and most
important castles in England..The Castle would have had a massive impact
on Wallingford as it occupied one quarter of the
town. It was even bigger
than Windsor Castle.The
Castle was demolished after the Civil War, in
1652, and has been largely forgotten since. The
land was purchased by South Oxfordshire District
Council in 1999, and is being managed as an area
for informal recreation, for people to see the
castle remains, and for the wildlife.The
Northmoor
Trust
are
involved, at the request of the District Council,
because of our experience of managing public sites
with complex influences. In this case there are
potential conflicts between the need to protect the
Castle, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and the need to
provide safe public access and appropriate wildlife
conservation management. A detailed site management
plan which aims to resolve these conflicts is posted
on the South Oxfordshire District Council website.
The building of Wallingford Castle was begun in
1067 on the orders of William the Conqueror, to
defend the important river crossing. The castle
was then extended by King John at the start of the
13th century to have three walls and moats, and
become one of the largest castles in England. In
fact the castle was so strong that it has very
little military history, and was mostly used as a
prison. The Castle was a Royalist stronghold
during the Civil War, and was not captured despite
a long siege by Parliamentary forces so was
subsequently demolished.
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Castle
Street
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 0AL
|
Tel: 01491 835373
|
Wallingford
Museum
This small gem of a museum,
housed in part of a mediaeval hall-house, has been
recently refurbished. It includes features on "The
River Thames through Time", Saxon and Mediaeval
Wallingford , with a model of the Castle, a
Victorian Street Scene, pub, shop, workshop and
domestic area. A walk through Saxon and Medieval
Wallingford, including a personal audio commentary
and a display of recent local Roman excavations are
now in operation.
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Flint House,
High Street,
Wallingford
March to November: Tues
to Fri: 2 to 5; Sat 10.30 to 5
plus June to Aug:
Sun & Bank Hol Mon: 2 to 5
WALLINGFORD
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel:
01491
835065
|
Well Place Zoo
Well Place Zoo was
first opened in 1968. A large and varied collection
of birds and animals from all over the world can be
seen. The Zoo is set in beautiful Oxfordshire
countryside. Bring your binoculars to look out for
Red Kites- a near extinct bird which has been
introduced to the area.
Coffee Shop (seasonal), Gift Shop, Museum,
Wishing Well
|
 |
Well Place , Ipsden
Wallingford, Oxfordshire
OX10 6QZ
email:
John@wellplacezoo.
fsnet.co.uk
WELL PLACE ZOO CLICK |
tel:
01491 680 473 |
|
Wantage
King Alfred was born in 849
AD in Wantage at a time when it was an important
Saxon centre. The towns buildings are mostly 17th
and 18th century with narrow cobbled streets and
passages. The Church of St Peter and St
Paul, part of which is 13th century contains tombs
of the Fitzwarren family into which Dick Whittington
- four times Lord Mayor of London - married. Wantage
lies at the foot of the Downs and there are numerous
racing stables in surrounding villages. Nearby is
the historic, probably pre-Roman, Ridgeway track
running from Ashbury to Streatley on the Thames. The
Downs are also the site of the famous White horse
carved into the chalk hillside. Wantage is
also in the heart of an area of high technology
close to AEA Technology, Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory, Culham Laboratory, Esso Research Centre
and the Williams Motor Racing Centre in Europe's
second largest village, Grove. Wantage has a
thriving social life with many clubs and local
organisations. Music is important with a brass band
in the first division and an operatic society. A
month long festival of music and arts is held in
June and July. There is a Dickensian Evening before
Christmas when shops open late and the Town Mayor
and Town Crier lead the townspeople and visitors
around the town.
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|
Wantage Visitor Centre
19 Church Street ,
Wantage
Oxfordshire OX12 8BL
All
year
Monday
- Saturday 10am-4.30pm.
Closed Christmas Day..
WANTAGE CLICK |
Tel:
01235 760176
|
Ardington
House
In the countryside
just a few miles south of Oxford stands Ardington
House.Surrounded by
well-kept lawns, terraced gardens, peaceful paddocks
and parkland, this Baroque house was built in 1720.You will find it on the edge of the village
of Ardington, with its picturesque cricket ground,
village stores, and ancient church, in the lee of
the downland linking the Thames valley to the
Kennet. Built by
the Strong brothers with typical Georgian symmetry,
the House is also famous for its Imperial Staircase.
