Muddy Stilettos


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-walk-christ-church-meadow-down-to-the-river"><strong>1</strong>: WALK CHRIST CHURCH MEADOW DOWN TO THE RIVER</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg.jpg" alt="Christ Church Meadow, Oxford" class="wp-image-150366"/></figure>



<p>Picture-perfect Christ Church Meadow is an oasis in the heart of the city, rolling out the back of its eponymous college. Head in at the main entrance on St Aldates (though there are entrances on Merton Street and Rose Lane too) and take in the fairy-tale views of the college before turning right down the tree-lined boulevard towards the river. If you&#8217;re stopping for a picnic, go for the grass opposite the river at the end of the path, because you won&#8217;t get any more open patches of grass after this. Once you&#8217;re ready, carry on round &#8211; a whole loop takes about 20 minutes at a gentle pace, but we&#8217;ll call it 35 with all the Insta-worthy photo ops (keep your eyes peeled for cows in the fenced-off centre of the meadow). Keep the river on your right and imagine the many tormented lovers who&#8217;ve penned love poems on those very banks. You might even be moved to pen a few verses of your own.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-tour-the-bodleian-and-divinity-schools"><strong>2</strong>: TOUR THE BODLEIAN AND DIVINITY SCHOOLS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Divinity_School_Interior_1_Bodleian_Library_Oxford_UK_-_Diliff.jpg" alt="Divinity School Oxford" class="wp-image-170189"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Diliff via CC BY-SA 3.0</figcaption></figure>



<p>Standing in the centre of the Bodleian courtyard under the gaze of the Duke of Pembroke statue is about as &#8216;main-character&#8217; a moment as you can find anywhere. The Bodleian is the oldest library in Europe and it looks untouched and perfectly preserved from the 1500s, outside and in. A tour takes you to some of the most rarified and beautiful rooms in Oxford. Start off in the Divinity School (above, £2.50 extra for entrance), the university&#8217;s oldest building originally used for lectures and oral examinations. </p>



<p>Then head upstairs to the Duke Humphreys Reading Room, which houses an original copy of <em>The Tempest </em>with Shakespeare&#8217;s handwritten directorial notes on it. Back downstairs, you&#8217;ll head through the not-so-secret tunnel, the Gladstone Link, which joins the Old Bod with the famous Radcliffe Camera. The Gladstone Link is itself a library (dark academia fantasy, right?), and though it was built in 2011, the tunnel was there long before as an underground book conveyor belt system. Nifty.</p>



<p>You&#8217;ll emerge in the &#8216;Rad Cam&#8217; (as it&#8217;s lovingly known), Oxford&#8217;s most famous building and the university&#8217;s History Faculty library. It was endowed by physicist John Radcliffe in the 18th century, who started his degree at Oxford at the age of 13 and was a fellow by 18! It&#8217;s the third-largest dome in Britain and it&#8217;s iconic inside and out.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-experience-the-colleges"><strong>3</strong>: EXPERIENCE THE COLLEGES</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/NewCollege.jpg" alt="New College Oxford" class="wp-image-165688"/></figure>



<p>Oxford may seem small, but it&#8217;s only because so much of the city is behind the walls of its wonderful 43 colleges. Three absolute must-sees which are open to the public (for a small fee) are Magdalen, New College and Christ Church. The visitors&#8217; entrance to <a href="https://www.new.ox.ac.uk/visiting-the-college" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New College</a> is on beautiful Queen&#8217;s Lane (where it becomes New College Lane) and entry is £8, or £25 for families. It&#8217;s open <strong>10:30am &#8211; 5pm</strong> seven days a week before mid-October and <strong>1:30-4:30pm</strong> Tuesday-Sunday during the winter. An immediate left once you get in takes you to the cloisters, home to the famous Harry Potter tree, and the breathtaking Chapel where you&#8217;ll find some of the most masterful stone sculpture in the country. Walk along the old city walls in the gardens and gaze up at the fairytale mound with its staircase into the trees.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/visiting-magdalen-college/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magdalen</a> is the largest college by a mile and the entrance is just off High Street near Magdalen Bridge. It&#8217;s open <strong>10am &#8211; 5pm</strong>, seven days a week, though there&#8217;s a few closures in September (check the <a href="https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/visiting-magdalen-college/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>), and it&#8217;s £9.50 per person or £28 for a family ticket. After you&#8217;ve ogled the stunning chapel, cloisters and hall, do a loop of the deer park, stopping in the many secluded spots for undisturbed deep thinking along the way.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/06/walled_garden_and_magdalen_tower.jpg" alt="Magdalen Tower, Oxford " class="wp-image-92419"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Magdalen tower</figcaption></figure>



