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Oxford Attractions & ActivitiesHistoric Sites
Ready to look into the past and learn about the heritage of this fascinating city? We list historic homes, plantations, battlegrounds, and churches that are rich in history and provide for an educational travel diversion.
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Park St, Woodstock OX20 1PX
The enormous Blenheim Palace, which occupies over five acres of land, is only a few minutes drive northwest of Oxford, taking A44. Blenheim is designated as a World Heritage Site and is one of largest Baroque palaces in Europe. A tour of the castle includes the room where Sir Winston Churchill was born in 1874, as well the "Churchill Exhibition,"...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BG
"Huge" does not even begin to describe the enormity Oxford's Bodleian Library. Every year, the staff adds to the nearly 80 miles of shelving to make space for new arrivals. Among the most treasured of the library's holdings �; quickly approaching six million in number �; are an original Shakespeare quarto and a copy of "The...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Queen Street, Oxford OX1 1ER
Carfax Tower, intricately tied to Oxford's history, is all that remains of Carfax Church. William Shakespeare saw his godson christened in the church's now demolished chapel, and at the height of Oxford's infamous "town versus gown" strife, angry townspeople stood in the tower and tossed stones at students who walked past. Today, visitors can...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP
One of the best photographs in Oxford can be taken just inside the gate to Christ Church �; a panorama of beautiful gardens with the site of the 12th century St Frideswide's shrine as a backdrop. Founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey, Christ Church is Oxford's oldest college. The self-guided tour of the college and its cathedral is one of...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: High St, Oxford OX1 4AU
Magdalen (pronounced "maudlin") College, the former stomping grounds of Oscar Wilde and Dudley Moore, provides the backdrop for some of the most beautiful scenery in Oxford. Nestled on the banks of the River Cherwell, the college makes full use of its ideal setting, which includes flowerbeds, lawns, a deer park, and a river walk surrounding the...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Merton St, Oxford OX1 4JD
What do J.R.R. Tolkien, T. S. Eliot, and Kris Kristofferson have in common? They were all students at Merton, one of Oxford's original three colleges. The 14th century Mob Quad was Oxford's first quadrangle, and the Merton Chapel contains some extraordinary examples of 13th century glasswork. The college's medieval library is the oldest still in...
Saxon Tower of St. Michael at North Gate
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1 3EY
The Saxon Tower, constructed around 1040 AD, is Oxford's oldest standing building. The connecting St. Michael's Chapel dates from the 13th century and is now the city church of Oxford. Included in the price of admission is access to an exhibit of church treasures, including such items as John Wesley's pulpit and William Morris's marriage...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AZ
The Sheldonian Theatre was Christopher Wren's first major architectural project. Today, the building serves much the same purpose as it did when Wren completed it in 1668, for it is the setting of most important university ceremonies. An artist's dream, the building is as visually impressive �; and intimidating �; as any on campus....
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: High St, Oxford OX1 4AH
Perhaps one of the most visually spectacular buildings in Oxford, the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin stands out among the phalanx of buildings on High Street. It is best known as the place where Ridley, Cranmer, and Latimer �; the Protestant Martyrs �; were tried for heresy during the reign of Queen Mary. Today, the church...
Category: Historic Sites - Oxford Attractions & Activities
Address: High St, Oxford OX1 4BH
The "Univ" purports to be Oxford's oldest college, having received its first benefaction in 1249. Among the college's most famous pupils are Percy Bysshe Shelley (expelled in 1811) and Bill Clinton. There is a rather striking monument to Shelley inside the college, and the grounds are among the most beautiful and hallowed in Oxford. Although...