Leading from the Hall, the staircase has two
matching flights leading into one and is considered
by experts to be one of the finest examples in
Britain.
|
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Ardington House
Ardington
Near Wantage
Oxfordshire OX12 8QA
We are just off the A34 between the M4 and
M40 in Oxfordshire, 20 mins from Oxford or Newbury by
car. From London by car allow 1hr 20mins.
ARDINGTON
HOUSE CLICK
|
tel:
01235
821 566
|
Dragon Hill
Dragon Hill is
an ancient, natural mound, flattened by man and
situated in the valley below the White Horse of
Uffington. The hill is steeped in mystery and legend
because of its proximity to the White Horse and the
bare patch on one part of the hill. Some legends
tell that St. George slew the dragon here and it was
the beast’s blood which poisoned the ground so that
no grass would grow on that spot. Another legend
claims that the slain dragon is buried under the
hill. |
 |
Near Wantage,
Oxfordshire SN7 |
|
The
Manger
The
Manger
is
a curious-shaped valley on the side of a hill
below the famous White Horse of Uffington. It is
believed that its strange shape was formed by the
melting of ice in the last Ice Age. On the western
side, there is a series of ripples, sometimes
called “giants’ steps”. These terraces are a
visual reminder of medieval strip farming dating
from before the Black Death. In myth, the White
Horse is said to leave the hill once a year at
night to feed in the Manger.
|
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Near Wantage,
Oxfordshire SN7 |
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Tom
Brown's School Museum
The Museum is housed in the 380 year-old
schoolroom which was featured in the novel "Tom
Brown's School Days", first published in 1857.
Author Thomas Hughes was born in Uffington and
many of the places described in the book are still
visible today. Founded by Thomas Saunders in 1617,
the schoolroom was one of the earliest secular
schools. It was founded for local boys: the
original charter is displayed in the Museum and
makes it clear that girls were excluded!
|
 |
Broad
Street , Uffington
Oxfordshire SN7 7RA
26th March to end of October,
Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm-5pm.
email:
museum@uffington.net
TOM BROWN's SCHOOL MUSEUM
CLICK |
|
Uffington
Castle
Uffington Castle is one of a
chain of Iron Age hill-forts sited along the
ancient Ridgeway path. The fort was built in
around 500BC to a single ditch, single rampart
design. Originally, there were two entrances at
east and west, and the earth ramparts were topped
with a wooden palisade. This was replaced with a
stone wall in around 300BC. Archaeologists believe
the fort was only used seasonally or temporarily.
Visitors to the fort can climb up to a trig point
which marks the highest point in Oxfordshire (858
feet).
|
 |
7 miles west of
Wantage, Oxfordshire SN7 |
|
Uffington
White Horse
The
White Horse is cut out of the turf on the chalky
upper slopes of Uffington Castle near to the
Ridgeway. It is 374 feet long. The Uffington white
horse is Britain’s oldest and most famous hill
figure at 2,000 to 3000 years old. As to the origins
and builders of the white horse there are numerous
theories, as many as those associated with
Stonehenge. A Celtic god or tribal symbol, the
dragon slain by St. George, Celtic horse goddess
Epona, a religious icon to represent fertility,
built to celebrate Alfred’s victory over the
Danes in 861 AD, horse worship in the Iron Age,
created in the seventh century by Hengist in the
image of a horse on his standard etc. The monument
became very overgrown in the 19th Century and it has
now been restored and is cared for by English
Heritage. Visitors should be aware that can be very
windy on top of the hill with no cover if it rains.
|
 |
Uffington
Oxfordshire |
|
Vale
& Downland Museum
The Museum is housed in a converted 17th
century cloth-merchant's house - a fine example of
local vernacular architecture. Behind it, in a new
extension with 20th century wooden crucks spanning
two floors, are the visitor facilities. The
collections held at the Museum contain geological,
natural history, archaeological, social history
and contemporary objects that reflect the Vale of
White Horse today. The Museum has audio visual
presentations and multi-media programmes developed
in-house.
|
 |
19 Church Street , Wantage
Oxfordshire OX12 8BL
All
year
Monday
- Saturday 10am-4.30pm.
Closed Christmas Day.
email:
museum@wantage.com
VALE & DOWNLAND MUSEUM
CLICK |
Tel:
01235 771 44 |
Waylands
Smithy
Wayland’s Smithy
is an ancient burial site situated right next
to the Ridgeway long-distance path.
Atmospherically enclosed by a ring of beech
trees, the site comprises a Neolithic long
barrow, with four large standing stones at the
entrance and marker stones along the side of
the barrow. The barrow is approximately 5000
years old and had two phases of construction.
