Oxford

Over the next few months, I’ll be taking a look at each university in turn, comparing and contrasting them and looking at what to visit if you happen to be in one of the cities that’s home to these great institutions.

Of the three, the first to be established was Oxford, which can trace its educational beginnings back to the late 11th century, although no-one seems sure of the exact date the University was founded. Consisting of 39 colleges, each one is a hall of residence, but is also responsible for teaching its students. Of these, the vast majority are open to visitors, although groups need to book in advance and visitors hours do vary from college to college. It’s always best to check ahead and the Oxford University web site can help out with answers to most questions.

Having had friends who’ve attended Oxford, it’s fascinating to wander around some of the lesser known colleges. The students often outnumber the visitors, giving you an interesting insight into student life. If you visit early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you may spot one or two students suffering the after effects of the night before!

Unfortunately, when most people visit, the students aren’t there. Universities aren’t known for lengthy terms and this applies even more so to Oxford and Cambridge, which have even shorter ones, although students tell me they work exceptionally hard when they are there. Holidays include a six week period around both Easter and Christmas, with the summer holidays beginning in mid June and lasting until early October. It’s worth remembering that many exams are held between mid May and mid June, which may affect your visit.

Even when the students aren’t around, the place will still be busy – Oxford is a popular destination for both visitors from abroad and within the UK. It’s only an hour from London on the train and it doesn’t take much longer to drive there, although driving is something you won’t want to do when you get to Oxford. Not only are many streets in the city closed to traffic – which makes it a very pleasant place to walk around – but parking prices are astronomical. The only realistic option is the Park and Ride bus services from outside the city center.

Once you arrive, where should you start? Perhaps the best way to get oriented is to head upwards. Sadly the Radcliffe Camera, with its dramatic circular dome that can be seen in any aerial shot of Oxford, is no longer open to the public, a real shame, as the views from here were spectacular. The only way these days to see why Oxford is called the “city of dreaming spires” is to head up the 99 steps at Carfax Tower, which dates back to the 14th century. Originally this was attached to St. Martin’s Church, but the church was demolished more than 100 years ago to try and improve traffic problems in the city center. Needless to say the traffic problems remain, while the church is long gone.

The most spectacular of the University colleges is undoubtedly Christ Church, helped by its setting amongst beautiful gardens, which burst with color in the spring and summer. Not only is it Oxford’s largest college, but it boasts the city’s cathedral and it’s also a famous movie star, having portrayed parts of Hogwarts Academy in the Harry Potter films.