University, which has been a centre for learning, research and academia for over 800 years, and has some of the most beautiful architecture in Britain, with honey gold stone buildings and the iconic domes and spires. Oxford is also situated along a lovely part of the River Thames, and there are many fine parks ad garden for visitors to enjoy.

Oxford is an ancient city, and takes its roots right back to an early medieval settlement, which was mainly built as a safe crossing place for cattle, and this is where it derived its name from ‘Oxen-ford’. By the time the first University colleges, (University College, Balliol College and Merton College) were built in the 13th Century, Oxford was already a large, bustling town with strong links to both agriculture and developing industries. These days Oxford is a busy, cosmopolitan University city, and the multitude of students from all round the world ensure that there are plenty of lively and diverse cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants.

Things to Do

University buildings and colleges

The University is one of the main attractions in Oxford, and several buildings in particular are worth a visit such as The Bodleian Library, which is not only one of the greatest research and academic libraries in the world, but is also set in a number of historic buildings including the famous the Divinity School, which is one of the most impressive examples of English gothic architecture in the country.

As well as looking around the buildings you can also see many public lectures, concerts and events at the historic Sheldonian Theatre, and to find out what is on here you can visit www.sheldon.ox.ac.uk.

The University Museums

The University has some great museums, and the Ashmolean Museum (established in 1683) has the distinction of being the oldest public museum in the world. The Ashmolean has a number of excellent diverse world class exhibits on archaeology and antiquities from all over the world, which span the length of human history. The History of Science Museum will interest anyone who has a passion for science, and has an impressive collection of scientific instruments throughout modern history. Another impressive museum is The Natural History Museum on Parks Road, which has a vast collection of exhibits from the natural world including thousands of fossils, crystals and rocks, and has been praised as a ‘cathedral to nature’.

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden

This garden was founded in 1621, and is the oldest botanical garden in Britain. It contains over 7,000 different species of plantlife from all around the world, and has some impressive glasshouses containing stunning rare and exotic climate sensitive plants.

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