<p>At Christ Church, you&#8217;ll be greeted with a smile on St Aldates by bowler-hatted doormen who will usher you in and point you towards all the essentials. Don&#8217;t rush Tom Quad (the front quad) and make sure you take the time to say hello to Mercury, the figure in the fountain at the centre. The Hall is the centrepiece of this one, and the shooting location for Hogwarts dining hall, and you can amble spellbound from there into the fabulous cloisters behind. The college offers guided or self-guided tours (with handheld audio-visual guides for maximum info) Finish up with a wander round Christ Church Meadow, muttering sorceries as you go.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/ChCh_Great_hall.jpeg" alt="Christ Church Great Hall" class="wp-image-171188"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Great Hall, Christ Church</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>Note</strong>: All these Colleges are free to visit for Oxford residents and prospective students. If the kids are around that age, you can double up the visit as a chance to snoop around ahead of a potential application (or just say they&#8217;re considering it to get &#8217;em in for nothing!). They also all host evensong a couple of times a week, which is free for the public, so maybe leave one for the evening and get a gorgeous choral concert too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-experience-port-meadow">4. EXPERIENCE PORT MEADOW</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/03/port-meadow-IG-size.jpg" alt="Port Meadow with Oxford in background and water in front " class="wp-image-101664" style="aspect-ratio:1.5015015015015014;width:1500px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Port Meadow looking out to the spires </figcaption></figure>



<p>The&nbsp;city is&nbsp;surprisingly&nbsp;compact and you can walk around the centre in a morning. Get your bearings on Broad Street for the Christopher Wren-designed&nbsp;<a href="http://www.venues.ox.ac.uk/venues/sheldonian-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sheldonian Theatre</a>, hang left for the<a href="https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Bodleian Library</a>,&nbsp;walk past it for the stunning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/find-us/radcliffe_camera" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radcliffe Camera</a>&nbsp;and stop off at beautiful colleges at every turn.</p>



<p>If the buildings get too much, you’d be surprised how easy it is to find bucolic scenes in the city. Christchurch Meadow behind the&nbsp;Christchurch College is a stunning area that takes you down to the river – take a picnic on a sunny day.&nbsp;University Parks is flat but pretty (and a great way to let kids let off steam after being in the Pitt Rivers or Natural History museums around the corner. University Parks is also home to the only&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-class_cricket">first-class cricket</a>&nbsp;ground in the UK where spectators can watch free of charge.</p>



<p>For a fabulous walk that only locals know, head to&nbsp;<strong>Port Meadow,</strong>&nbsp;300 acres of grazing land bang in the city (and mentioned back in the Doomsday Book) where you can stop off for lunch at&nbsp;<a href="http://the-perch.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Perch</a>&nbsp;or a little further on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.troutinn.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Trout</a>, both picture-perfect pubs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-head-to-summertown">5. HEAD TO SUMMERTOWN </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/PEX_Oxford_Summertown_Interior_009-1000x667.jpg" alt="Pizza Express Summertown" class="wp-image-171192"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pizza Express, Summertown</figcaption></figure>



<p>The &#8216;posh&#8217; suburb of Oxford, a mere 15 minute bus ride to the north from the centre is worth a jaunt out of the city.  South Parade is long established as a haven for great indie shops, and you can mooch towards award-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wildhoneylove.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wild Honey</a>&nbsp;health store, the well-respected <a href="https://www.wisegal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah Wiseman</a>&nbsp;art gallery and the small but mighty&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenorthwall.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Wall arts centre</a>. Stop for a pre-theatre drink at <a href="https://summertownwinebar.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summertown Wine Bar </a>or dinner at the brand-new <a href="https://www.pizzaexpress.com/oxford-summertown" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pizza Express</a> (buy one Classic pizza, get a second for just £1 until 26 Sept &#8211; get in there quick!). Boutique gym <a href="https://www.fitlife.co.uk/summertown">FitLife</a> has also opened a new outpost here if you fancy a pre-lunch pilates class. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-punt-punt-punt">6: PUNT, PUNT, PUNT!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/07/Magdalen-Bridge-Boathouse-133.jpg" alt="Punting Magdalen Oxford" class="wp-image-107716" style="aspect-ratio:1.4992503748125936;width:1500px"/></figure>



