The Oxford Travel Guide highlights a range of visitor attractions, places of interest and offers useful tourist information for visitors. Located in the county of Oxfordshire, it is approx one hour's train journey from London, the city is most famous for its university whose influence is all over the city. However there is more to Oxford than just the university, Oxford was founded in the 9th century before the University was founded in 1167, the Town Hall is an impressive Victorian building and popular with visitors.
Overview and Attractions
A trip to the Museum of Oxford will help visitors understand the history of the city, this is a city is steeped in history and traditions. Punting is also a popular activity that entails guiding a flat-bottomed boat along the Thames or the Cherwell, there are a variety of pubs and picnic spots along the routes. Oxford has a good choice of hotels, bars and shopping is great, for those on all budgets.
The geographical location of Oxford means it is popular among those in the Greater London area as a day trip and short break destination, its beautiful, tranquil surroundings are a contrast to the hustle and bustle Londoners are accustomed to.
The Museum of the History of Science is located in Broad Street in Oxford, the museum offers visitors the chance to see many scientific relics from the past, many of which have helped to develop our culture and understanding. There are a huge amount of objects represented, around 10,000 which cover all aspects of science. There are fine collections of optical instruments that include microscopes and cameras among others and collections for chemistry and medicine. There is also a reference library for the study of scientific instruments. The museum gives visitors a great insight in to the many varied aspects of science and how the development of science has played key role in the development of our culture and knowledge.
Cartax Tower is located in Oxford where the four main entry roads meet, the tower is all that remains of the Church of St. Martin, which was built in the 13th century. The majority of the tower was demolished when the roads in Oxford were widened. Visitors can climb the 99 steps to the top to see a wonderful view of the city of Oxford. The bells are rung every quarter hour.
Saxon Tower of St Michael is Oxford's oldest building the church is open every day for private prayer whilst the tower is open to visitors. The tower contains a 19th century chiming clock, Elizabethan silver, a gift shop, and a cafe. Also the tower houses a treasury, a set of churchwarden's accounts from 1437 and a charter of 1612 bearing the seal of King James I. The church has had some famous visitors such as William Shakespeare and William Morris. Address: Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 & Telephone: +44 (0)1865 240940.
The Sheldonian Theatre was originally built back in 1668 and is named after Gilbert Sheldon, who was Chancellor of the University at the time the construction was carried out. The building is used for conferences, music recitals, public lectures and a range of ceremonies held by Oxford University including graduation ceremonies. The theatre seats up to 1,000 people, visitors can climb to the top where they would be rewarded with some great views of Oxford.
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology was established in 1683 and has the distinction of being the oldest museum in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. It houses collections of antiquities and art many of which are regarded as being of great national and international importance. There is a huge range spread over several hundred years ranging from the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Rome and Greece to Renaissance Europe to the 20th century. The museum also features a Far Eastern collection along with sculptures, paintings, ceramics, coins, glass and musical instruments, so there is plenty to see and do.
Modern Art Oxford is recognised as among the UK's top public galleries and is renowned for the quality of its exhibitions, publications and activities. It has work from artists from around the world and there is an emphasis on contemporary art that visitors can enjoy.
In the University of Oxford Botanic Garden visitors will find over 7,000 types of plants in garden, glasshouses, rock and water gardens, which are housed in the oldest botanic garden in Britain. Plants are grown to support the teaching programme at the university and for conversation projects, the huge range of plants here make these gardens among the most diverse collections in the world. The three main sections of the gardens provide a great chance to see a wonderfully diverse range of plants.
No visit to Oxford would be complete with a trip to its most famous attraction, Oxford University. The university is not one central college with a central campus. In fact the university consists of over 30 colleges that are scattered around the city, these colleges are independent entities but fall under the Oxford University umbrella. The various colleges range in size from the large and more visible to visitors to others that are much smaller and hidden away on small side streets. Many of the colleges are open to visitors however it is wise to always check the opening times to avoid disappointment.
Christ Church is the largest college in Oxford it is currently the only college in the world with a cathedral within its walls. There has been an array of famous students to this college, including Albert Einstein who studied for a brief period in the 1930s. The College has to date produced 13 prime ministers, a number of cabinet ministers, bishops and civil servants. Visitors can see the great hall and the cathedral, Christ Church was the setting for `Hogwarts' in the Harry Potter films. This continued Christ Church's association with children's literature the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland were inspired by Christ Church.
Theatre lovers can visit the Oxford Playhouse which has a reputation as being one of the leading theatres in the UK. The theatres association with University Oxford brought Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to their stage in the 1960s. The Oxford Playhouse has emerged as a thriving presenting theatre, a sort after date on the national touring circuit, it enjoys good support from its wide audience base. Theatre lovers will enjoy the rich programme of drama, music, dance, musical theatre and children's theatre. The theatre plays a leading role in the production and commissioning of new work.
There are a number of fine restaurants in Oxford, one of these is Next Door, located in the city centre making it a great place to go after seeing the sites or going shopping or in the evening for a meal. Next Door has been transformed from a pub to a preferred location for a Restaurant/Bar in Oxford. Inside it is spilt over three floors and built around a feature octagon glass structure as the centrepiece. The coloured lights change from blue to red and with it the ambiance. There is traditional furniture mixed with modern decor, contact details: Next Door, 38 Holywells Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3SP and Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 203536.
For those that enjoy nightlife, Raouls Bar in Jericho is a chic, stylish bar where there are a huge and inventive variety of cocktails for you to try. Enjoy the great atmosphere in the bar whilst sipping cocktails and enjoying snacks that are also served here.
Clubbers can visit the Po Na Na nightclub in Oxford where you can dance the night away. There is a vibrant atmosphere and a variety of music to enjoy, there is also an extensive cocktail menu to choose from. There are a number of themed nights throughout the week, ensuring there is something for all tastes.
Oxford is a city steeped in history, there are historic buildings and streets, it is great to explore on foot. The location with its close proximity to London make it a great place to for either a day trip or longer, visitors can look forward to exploring a compact, historical and scenic city.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.