Oxford

Our hotel in Oxford was just a 5 minute stroll down a country lane towards a section of the River Thames that is referred to as The Isis. The buildings on the river banks are the clubhouses belonging to the college rowing clubs.

It was uncharacteristically quiet during the summer break with only the occasional punter, ducks and geese to be seen.

A sightseeing bus tour took us to the major landmarks in this university town and gave us a snap history lesson. This pedestrian bridge linking two of the colleges is Hertford Bridge, but it is commonly referred to as the Bridge of Sighs because of its similarity to the bridge in Venice. 

The settlement of Oxford began in Saxon times and the earliest reference to the university is found in 12th century records. The Bodliean Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and is now comprised of 5 separate buildings, including the copper-domed Radcliffe Camera, seen below.

Christ Church is both a university college and a cathedral. It is set amongst beautiful parkland and gardens and the associated buildings have been used in the filming of the Brideshead Revisited series, the Harry Potter movies and The Golden Compass.

Christ Church College has produced no less than 13 British prime ministers, which is equal to the number produced by all the other 45 colleges put together. Interesting facts!