Oxford

Oxford is one of Europe’s great cities, famous for its ancient university and outstandingly beautiful with its many towers and spires of golden stone. As a centre of learning and culture, it offers the visitor a huge range of cultural experiences. At the same time, Oxford has always been a thriving modern city with successful industries and great entertainment facilities, including excellent shopping, hundreds of pubs and restaurants, many cinemas and theatres and an exciting night life. This mix of old and new, of scholarly tradition and popular British culture, makes Oxford the ideal location for a homestay.

The university is the oldest in Britain, dating back to the 12th century. Unlike modern universities, it has no single campus or location, but consists of more than 35 separate colleges which are spread  over the city. The colleges are built around courtyards and each has its own chapel, library, hall for dining, student accommodation and teaching rooms. New colleges were built in each century from the 13th onwards and offer superb examples of every type of ancient and modern architecture. Each college has its own unique identity, some large and spectacular such as Christ Church and and Magdalen College, others small and intimate but no less beautiful, such as St Edmund Hall or Jesus College.  A tour of the Oxford colleges is a must for any visitor to Oxford, as is a visit to the newly-extended and now world-class Ashmoleon Museum with its huge and eclectic collection of treasures.

One of the great advantages of Oxford is that it is compact and most places of interest are within walking distance of the city’s central point, Carfax Tower. These include some of the oldest colleges, as well as the Sheldonian Theatre designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera, and the beautiful High Street, Broad Street and medieval New College Lane. Visitors can enjoy an open-top bus tour around the city, a guided walking tour or explore on foot at their own pace. It is a pleasure to wander around this beautiful city, seeing the students on their bikes and sometimes in their ceremonial gowns. There are plenty of beautiful green spaces to relax, including the ancient Botanical Gardens, the University Parks, and the banks of the two rivers which run through the city, the River Cherwell and the River Isis (part of the Thames). Summer visitors should try punting on the river, and the college rowing competitions are also great fun to watch.

Many visitors will also enjoy visiting the locations of the  Inspector Morse and Lewis TV series which are spread all over Oxford, and of scenes from the Harry Potter films which include the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College. For visitors who can tear themselves away from the city, there are many superb places to visit including Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, the beautiful villages and hills of the Cotswolds, and the royal city of Windsor and Eton College school.

Getting there and around Oxford is easily accessible from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and has direct rail and bus services to London. From Heathrow airport there is a direct bus service every 20 minutes thoughout the day. Travel time is 1.5 hours. Services are run by The Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach. From Gatwick airport there is a direct bus service every 30 minutes thoughout the day. Travel time is 2 hours. Services are run by The Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach.

Places close to Oxford

Airports near here

Attractions near here

  • Christ Church College(0.3 km)
    Christ Church is one of the largest colleges in the University of Oxford and the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Oxford. Located on St Aldate's it has a busy academic community of about 450 undergraduates and 150 graduate students.
  • Oxford Castle(0.4 km)
  • Hook Norton Brewery(31.8 km)
    Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor.
  • Hidcote Manor Gardens(49 km)
    Hidcote Manor Garden is one of England's great gardens. It was the life's passion of one man, self-taught gardener Lawrence Johnston who created his 'garden of rooms'.
  • Eton College(53 km)
    Eton College is probably the most famous school in England. Henry VI opened the school in 1440 for the education of 70 poor boys. It is now a very expensive private school for about 1,300 boys aged 12-18. It costs approximately E40,000 per year.
  • Sudeley Castle(53.5 km)
    Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Cotswold Hills near the village of Winchcombe, Sudeley Castle is steeped in history. With royal connections spanning a thousand years, it has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England's past.
  • Shakespeare's Birthplace(58 km)
    Step into the house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and re-enter the Tudor world. Newly refurbished, the house now offers visitors a fascinating insight into life as it was when Shakespeare was a child.
  • Warwick Castle(62.8 km)
    Built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Warwick Castle was originally a wooden motte-and-bailey fort, but was rebuilt in stone in 1260 and expanded over the following centuries. It was temporarily captured by Simon de Montfort in 1264 and saw action during the English Civil War, when Royalist forces unsucessfully lay siege to it. The castle was later used to hold prisoners taken by the Parliamentarians. It has been open to tourists since 1978. The town of Warwick is situated near the centre of England, 8 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon.
  • Brooklands Museum(70.7 km)
    Motoring and aviation exhibits