<p>Have you really seen Oxford if not from a punt? Starting at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nys7MkdHFBLXBM67A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magdalen Bridge</a> (centre/east), <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Dukiymm2i7CPhxvJ9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cherwell Boathouse</a> (north) or <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/TEg5GtkJwBsfzaJb7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Folly Bridge</a> (south), meander along Oxford&#8217;s idyllic streams using one of the most indulgent, impractical and charming modes of transport ever invented. A punt can comfortably fit about 5 people, and you can book a young strapping punt extraordinaire to skipper your boat and give you the lowdown on all the spots you&#8217;ll pass by. Or, of course, try your hand at it yourself &#8211; how&#8217;s your balance? I&#8217;ll tell you, it&#8217;s harder than it looks! Starting at Magdalen Bridge, you can float through Christ Church Meadow, or going north from Cherwell Boathouse you can park the punt up at the Victoria Arms for a spritz or a pub lunch before a drowsy drift back down the river. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-head-up-cowley-road"><strong>7</strong>: HEAD UP COWLEY ROAD</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/179824223_5358464140893859_309898930324177084_n.jpg" alt="Cowley Kazbar Oxford " class="wp-image-170192"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Instagram @kazbaroxfordofficial</figcaption></figure>



<p>Oxford starts to look a little different once you get over Magdalen Bridge. Cowley Road, long in the shadow of the dreaming spires across the river, is becoming a happening area in its own right, and it&#8217;s well worth a stroll. Pop into <a href="http://www.pelotonespresso.com/">Peloton</a> for quality coffee and doughnuts to die for (only on a Thursday) or have a meal outside at acclaimed Spanish eatery <a href="https://arbequina.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arbequina</a>. Cowley is home to hoards of students and the most popular student pub in the city is <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/uFVdCgF6r2nzrs8YA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Star</a>, just off on Rectory Road. Not sure whether you&#8217;ll want to experience or avoid that, but just letting you know! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-8-go-culture-crazy">8. GO CULTURE CRAZY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum.jpg" alt="Museum of natural history Oxford " class="wp-image-149559"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Museum of Natural History </figcaption></figure>



<p>Oxford is literally riddled with world class museums but if you&#8217;re looking for the headliners, head for <a href="https://www.ashmolean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ashmolean</a> (the oldest surviving purpose built museum in the world, opened in 1683), the <a href="https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PItt Rivers Museum</a> with its famous witch in a bottle, and the <a href="https://www.glam.ox.ac.uk/museum-natural-history" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Museum of Natural History</a> with its dinosaur and blue whale skeletons. Also (sorry, there&#8217;s more!) The<a href="https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> History of Science Museum</a>, prettily positioned next to the Sheldonian Theatre, where you can see Einstein&#8217;s blackboard with his chalk working outs for a model of the expanding universe. Or head to the wonderful, slightly wacky <a href="https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/">Bate Collection</a> of musical instruments &#8211; I once played Handel&#8217;s harpsichord there although I&#8217;m not sure they still let you do that!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-9-take-a-tour-by-bus">9: TAKE A TOUR BY BUS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/08/CSSO_Guide.jpg" alt="Oxford Sightseeing bus man " class="wp-image-168359"/></figure>



<p>Since the city cracked down on cars, the open-top bus tour has become by far the best way to see all the sights in an afternoon. <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/review-city-sightseeing-oxford/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Oxford Bus Company&#8217;s City Sightseeing Tour</a> takes you round all the highlights including the Sheldonian Theatre, Natural History Museum and University Parks, and past almost all the major colleges including St John&#8217;s, Balliol and Trinity. For just £22, you get the full tour with a guide to talk you through everything you&#8217;re seeing, a trip up Carfax Tower to see the city from above, and even a 45-minute walking tour at the end. It&#8217;s super kid-friendly and great for any Oxford newbie keen to get all the best bits and the juicy stories, bottled.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-10-check-out-modern-art-oxford">10. CHECK OUT MODERN ART OXFORD</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/448675921_798106449170253_1061526044551622618_n-1000x667.jpg" alt="Modern Art Oxford" class="wp-image-98064" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/448675921_798106449170253_1061526044551622618_n-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/448675921_798106449170253_1061526044551622618_n-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/448675921_798106449170253_1061526044551622618_n.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Instagram @mao_gallery</figcaption></figure>



<p>Opening its doors again in November 24 after a huge renovation project, Modern Art Oxford is a phenomenal gallery but even locals are not sure where to find it! It&#8217;s super central, just around the side of the Westgate shopping centre but it&#8217;s down a small road that also houses the brilliant The Story Museum which your kids will <em>love.</em> The opening exhibition at MAO on 2 November is Cuban artist Belkis Ayón. </p>


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