Traditionally, Wayland was blacksmith to the
Saxon gods. Legend states that a horse left at
the barrow overnight with a penny, would be
shod by morning.
|
 |
Near Wantage,
Oxfordshire SN7 |
|
Wilts
&
Berks
Canal
Originally started
in 1792 and opened in 1810 the canal linked the
Kennet and Avon canal near Trowbridge, with the
river Thames near Abingdon. The
challenge
of
restoring the Wilts & Berks Canal is that it has
been abandoned for nearly 100 years. The Wilts and
Berks Canal Trust, and its predecessor the Amenity
Group, have re-discovered the canal and its
structures and have set about the task of full
restoration. Considering the passage of time,
it is surprising that much of the rural part of the
canal still exists. With a moderate amount of
clearance it can, and is being brought back to
its original standard.
|
|
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, 117 High
Street, Wooten Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 7AU
WILTS
& BERKS CANAL CLICK
|
|
|
Witney
Since the Middle Ages,
Witney was famous for the manufacturing of blankets
using water from the River Windrush which, so the
story goes, was the secret of their quality. Over
recent years Witney has grown rapidly, yet it still
manages to retain its charm as an attractive
Cotswold market town. The market square
which lies at the junction of the two main streets
contains the Buttercross, a medieval marketing and
meeting place where women from neighbouring villages
gathered to sell butter and eggs. It has a steeply
gabled roof surmounted by a clock-turret added in
1683. Opposite is the 17th century Town Hall. Market
Square widens into Church Green which is dominated
by the tower and spire of the 13th century church of
St. Mary. The Henry Box comprehensive school
near the church of St. Mary takes its name from a
local boy who, like Dick Whittington, went to London
to seek his fortune. In 1662 having succeeded he
left money to fund the formation of the new school.
A short distance from the town centre is the
parish of Cogges where a Victorian working Manor
Farm museum is situated. In nearby South
Leigh the Church of St James is home to some
remarkably well preserved medieval wall paintings
and are well worth a visit. The Charlbury
road leads through one of Witney's best preserved
streets - West End, which gave rise to the song
"Just an old fashioned house in an old fashioned
street".
|
|
51a Market Square, Witney, Oxfordshire,
OX8 6AG E-mail:
witney.vic@westoxon.gov.uk
|
Tel:
01993 775802 Fax: 01993 709261
|
Aston
Pottery
Visit a real working
pottery that supplies over 200 shops in the UK and
view traditional techniques for making teapots,
mugs, jugs and plates. Have a go at decorating your
own mug and visit the award winning shop for
pottery, unusual gifts and country produce. Guided
tours available in summer months on weekdays.
Children’s summer activity programme – ring for
details.
|
 |
Aston Pottery, The
Stables
Kingsway Farm, Aston
Oxfordshire OX18 2BT
Open daily all year
ASTON POTTERY CLICK |
tel:
01993
852031
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Bampton
Bampton, also
called Bampton-in-the-Bush, is a village and civil
parish in Oxfordshire, located in the Thames Valley
about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of Witney.
Meaning settlement by the tree or cross, Bampton was
a major late Anglo-Saxon centre: the focus of a
royal manor and site of a ‘minster’ church. It
may seem oddly familiar to Downton fans for this is
where the village scenes are filmed and where many
dramas have been played out in the streets. The
set locations for Downton Abbey have become stars in
their own right and are as much a character in the
series as any of the actors.Take the
opportunity to explore the wonderful sites of
Downton Abbey yourself. Official tours out of London
and Oxford to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with a
Downton Abbey theme are available through travel
specialist International Friends. [ * Please
note that access to the Downton filming locations is
not suitable for large vehicles and there is little
parking. As well as a variety of
buildings that have been used as pubs, shops and the
post office the main locations in Bampton are:
- Churchgate House is
used as the Crawley family home
- The old
Grammar School building, which now houses Bampton
Community Archive, served as ‘Downton’
hospital
- St Mary’s Church, renamed as St
Michael and All Angels, has hosted a number of
dramatic ‘Downton’ events including weddings,
funerals, christenings and even a jilting at the
altar!
- Church View
has appeared regularly throughout the series and
is home to two fictional pubs - The Grantham Arms
and The Dog & Duck - both featured in various
episodes. It was also the site of Downton Fair.
Swinbrook
Two miles east of Burford is the
beautiful village of Swinbrook.
