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Oxford (/ ˈ ɒ k s f ər d / ⓘ) [5] [6] is a cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. Founded in the 8th century, it was granted city status in 1542.
Explore the official tourism guide to Oxford from VisitBritain. Discover the best things to do and why we love Oxford. Just an hour by train from London and you’re in the city of dreaming spires.
- Wander Historic University Colleges
- Photograph Classic Oxford Landmarks
- Tour The Bodleian Library
- Indulge Your Love of Bookshops
- Treasures and Afternoon Tea at The Ashmolean Museum
- Enter The Victorian Era in The Pitt Rivers Museum
- Hear Christ Church Cathedral Choir at Evensong
- Overnight at Oxford Castle and Prison
- Oxford’s Botanic Garden and Arboretum
- Punting Under Magdalen Bridge
Oxford University can be traced back to the 11th century. Within 200 years, it had taken shape as a loose association of independent colleges, still housed (for the most part) in their original historic buildings scattered around the city. Pick a couple of colleges to visit depending on your interests and get inspired by the intellectual heritage o...
No doubt Oxford’s most photographed landmark is Radcliffe Camera, a dome-topped sandy-gold edifice built between 1737 and 1749 in grand Palladian style, then known as Radcliffe Library. It was demoted to a “camera” (room) in 1860 when it became the reading room of the neighboring Bodleian Library. The only way for non-members to see the interior is...
At least five kings, dozens of prime ministers and Nobel laureates, and luminaries such as Oscar Wilde, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien have studied in Oxford's Bodleian Library, a magnificent survivor from the Middle Ages. Wander into its central 17th-century quadrangle, and you can admire the buildings for free. The neighboring Weston Librarydisplays a ...
After that book-lovers pilgrimage to the Bodleian Library, you can continue your literary love affair at the many bookshops of Oxford. Next door to Weston Library is a Blackwell’s with its basement lined with 3.5km (2.1 mi) of shelves. Popular children's murder mystery writer Robin Stevensworked as a bookseller here. Along Broad Street you’ll find ...
Britain’s oldest public museum, Oxford’s wonderful Ashmolean Museum, is surpassed only by the British Museum in London for size and volume of world treasures. You could easily spend a day exploring this magnificent neoclassical building and its collection. Family-friendly pamphlets draw kids into select exhibits. To the museum’s credit, the curator...
If exploring an enormous room full of eccentric unexpected artefacts sounds like your idea of the perfect afternoon, welcome to the amulets-to-zithers extravaganza that is the Pitt Rivers Museum. Tucked behind Oxford’s natural history museum, and dimly lit to protect its myriad treasures, it’s centred on an anthropological collection amassed by a V...
Christ Church Cathedraldoubles as Christ Church college’s chapel and the city’s cathedral. It was the site of an Anglo-Saxon shrine of St Frideswide, Oxford’s patron saint, since the 8th century. Later the 12th-century priory church became part of Cardinal Wolsey’s new Cardinal College in 1525. And Henry VIII made the church a cathedral when he ren...
As a visitor site, Oxford Castle and Prisonprovide an interesting overview of the city’s extraordinary history, especially on a guided tour. Little now remains of Oxford Castle, which was built for William the Conqueror in 1071, and largely destroyed after the English Civil War. But entertaining theatrical tours led by costumed guides lead through ...
Founded in 1621, Oxford's small, peaceful botanic gardenis the oldest of its kind in England celebrating its 400-year birthday in 2021. With over 5000 plant species, it remains a department of the university and is run more for research than pleasing the public. However, it’s a lovely spot beside the River Cherwell to escape the city streets, espec...
Directly across the road from the Botanic Gardens, also on the Cherwell, you’ll spot Magdalen Bridge where you can go punting from the boathouse. An iconic Oxford experience, punting is all about lounging back in a flat-bottomed boat and sipping Pimms (a classic English summer beverage) as you watch the city’s glorious architecture drift by. To ach...
The essential Oxford City guide for where to stay in Oxford, attractions, places to eat, shopping, listings of Oxford's businesses and community facilities.
Things to Do in Oxford, England: See Tripadvisor's 283,281 traveler reviews and photos of Oxford tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in November. We have reviews of the best places to see in Oxford. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
Oxford has history, food, humour; it has some of the most beautiful colleges and pubs on the planet; and it pulls off the rare trick of being tranquil and thrilling at the same time.
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Dec 25, 2023 · Explore Oxford, one of the oldest and most celebrated university towns in Europe, with its rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty. Discover its famous colleges, churches, gardens, and landmarks, such as Carfax Tower, Christ Church Cathedral, and Blenheim Palace.
