Oxford, known as the city of dreaming spires has been the home of inspirational scholars for centuries and last weekend I caught a glimpse into their world by taking a look at the famous Oxford University buildings and nearby historic attractions.
Milton Hill – De Vere Hotel
At the beginning of our weekend trip we checked in to the luxury De Vere hotel, Milton Hill on the outskirts of Oxford nearby the town of Abingdon. Milton Hill has impressive facilities such as a gym, pool, jacuzzi and sauna. Also the lounges dotted around the hotel are great for relaxing with a morning hot chocolate and a good book, which i did several times to make a good start to the day.
Whilst the facilities were great and there is plenty to keep you occupied I would say that parts of the hotel are due for a bit of redecorating. The pool changing rooms were fairly nasty and our en-suite bathroom was in need of replacement bath panels.
A university of open spaces and open minds
Oxford is known for its impressive university buildings and being home to a string of academic accomplishments. When wondering the streets of Oxford you will see a number of art and literary exhibitions, Shakespearean plays and theatre performances.
A tour of the Bodleian library is very worth while as this is the second largest library in Britain and one of the oldest. The library started as only a few books donated to the university and kept in the local church before Sir Bodley began building the beautiful 15th century library and quadrangle. During our tour of the library we heard many interesting stories about life studying in the library and the love and tender care gone into the keeping of the books there. It is said that J. R. R. Tolkien spent a lot of time in the library scribbling on the back of his subject notes, ideas for his novel.
There is also a variety of open spaces to enjoy including Christchurch Meadow and the Botanical Gardens. The gardens have some great things to see and in Autumn this can be especially beautiful. The price of the gardens are fairly low and you can get a good few hours of enjoyment from seeing the peculiar plants on offer.
Back in the city centre you will find a mixture of shopping, bars and traditional pubs. We tried out a few of the many restaurants in the city including Banana Tree, a very unusual Indo- Chinese restaurant. Be warned though that this is a city for cyclists and parking can be a real nightmare! There are very little spaces in the town and what there is tends to be expensive… On the bright side there is many park and ride locations around the city.
Not far from the city…
Nearby to Oxford is another friendly town called Abingdon. We visited this town to explore the shops and enjoyed a lovely Italian meal at Bella Napoli. This wonderful little slice of Italy served us up a great three course meal that was delicious and authentic.
We also spent a day at Blenheim Palace. The palace was a reward to the victorious Duke of Marlborough and home of Sir Winston Churchill. It still stands as a home to the family as well as a brilliant visitor attraction. The grounds host trees, gardens, a butterfly house, maze and also the historic house which offers regular tours, informing you of the interesting history.
Our tour guide told of how the estate was almost lost several times over history, due to the poor maintenance and money squandering of some of the previous Dukes. It was three times over that the women of the family saved the estate from destruction, which I thought was pretty impressive considering that women were normally thought of as second class citizens back in the 18th century.
A great tip to remember when visiting the palace is that the admission you buy for the palace can be converted into an annual pass for free! Just visit the kiosk when you get inside and they will put your pass ID together for you. A great thing to have for any future visits!
Next stop.. Cambridge
With one university city done, I am now planning my trip to the next one. Cambridge it shall be, and in the lead up to Christmas I am sure there will be lots of exciting things to explore.
Go Go Chlo 