Oxfordshire

Don’t miss Oxford’s incredible museums. Oxford's Ashmolean is the country's oldest public museum and quite possibly the oldest museum in the world. Its collections span 5000 years, from Prehistoric Europe, Classical Greece and Rome, to the Renaissance, right up to the present day. Amongst the Museum's treasures are the world's finest group of drawings by Raphael; the famous Arundel marbles; the Pissarro family archive; and the foremost collection of modern Chinese art in the west.

Get your bearings by climbing the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin for the highest view over Oxford’s skyline. take a stroll around cobbled Radcliffe Square to drink in 360° views of the Radcliffe Camera, part of the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.

You can pre-book an Oxford Official Walking Tour for a guided walking tour around more of Oxford’s iconic sites and locations. Tours are led by friendly and knowledgeable guides who will tell you all the hidden secrets and quirky stories of the city and the University of Oxford’s 39 colleges

Alternatively, if you don’t want to walk, the City Sightseeing open top bus tour is a great way to see Oxford. Listen to your guide as you are driven around, with the option to hop-on and hop-off at 20 different stops across the city.

Oxfordshire is a county blessed with a wonderful array country houses and gardens. In the north of the County, lies Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Woodstock. It is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and is currently home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough. It has over 300 years of history to discover and more than 2000 acres of landscaped parkland and gardens to explore. Also in the north, close to Banbury, is Broughton Castle a fourteenth century fortified manor house set within a moat. Its gardens are delightful with the Ladies Garden
particularly looking beautiful in summer and boast a variety of roses and borders stocked with perennials and shrubs.

Venture west to find Cogges Manor Farm, a 13th-century manor house and scheduled ancient monument with a farmyard and walled garden. Further west is Batsford Arboretum home to one of the country’s largest private tree collection with 56 acres of wild gardens, paths, streams and stunning views, especially in autumn. They also have a garden centre where you can pick up expert gardening tips and everything you need for the garden and allotment.

To the south is Stonor Park, home to the Stonor family for over 850 years. Voted as number 7 in the top stately homes in the UK, there is plenty to see and do at Stonor including a great programme of events throughout the year.

In Wallingford you will find the site of one of the strongest and most important castles in England. The building of the castle began in 1067 on the direct instructions of William the Conqueror, it was expanded in the C13 and went on to become a royal castle. The site is now a garden offering the visitor a peaceful stroll and a place for rest and contemplation amongst the ruins.

Take a trip to Kelmscott Manor, it was the iconic country home of William Morris; poet, designer, craftsman, socialist and founding father of the Arts and Crafts movement.