The Swan Inn which
is currently owned by Debo, Dowager Duchess of
Devonshire - the last surviving Mitford sister. This
is where Lady Sybil and Branson stayed whilst planning
their elopement, a controversial storyline in series
2.
Cogges
Close to Witney,
Cogges is a former Victorian Farm Museum and its
historic farm buildings were the fictional Yew Tree
Farm, which played host to many of the farming scenes
in series 4 and was home to Mr Drewe, the tenant
farmer. It sits on the banks of the River Windrush.
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Bishops
Palace
The
foundations of this magnificent medieval building,
built by the Bishop of Winchester are situated at
Church Green opposite St Mary’s church, in the
centre of Witney. The Palace was originally built in
the 12th Century and then extended in the 13th
Century.
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Open all year –
Site only: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm
Site & interpretation centre: Easter to end of
September Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 4pm |
tel:
01993 814114 |
Charlbury
The
name Charlbury is of Anglo-Saxon origin, from the
old English ‘burgh’, a fortified place or earthwork,
belonging to ‘Ceorl’, possibly a personal name but
more likely meaning that it was inhabited by
freemen.In the 8th century it belonged to the
Mercian kings and in 1094 it was given by the Norman
Bishop of Lincoln to Eynsham Abbey. When the abbey
was dissolved by Henry VIII, there were two
claimants to the manor of Charlbury. .
Eventually the courts found in favour of the
President and Scholars of St John’s, who leased
Charlbury to Sir Henry Lee and his descendants for
the term of three lives. In 1857, by exchange, the
property passed to the owner of Cornbury Park. St
John’s College still appoints the vicars of
Charlbury.
Cornbury Park was an important part of the
history of Charlbury. An Elizabethan hunting lodge,
the gift of Queen Elizabeth I to the Earl of
Leicester, it was demolished and a beautiful house
built in its stead by Lord Clarendon in the reign of
Charles I. Spinning and weaving went on in many
homes, and in the early 1800s the gloving industry
was revived by leading Quakers to help alleviate the
poverty resulting from the Napoleonic Wars. Gloving
continued as a cottage industry and then in small
factories until the early 1960s During the "cold
war" many world politicians flew into Brize Norton
to secretly meet and the Royal Navy had a secret
premises at Charlbury for those meetings which
included Kruschov, Bulganin, Kennedy, Johnson, De
Gaulle and many others.
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CHARLBURY CLICK
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Charlbury
Museum
Museum
displays illustrating the traditional crafts and
industries of Charlbury, with maps and photographs.
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April to end of
September
Saturdays 10am - 12noon
Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays 2.30pm - 4pm
CHARLBURY
MUSEUM CLICK
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tel:
01608 810060 |
Cogges
Manor Farm Museum
Come to Cogges to
discover life in rural Oxfordshire in Victorian
times. You step back in time when you enter the
beautiful farmstead with its original Cotswold
buildings. Parts of the manor house are over 700
years old; now you can see what life was like here
100 years ago. In the
kitchen you can sample home baking fresh from the
kitchen range and talk to the 'Victorian maids' to
find out about the history of the house and the
people who lived here. There's plenty to keep the
children happy too, from building models to dressing
up and playing with Victorian games.
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Church Lane , Witney
Oxfordshire, OX28 3LA
22nd
March to 30th October.
Tuesday – Friday 10.30am – 5.30pm. Saturday &
Sunday 12.00pm – 5.30pm
Bank Holiday Mondays 10.30am – 5.30pm. Early closing
at 4.00pm in October. Advent Weekend (3&4th
Dec)10.30am – 5.30pm Last admission an hour before
closing. Closed Mondays & Good Friday.
COGGES
MANOR FARM MUSEUM CLICK |
tel:
01993 772 602 |
Combe Mill in Steam
Mid 19th Century sawmill
with working steam beam engine, original Cornish
boiler and a working blacksmith’s forge. A pattern
maker’s shop on the first floor houses a collection
of tools, models and displays of the Society’s
collection.
