We were on the move this morning! We got up and packed our bags and made our way through the cobble-stoned streets to the train station. Something we learned quickly is that people here do not get up nearly as early as we do! The streets are empty until almost 10. It was hard to find a place that was even open for breakfast at 7:30. We stopped at Pret-A-Manger – which we had never heard of before this trip but were everywhere in England – for a quick breakfast.
Oxford
We then got on our train to Oxford! We dropped our bags and walked into the historic part of Oxford. It was fun because each city we went to had such a different look about it. One of the England travel books I got before the trip had a self-guiding walking tour, so we did that. It was a great way to see things, although we could have skipped some of the sites. We definitely lingered at some stops more than others.
The historic part of Oxford is incredible. I can’t imagine having the opportunity to go to school in such a place. The architecture and grandeur of each of the college’s is incredible.
Brick Patch
The first stop on our tour was this very easy to miss brick patch in the middle of the street. It is in the shape of a cross and marks the spot where three local bishops, known as the “Oxford Martyrs” were burned at the stake for heresy in 1555 – 1556. Their crime was Protestantism.
Balliol College
There are 38 colleges that make up Oxford University. Balliol is just one of them.
Oxfam Shop
This shop is where the charitable organization named Oxfam was started in 1942 (by a graduate of Balliol College) to help feed starving victims of World War II.
Trinity College and Exeter College
These were definitely colleges we had heard of! Exeter College is where J.R.R. Tolkien lived while he was an undergrad.
Blackwell’s Bookshop
We loved this bookshop. It is every book lover’s dream! Beneath the street, there are three miles of bookshelves in underground tunnels. We could have spent a long time here. They even had a music room. We loved it!
Museum of History of Science
This is one of Europe’s oldest museums. It has various scientific displays – most notably was the blackboard that Einstein used when doing a lecture here. There were globes, sundials, telescopes, and calculating machines. Also, flasks (and a big display about the development of penicillin), early radios, and Lewis Carroll’s photo-developing kit.
Sheldonian Theatre
We didn’t go into the theater, but the building is beautiful. It is used for concerts, lectures, and graduation ceremonies. It was the first major building designed by Sir Christopher Wren (who later designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London) who was an Oxford graduate and astronomy professor. He became England’s best-known architect.
Christ Church College
This was my favorite part of Oxford. Christ Church is the largest and most prestigious of all its colleges. It was founded by Henry VIII’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, in 1524 on the site of an abbey that had been dissolved by the king. The buildings were able to survive the destruction of the Reformation because the abbey and cathedral now served as part of the king’s new Church of England.
While all the colleges have amazing alumni, the list from Christ Church is incredible – 13 of the 27 Oxford-educated prime ministers were Christ Church graduates. As well as William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania), John Wesley (an influential Methodist leader), John Locke (English Enlightenment thinker), and Charles Dodgson (we know better as Lewis Carroll) all studied here.
The grand staircase and the dining hall are absolutely breathtaking (and were known to us Harry Potter fans). They definitely love their Alice stories here. We learned a lot more about the inspiration for Charles Dodgson’s story and the real-life Alice who lived there.
After Christ Church we walked into the covered market (which was very similar to the Guildhall Market in Bath) and had pizza at Sartorelli’s.
Weston Library
After lunch we picked back up with our walking tour. The Weston Library was constructed in the 1930s to house the overflow of university books when the Bodleian Library started running out of space. We went in but found it really confusing and didn’t want to waste time wandering, so we didn’t stay long.
Clarendon Building
This building originally was the home to the Oxford University Press. One of the most well-known books to come out of here was the Lincoln Bible – used to inaugurate Presidents Lincoln and Obama.
Hertford Bridge
Known as the “Bridge of Sighs” after the one in Venice.
Bodleian Library
This is the university’s main library and one of the oldest in Europe. It is considered the heart of academic life at Oxford. It has 11 million books, some as old as Medieval times, and more than 100 miles of shelving in the underground stacks. It is known as “the Bod” and is one of the world’s largest and most famous libraries. We just went into the courtyard but were able to see the various university departments that branch off that.
The main tower is called the Tower of the Five Orders, because of the five types of columns: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. There is also a statue of King James I (who was the ruler when the Bodleian was built) who is handing out books.
Divinity School
If I could go back in time, I would have gone into the Divinity School. It was Oxfords first purpose-built classroom and was constructed in 1427. It was used to teach theology.
Radcliffe Square
This grand building is called the Radcliffe Camera. It originally housed medical books but is now a reading “room” (or “camera”). Only students and staff are allowed in the camera, but it is beautiful.
All Souls College
This college was another one we knew of and is named for the dead of the Hundred Years’ War that England fought with France in the 14th and 15th centuries. This college is notorious for having the toughest entrance exams at Oxford. Lawrence of Arabia and Christopher Wren are two of its famous graduates.
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
This was a definite highlight for Mark. A thousand years ago, this church was at the center of a small, walled town. But as the university formed, this church was its only building where scholars prayed, lectured, kept their books, administered affairs, and received graduation degrees.
What made this a real stand out is that they allow you to walk up the twisty steps of the bell tower – 127 steps – to the top. It is a beautiful view, and I felt very brave because I am not a fan of heights and those steps were STEEP! You had better believe there was nothing getting between me and that thin metal handrail! It was also the start of a tradition, if Mark could climb to the top of a building – he was doing it!
After our trip up the bell tower, we got our luggage and found our UBER to take us out of the busy part of the city to pick up our rental car.
Driving in England
Mark had some nerves about driving in England, but he did so well. It was funny just sitting there when we first got in the car (each on opposite sides than we were used to). The first 20 minutes were a strange combination of stress and laughter as we figured things out. It was pretty smooth sailing though and Mark did great. He said it really wasn’t even driving on the other side of the road that was hard, it’s just the rules and flow of things is different. It feels more chaotic, yet more organized all at the same time. I don’t know how both of those things can be true, but it does seem to be true there. The roads are itty bitty though and often lined with tall green hedges which were very picturesque.
We wound our way through the Cotswolds, which is just as charming as everyone says it is. I love the thatched roofs, rock walls, fields of canola, beautiful gardens, and the grand churches that exist even in these small towns. I would move there in a heartbeat.
Chipping Campden
We eventually made it to the north side of the Cotswolds, where we were staying, at Chipping Campden. It is lovely. It is oozing with charm, and it felt so nice to escape the hustle and bustle of the cities. The town is very quiet and sweet. It was once the home of the richest Cotswold wool merchants and has the cutest little thatched roofs.
We walked around for about 45 minutes exploring. The St. James Church was beautiful, but it was closed so we couldn’t go in. Luckily, the grounds were open though and so we were able to look around. The lane leading to the door of the church is lined with 12 linden trees that were planted around 1760, one for each of the apostles.
We were staying in one of the local pubs – the Red Lion Tavern, and we decided to have dinner there. I had their signature fried chicken and Mark had their signature hamburger. Then for dessert we had their apple crumble with ice cream, and it was delicious. Another thing we learned is that if you have a sit-down table meal, it takes forever! After waiting an hour after we finished eating, Mark finally just asked for the check. Maybe that’s normal? We don’t know.
We decided to walk down the street and move the car closer to the tavern and our walk was so perfect. It was quiet and it felt like we had the town to ourselves. I love that Mark and I can still laugh until we cry with one another.
