The Oxford England Travel: The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous the world over for its University and place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years.
It can be easily reached from the capital city, London. I have written a few new sections in April and then in October 2007 on Oxford. Do have a look at the menu on the left below.
Oxford England Travel main sights: City walking tour Mary Magdalen Church Oxford Radcliffe Camera All Soul’s College Bodleian Library Bridge of Sighs X5 Bus to Cambridge Oxford Castle Mary Magdalen Church Walking Tour Oxford Museum Balliol College Oxford Photos Radcliffe Camera Sheldonian Theater Site Seeing Tour of Oxford Oxford Carfax Tower Oxford hop on hop off tour bus
Oxford England Travel
Above photo – Oxford aerial view
Christ Church College
This grandest of all the Oxford colleges was founded on the site of the Priory of St.Frideswide, the patron saint of Oxford. Founded as Cardinal’s College by Thomas Wolsey in 1525, four years later it was taken over by King Henry VIII, who gave it the name of Christ Church in 1546. It is probably the only college in the world that comprises a cathedral.
The photo above: Christ’s church
Christ Church is famous for its interesting architecture, some of which dates back to the twelfth century. Christ Church is a must-see activity in Oxford. It is a big place that not only covers a church area but also a garden and architectural design. It is very big and visitors can have access to the garden for free. But to get inside the palace or the cathedral, there is an admission fee.
Radcliffe Camera
One of the highlights of Oxford is the Radcliffe Camera on Radcliffe Square. It’s a beautifully made building and is well preserved. The Radcliffe Camera is part of the Bodleian Library. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to visit the Camera.
The photo above: Radcliffe Camera
Broad Street
One of the main streets in Oxford is Broad Street. Landmarks on this street are of course the Clarendon Building which is part of the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre. The street is lined with many shops and at the other end of the street, the shopping street starts. Broad Street has a very rich history dating back to 911 AD.
The photo above: Broad Street
Bridge of Sighs
This bridge of sigh is inspired by the original from Venice. If you have seen the original, you can skip this one. The Ashmolean is the oldest museum in the United Kingdom and home to many fabulous collections and priceless artifacts all housed in a huge and stunningly elegant neo-classical building which you can’t miss in it’s dominating position on the corner of Beaumont St & St. Giles.
The photo above: Bridge of Sighs
Oxford Museum
The museum greets you with a wonderful sculpture gallery adorned with classical statues and is particularly strong in its collections of middle eastern and far eastern antiquities, Italian Renaissance painting, as well as Flemish & Dutch 17th century, works with also some priceless Pre-Raphaelite works including Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s “Dante on the First Anniversary of the Death of Beatrice” and “Reverie”.
The photo above: Oxford Museum
It is also renowned for its ancient British antiquities including Viking silver, many Anglo-Saxon treasures and perhaps most famously, the stunning “Alfred Jewel” belonging to King Alfred the Great (871-899 AD)
Directions: – Ashmolean Museum: Beaumont Street, opposite the Randolph Hotel – Science Museum: Broad Street, next to the Sheldonian Theatre. Ashmolean, Museum of the History of Science
My suggestion is to spend at least 1 day in Oxford. A lot of people ask me due to lack of time, I can visit only one university town, where should I go? Cambridge or Oxford? My answer would be Cambridge.
Suggested Itineraries
Most of the major attractions in Oxford can be covered easily by walking from the train station. If you have less time on hands, consider taking the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus. Do check the opening and closing times of all sites especially museums to decide the sequence of visits.
Other colleges you can visit are Wadham College, The Queen’s College, New College
Traveling by Train in England and London – Information on getting and reading your train ticket, the high speed, and regional train system; a link of train schedules.
More Info On- Bridge of Sighs Oxford City Walking Tour, Museum of Oxford, Oxford City Walking Tour Balliol College, Oxford Cambridge Bus x5