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Combe, Long
Hanborough
Witney, Oxfordshire
OX29 7ET
A4095 Witney to Woodstock. Turn north for Combe,
after crossing the river, the mill is on the left
before railway bridge
COMBE MILL IN
STREAM CLICK |
Tel:
01865 379 402
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Eynsham
Over
the centuries the name of the village has changed no
less than 13 times. The ‘old ‘uns’ used to refer to
it as Ensam, spelt Ensham, its last spelling before
the present one which has been in use for most of
the 20th century and is not likely to be changed
again.A Benedictine abbey was founded here in 1005
and became very wealthy, owning land throughout
Oxfordshire. The abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII
in 1539. The ruins stood for a couple of centuries
and then, as they began to deteriorate, the land
became a quarry. The only remains now are carved
pieces of stone built into many of the cottages and
garden walls. Perhaps the villagers were encouraged
to cart it away and build their own dwellings, some
which still remain today. The abbey also owned the
flour and corn mill, the yearly rent payable by the
miller being ten shillings and 450 eels. Many years
later it became a paper mill supplying fine paper
for the bible presses, and it was there that
experiments were carried out to make paper from
grass. During the early part of the 20th century it
became a glue, rag and flock mill. Rags were turned
into cheap flock mattresses. This all came to an end
in the late 1920s, but the old mill buildings had a
further use. The rubble from them was used as
ballast when the nearby A40 was built in 1935. The
lovely mill house still remains.
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Eynsham is a
large village and civil parish about 5 miles
north-west of Oxford and about 5 miles east of Witney
EYNSHAM CLICK
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Minster
Lovell Hall & Dovecote
English
Heritage site next to the River Windrush and Minster
Lovell Church, in a beautiful setting. The romantic
ruins of Lord Lovell’s 15th Century Manor House –
interesting Dovecote. Fine church at entrance.
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Adjacent to
Minster Lovell church, 3 miles W of Witney off A40 (OS
Map 164; ref SP 324114
Open Daily
MINSTER
LOVELL
HALL CLICK |
tel:
01993 775262 |
Minster
Lovell Experience
The Heritage Centre, a small
private collection, is situated onthe outskirts of
the village in one room of a busy picture framing
workshop . The
owner Graham Kew, Artist, Tour Guide and Story
Teller, is a fanatical lover of the village,
devoting considerable time and energy to keeping
alive legends and history of this beautiful village.
You will soon be captivated by the exhibits and the
friendly welcome you receive. Ask Graham to sing you
the ballad of the 'Mistletoe Bough', the song of the
Lovell Bride who tragically died on her wedding
night. Or ask him to show you the Minster Lovell
Jewel.
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130 Burford
Road, Minster Lovell on the B4047 - one and a half
miles west of Witney. Monday to Friday 10am - 1pm
& 2pm - 5pm
MINSTER
LOVELL
EXPERIENCE CLICK |
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Norton
Leigh Roman Villa
The part exposed
floor plan of a large Roman Villa first unearthed in
1813 and consisting of over 60 rooms including some
mosaics that are now under shelter. The access to this
English Heritage site is down an unsurfaced track,
some distance from road. |
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Witney,
Oxfordshire,
OX29 8ER
Open daily
www.english-heritage.org.uk |
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West
Oxfordshire Arts Gallery
West
Ox Arts Association has a lovely and light gallery
on the first floor of a Grade II listed building in
the pretty Cotswold village of Bampton. It offers
regularly changing exhibitions of quality arts and
crafts. It is a registered charity with membership
open to all artists and art lovers.
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Bampton, Oxfordshire
Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am - 12.30pm
& 2pm - 4pm Sunday
2pm - 4pm
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tel:
01993 850137 |
Witney
&
District
Museum
Opened in 1996, the
Witney & District Museum is situated in the
centre of the town, along the High Street. The large
ground floor gallery houses a long term exhibition,
showing the history of Witney and the surrounding
area, and highlighting the changes that have taken
place over the past 1,000 years. Local industries,
such as the making of Witney Blankets, glove making
and brewing are all features.
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Gloucester Court Mews
High Street, Witney
Oxfordshire, OX8 6LR
13th April - October, Wed - Sat 10.00am -
4.00pm; Sunday 2.00 - 4.00pm.
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Tel: +44 (0)1993 775 915
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Woodstock
Woodstock was a favourite
hunting place for nearly all the Kings of England
from Saxon times to the late Stuart Period. It
was Henry I who built a Manor House in what is now
known as Blenheim Park. Edward the Black Prince, son
of Edward III, was born here, Henry VIII was a
frequent visitor with his first wife Katharine of
Aragon, and Elizabeth I was imprisoned in the Manor
for almost a year. Medieval Woodstock was a very
small place with forests on all sides. The villagers
were very poor — some were craftsmen but many
scraped a living from the land. By the year 1450
Woodstock had become a Market Town having been
granted a charter. The inhabitants became free
burgesses and were allowed to send two
representatives to Parliament, and the town was
granted a staple for wool. In about 1500 gloving
became a Woodstock industry which gradually
increased through Victorian times when there were
many small factories producing gloves. Many were
sent out to be hand-stitched by women and girls in
their own homes. Gloving only started to decline
after the last war when cheap Japanese imitations
became readily available. It is still, however, a
tradition that when a reigning king or queen visits
Wood-stock, a pair of gloves is presented to him or
her, and when Queen Elizabeth II came here, the
Mayor presented her with a pair of white kid gloves.