Cities and towns near here

  • North Leigh(14.5 km)
  • Charlbury(20.5 km)
  • Carterton(23.3 km)
  • Faringdon(24.9 km)
  • Deddington(25.7 km)
    Deddington is a small market town with a population of about 2,000. Location in between Oxford and Banbury, Deddington is on the edge of the Cotswolds and is a wonderfully attractive village with traditional stone cottages.
  • Hook Norton(31.2 km)
    Hook Norton is a picturesque village located in between the town of Banbury and city of Oxford. If you are searching for a taste of the idyllic British countryside and quaint English village we suggest that you come to Hook Norton.
  • Banbury(34.7 km)
  • Bourton-on-the-Water(37.5 km)
  • Marlow(38.6 km)
  • Chesham(44.5 km)
    Chesham is the largest town in the Chiltern district, located amidst the steep green Chiltern Hills. Chesham has much to offer the visitor with its many attractions including Lowndes Park, Church Street in the Old Town with its picturesque cottages, and also the twelfth century St. Mary's Parish Church.
  • Northampton(52.4 km)
    Northampton is a great place to learn English
  • Winchcombe(53.5 km)
    Winchcombe is a traditional English village located in the heart of the Cotswolds.
  • Windsor(54.1 km)
    Windsor is a lively town in a glorious riverside location with great shopping, restaurants and Windsor Castle - one of the Queen's official royal residences and the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world.
  • Wellesbourne(54.4 km)
  • Stratford-upon-Avon(57.7 km)
    Stratford-upon-Avon, a medieval market town established in 1196, occupies a unique position in British cultural heritage as the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare, Britain’s greatest playwright. Key properties associated with Shakespeare’s life have been exceptionally well preserved so visitors can experience a real flavour of life as Shakespeare and his contemporaries would have lived it. Stratford’s beautiful setting on the River Avon in the area known as the Heart of England, its excellent shops, restaurants, tea rooms and pubs, and the fact that it is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, all make it a superb homestay location.
  • Camberley(57.8 km)
  • Cheltenham(58.3 km)
    Located in the rolling countryside of the county of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham is a fascinating town boasting picturesque architecture and unique shops. Cheltenham is also known as the 'gateway to the Cotswolds' due to its convenient access to this picturesque region.
  • Fleet(60.1 km)
  • Evesham(60.6 km)
    Evesham is a pleasant town on the banks of the River Avon.
  • Farnborough(61.7 km)
  • Leamington Spa(62.9 km)
  • Bearley(63.6 km)
  • Great Alne(66.1 km)
    Great Alne is a pretty village located just outside the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. The village is made up of pretty cottages and a fantastic 400 year old pub. The village has easy access to Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, warwick and other towns.
  • Alcester(66.5 km)
    Alcester is the quintessential English market town, an architectural gem with a lively community feel set in the attractive, rolling 'Shakespeare's Countryside', just seven miles west of Stratford-on-Avon. Situated on the River Arrow, its medieval street pattern survives almost intact, along with many ancient properties including the wonderful church of St Nicholas with its 14th century tower and the early 17th century town hall.
  • Kenton(67.4 km)
    Kenton is a pleasant suburb of London located about 20km north east of the centre of the city.
  • Farnham(67.7 km)
  • Alton(69.6 km)
  • Ealing(70.8 km)
  • Hampton Hill(71.5 km)
  • Guildford(74.4 km)
  • Godalming(77 km)
  • New Malden(79.5 km)
  • Worcester(82.3 km)

Famous People

  • William Shakespeare(57.7 km)
    Shakespeare's reputation as dramatist and poet actor is unique and he is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time, although many of the facts of his life remain mysterious. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire and was baptised on 26 April 1564