| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
87km (54 miles) NW of London; 87km (54 miles) SE of Coventry A walk down the long sweep of The High, one of the most striking streets in England; a mug of cider in one of the old student pubs; the sound of May Day dawn when choristers sing in Latin from Magdalen Tower; students in traditional gowns whizzing past on rickety bikes; towers and spires rising majestically; nude swimming at Parson's Pleasure; the roar of a cannon launching the bumping races; a tiny, dusty bookstall where you can pick up a valuable first edition -- romantic Oxford is still here, but to get to it, you have to experience the bustling and crowded city that is also Oxford. You may be surprised by a never-ending stream of polluting buses and the fast-flowing pedestrian traffic. Surrounding the university are suburbs that keep growing, and not in a particularly attractive manner. At any time of the year, you can enjoy a tour of the colleges. The Oxford Tourist Information Centre offers guided walking tours daily throughout the year. Just don't mention the other place (Cambridge), and you shouldn't have any trouble. Comparisons between the two universities are inevitable: Oxford is better known for the arts, Cambridge more for the sciences. The city predates the university -- in fact, it was a Saxon town in the early part of the 10th century. By the 12th century, Oxford was growing in reputation as a seat of learning, at the expense of Paris, and the first colleges were founded in the 13th c
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | The first written reference to Oxford, or Oxenford as it was then called, is a 912 entry in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle stating that 'King Edward (the elder son of Alfred the Great) took possession of London and Oxford and all the lands which owed obedience to them'. However, the town was certainly in existence at least 200 years before when the patron saint of Oxford, St Frideswide, founded a priory on the site of what is now Christ Church cathedral. From those early beginnings the town's fortunes fluctuated over the centuries and it is now a city of 130,000 inhabitants known for its academic, medical and scientific research, its 2 universities, and its thriving industrial and publishing base. However, it is almost certainly true that without Oxford University and its wonderful buildings the city would be just another pleasant but undistinguished English market town. At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 Oxford was the 6th largest town in the country and was a well-established commercial center. The building of the castle 5 years later consolidated it as the administrative hub of the surrounding area but by 1086 (Domesday) the town was in decay. However, it slowly recovered and by the end of the 11th century a market had been established. The town's revenues were further improved by the introduction of an annual fair and the seal was set on its rising importance when, at the beginning of the 12th century, Henry I built Beaumont Palace just outside the north g
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There Air 3 major airports service Oxford. Most visitors to Oxford fly into the BAA Heathrow Airport ( LHR ) ( +44 870 000 0123 / http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow/ ) which is considered the hub of the aviation world and has the distinction of being the world's busiest international airport. Heathrow houses over 90 airlines and is located 14 miles west of central London. Travelers can also fly into the BAA London Gatwick Airport ( LGW ) ( +44 870 000 2468 / http://www.baa.com/main/airports/gatwick/ ) which houses 80 airlines and is located 28 miles south of London; or the London Luton Airport ( LTN ) ( +44 1582 4051 00 / http://www.london-luton.co.uk/ ) which is located 32 miles from central London and 50 miles from Oxford. Although traveling to Oxford can be difficult, the recommended method of ground transportation from the airports is by bus or coach. Some airline providers for Heathrow include: American Airlines ( +44 020 7365 0777; http://www.aa.com/ ) Air Canada ( +44 0871 220 1111; http://www.aircanada.ca/ ) Air France ( +44 0845 084 5444; http://www.airfrance.com/ ) Air China ( +44 020 8757 4860; http://www.airchina.com.cn/ ) Air India ( +44 020 8560 9996; http://www.airindia.com/ ) British Airways ( +44 0870 850 9850; http://www.britishairways.com/ ) Japan Airlines ( +44 0845 774 7700; http://www.jal-europe.com/ ) Korean Air ( +44 0800 413 000; http://www.koreanair.com/ ) United Airlines (
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Oxford is swamped with tourists all year round, especially, not surprisingly, in the summer. Many come simply to wander down the High Street and around the cobbled back streets, admiring the architecture of a university town that has been a centre of learning for more than seven hundred years. One can easily spend a day just looking around some of the extremely impressive and beautiful Colleges. Christ Church is probably the most famous of these, but many colleges have either pretty gardens or a beautiful front quad. Not least, of course, is Magdalen College , which boasts its very own deer park. Those who come to Oxford to appreciate the cultural side of an ancient academic institution will doubtless venture into one of the City's many museums. The most traditional of these is the internationally famous Ashmolean Museum in Beaumont Street, which houses antiques, art galleries, and an extensive coin collection. The University Museum on Parks Road is a natural history museum, filled with fossils and remnants of prehistoric creatures. Accessible through the back of the University Museum is the Pitt Rivers Museum, which is home to the more weird and wonderful side of science - a must for kids of all ages, as well as those fascinated by gory sights! Given its host of undergraduates, many of whom fancy themselves as budding thespians, Oxford has several playhouses and theaters. While most of these host primarily student productions, the Apollo Theatre focuses on
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