WorldofLauraJane

Located in central Southern England Oxford is a city that is well known due to its prestigious university as well as being used for some of the filming in the famous Harry Potter movies.  Oxford is known by some as the city of dreaming spires due to the stunning architecture around the city. 

Oxford is easy accessible from London as it is located one hour from the capital city via train. If you are visiting the Cotswolds it is also easy to access Oxford as some of the villages have a train station providing a service to the city of Oxford. For my trip to Oxford I did it as a day trip whilst spending some time in a lodge in the Cotswolds, I got the train from Evesham which took 55 minutes. 

As a city Oxford can be explored easily by foot due to the close proximity of everything. As we got off the train at Oxford train station we noticed the stop for the hop on hop off tour bus which we decided we would do so that we could see as much of the city as possible due to only being able to spend a few hours in the city. We soon realised when we got off at one of the stops to explore just how easy it was to explore the city by foot which meant that we ended up seeing most of the city by foot instead of via the tour bus. We did then after some exploring by foot get back on the bus so that it would take us back to the train station as this wasn’t walkable. 

One of the most prestigious universities in England is Oxford which is the oldest university in the English speaking world and the second oldest university in the world. As a university it is made up of 43 colleges where 36 of them are chartered. There isn’t a main campus for the university as the buildings as well as facilities can be found scattered across the city. 

Founded in 1683,  the worlds oldest university museum can be found in Oxford which is called Ashmolean museum, it is home to ancient and modern art. Visitors are able to see antiques covering world civilisations as well as collections that range from contemporary art to Egyptian mummies. Admission to the museum is free, booking is recommended when visiting a popular exhibition. If you are wanting to continue with exploring more museums there is the museum of natural history which is located in a grand Neo gothic building. This is a museum of zoology entomology as well as geology. 

If you are then wanting a break from museums take a trip to Oxford castle and prison which is the remains of a large medieval castle with a underground candle lit crypt. Admission is only possible by guided tour with tickets costing £21. The tour will allow you to step inside 18th century prison cells as well as taking you up 101 steps up St Georges tower where you can enjoy panoramic views of Oxford. 

Christchurch has a dual role in church of England as it is both the college chapel and cathedral church for the diocese of Oxford. It is known for its grand main quad as well as being featured in movies such as Harry Potter. Around the world there are replica buildings that have been inspired by Christchurch. It is the most popular college that tourists will visit when they are exploring Oxford. 

The UK’s second largest library Bodleian is the main research library but is spread across three buildings including Radcliffe camera. Bodleian is also one of the oldest libraries in Europe, it operates as a reference library where any general documents may not be removed from the reading room. As you then come across Radcliffe camera which is a short walk away it is easy to spot this iconic landmark as its designed and built in a Baroque style. This belongs to the university of Oxford and is not open to the public. 

A few steps from Radcliffe camera is bridge of sighs which is a skyway joining two parts of the college. The distinctive design of the bridge makes it a landmark in the city.

As you are exploring the city of Oxford you will often find yourself exploring areas that belong to the university. 

Personally I think Oxford is a city that can be visiting in one day.