At one time families lived in the same house for
generations, and all the shops were owned by local
people, but today with high rents and properties
fetching enormous prices this is no longer the case.
One exception is the Banbury family who still have a
drapers’ shop in Oxford Street and have lived there
for generations.Many buildings are most attractive
and date from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Fletchers House is a notable example, a 16th century
merchant’s house which is now used as a County
Museum. Lots of interesting exhibitions are held
there. In the nearby village of Bladon is the church
of St Martin where the grave of Winston Churchill
still proves a place of interest to those who also
visit his birthplace of Blenheim Palace. A small
gateway close to the church leads to the grounds of
the Palace and from here a very pleasant walk may be
taken round the estate.
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within The Oxfordshire Museum, Park
Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1SN
Tel/Fax: 01993 813632
E-mail: tourism@westoxon.gov.uk
www.oxlink.co.uk/woodstock
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Tel/Fax:
01993
813632
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Blenheim
Palace
Blenheim Palace offers a wonderful
day out for all the family. You will be inspired
by the majesty of the Palace, with its carvings by
Grinling Gibbons, delighted by the interior filled
with treasures and intrigued by the apartments
devoted to Sir Winston Churchill. There are
gardens in a variety of styles; lakes to row on,
an adventure play area for children and even a
narrow-gauge railway to take you from car park to
the Palace. Blenheim Palace was built for the
National Hero John 1st Duke of Marlborough and his
Duchess Sarah, given by Queen Anne as a gift in
reward for his military services. The palace was
built between 1705 and 1722. The architect chosen
to complete this task was Sir John Vanbrugh and
his clerk of works Hawksmoor, who had already
proved their ability with the masterly designs for
Greenwich Hospital and Castle Howard. Set in
glorious parkland, Blenheim can be exciting to
look at in all seasons and is the supreme example
of English Baroque architecture.
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Woodstock
Oxfordshire
OX20 1PX
email:
operations@blenheimpalace.com
BLENHEIM PALACE
CLICK |
tel: 01993 811 091 |
Iona
House Gallery
Iona
House Gallery is situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
It is young, vibrant and eclectic, showcasing
quality and affordable International, Scottish and
local contemporary art from both established,
eminent artists and new rising talent. It exhibits
over 300 pieces at any one time: original paintings,
limited edition prints, sculpture, ceramics, silver,
woodwork and jewellery, with a framing service also
provided.The gallery is unique as it is owned by the
charity, Scottish International Relief (SIR) and is
named after the charity’s first children’s home in
Romania.
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4 High Street
Woodstock
Oxfordshire
OX20 1TF
IONA GALLERY
CLICK |
Tel: 01993 811
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Oxfordshire
Museum
Situated in the
heart of the historic town of Woodstock, the award
winning redevelopment of Fletcher's House provides a
home for the new county museum.Set in attractive gardens, the new museum
celebrates Oxfordshire in all its diversity and
features collections of local history, art,
archaeology, landscape and wildlife as well as a
gallery exploring the County's innovative industries
from nuclear power to nanotechnology. Interactive
exhibits offer new learning experiences for visitors
of all ages.
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Fletcher's House , Park Street,
Woodstock
Oxfordshire OX20 1SN
Tuesday to Saturday
10.00am - 5.00pm Sunday 2.00pm - 5.00pm (last
admission 4.30) Closed on Mondays.
email:
oxon.museum@
oxfordshire.gov.uk
OXFORDSHIRE
MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel: +44 (0)1993 8115456 |
The Woodstock Wallhangings
The story of Woodstock,
from its foundation in Norman times is told in the
embroidered wallhangings in Woodstock Town Hall.
Seventeen colourful scenes show life in the town and
the historic events which shaped it. The
wallhangings have been made by the Woodstock
Broderers, and are one of the four attractions on
the Woodstock Textile Trail
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Wednesday
10.00am
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1.00pm from early April to end of September
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tel:
01993
813276
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I'm Cerdic. First King
of Wessex
OXFORDSHIRE TOURIST GUIDE
