 OXFORDSHIREWESSEX TOURIST GUIDE |
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 Wessex
& OxfordshirePlaces of Interest and Events in & around Oxfordshire and in Wessex. |
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We try and include as many click
throughs
as possible. We do not charge for our services but would be obliged if
the
owners of the attraction sites would reciprocate by including our
banner
above and aim it at www.wessex.me.uk
SOME OF OUR OTHER ON-LINE PUBLICATIONS
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The influence of the Romans began to wane in the middle of the fourth century and in c.AD 367 the Saxons raided England and penetrated the Thames as far as Dorchester. In AD 411 the Romans left and the Saxon raids intensified and as they settled they established hamlets all along the Thames. The Thames was very important in that in AD 600 it was the border between Wessex and Mercia, with Wessex to the south and Mercia to the north.King Alfred the Great was born in Wantage. The area played an important part in the conflict for supremacy between the two kingdoms from the seventh to the ninth centuries.Oxfordshire was not formed until around 1000 AD. In the eleventh century Oxford was one of the most important provincial towns, and was of considerable political and economic sinificance.Today its importance for education is as great as ever. The perfect base to visit Wessex from. You have seen it on "Inspector Morse" We have a multitude of reference pages which were
created
some time ago and are now under reconstruction. So on here you will
find
dedicated pages to specialist activities in Wessex & Mercia. These
include
a list of Agricultural ,Horse Shows
etc, The Wessex Hall of Fame, Michelin starred restaurants in Wessex,Seaside Resorts,Theatres
in
Wessex & the UK, List of Films made in Wessex, Wessex Names, Golf
Clubs, Football Clubs, Rugby
Clubs, and Racetracks . Campers & Caravanners have their
own
dedicated section too. I have even got
my own page for readers letters and
news snippets,
mainly from my ancient capital Chard. Click here to contact us |
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Details |
| Abingdon Tourist Information Centre |
25 Bridge
Street.
Tel: 01235 522711Open
April-October
Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 1.30pm-4.15pm. Winter, Monday-Friday
10am-4pm,
Saturday 9.30am-2.30pm. |
| Banbury Tourist Information Centre |
Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park
Road,
Banbury OX16 2PQ Tel: 01295 259855 |
Bicester Visitor Information Centre |
Bicester Village Outlet Shopping Pingle Drive Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 6WD Tel: 01869 369055 Fax: 01869 369054 |
| Burford
Tourist Information Centre |
Information
centre:
The Old Brewery, Sheep Street. Tel: 01993 823558. Open Monday to
Saturday
9.30am-5.30pm, November to February 10am-4.30pm, plus Sundays,
May-September
11am-3pm. |
| Carterton Tourist Information Centre |
Town Hall,
Alvescot
Road. Telephone: 01993 842156. Open Monday-Friday 9am-4.30pm. |
| Chipping Norton Visitor Information Centre |
The Guild
Hall.
Telephone: 01608 644379. Open daily, except Sun, Mar-Oct 9.30am-5.30pm,
Nov
to Feb 10am-3pm. |
| Didcot Tourist Information Centre |
118 Broadway, Didcot, Oxon, OX11
8AB
Tel/Fax: 01235 813243 |
| Faringdon
Community and Tourist Information Centre |
Pump
House , 5
Market Place , Faringdon
SN7
7HL Tel:(01367)
242191 Fax: 01367 242191 Email: tourism@faringdontowncouncil.org.uk |
| Henley-on-Thames
Tourist Information Centre |
King's Arms Barn, Kings
Road,
Henley-on-Thames RG9 2DG Tel: 01491 578034 Fax: 01491 412703 Email:
henleytic@hotmail.com |
| Kidlington Tourist Information Point |
Exeter Hall, Oxford Road,OX5 1AB Tel: 01865 378479 |
| OXFORD Tourist Information Centre |
15/16 Broad Street, Oxford,
OX1 3AS
Tel: 01865 726871 Fax: 01865 240261 E-mail: tic@oxford.gov.uk Web: www.visitoxford.org |
| THAME Tourist Information Centre |
Market House, North Street, Thame,
Oxfordshire,
OX9 3HH Tel/Fax: 01844 212834 |
| WALLINGFORD Tourist Information Centre |
Town Hall, Market Place,
Wallingford,
Oxfordshire, OX10 0EG Tel: 01491 826972 Fax:
01491
832925 |
| Wantage Visitor Centre |
Vale and
Downland
Museum Centre. Telephone: 01235 760176. Tuesday to Saturday
10.30am-4.30pm,
Sundays 2.30-5pm. |
| WITNEY VISITOR CENTRE |
51a Market Square, Witney,
Oxfordshire,
OX8 6AG Tel: 01993 775802 Fax: 01993 709261 E-mail: witney.vic@westoxon.gov.uk |
| WOODSTOCK VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE |
within The Oxfordshire Museum,
Park
Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1SN Tel/Fax: 01993 813632 E-mail: tourism@westoxon.gov.uk |
 I'm Guinivere- wife of King Arthur and wife of Cerdic! Why you ask because much of the Arthurian Legend is based on Cerdic |
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I'm Cerdic. First King of Wessex
-Welcome
to MY KINGDOM- See
the
166 Attractions below |
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| ATTRACTION |
PICTURE |
ADDRESS /CLICK THROUGH & OPENING TIMES |
Tel |
| Abingdon Abingdon was occupied in
prehistoric
times by settlers of the Bronze and Iron ages. It was a flourishing
town
in the Roman period, which in turn gave way to a Saxon settlement. The
earliest
documents tell of a hamlet called Sevekesham sited at a ford of the
Thames.
Hean, nephew of King Cissa was granted land for founding a Benedictine
monastery
called Abbandun (Hill of Ebba) at the same time as his sister Cilla
founded
the Nunnery of Helnestowe on or near St Helens Church, the principal
church
in 675AD. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1538, Abingdon
Abbey
was the 6th richest in Britain.The Monday market has existed
since 1556. The Michaelmas Fair (now known as the Ock Fair) was
originally a 'hiring
mart' for those seeking employment In 1810 the Wilts and Berks
canal
arrived with Abingdon becoming a key link between such places as
Bristol,
London, Birmingham and the Black Country. In 1906 it was abandoned as
the
canal sides collapsed and the railways offered faster transport. The
first
link to the railway came in 1856 with a branch connection to Culham and
subsequently
via Radley. The local station closed in 1963.Abingdon was the
county
town of Berkshire, becoming part of Oxfordshire after local government
re-organisation
in 1974.
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 25 Bridge Street.Abingdon, ABINGDON CLICK |
Tel: 01235 522711 |
| Abingdon
Museum
Abingdon Museum is housed in The County Hall in the centre of Abingdon and displays collections unique to Abingdon, England's oldest, continuously inhabited Town. The building dates from the 1670s and it is worth viewing for its own sake.A recent acquisition is an Anglo-Saxon ring found locally. Some displays are altered each month, including a Cabinet of Curiosities. Until 2nd March this features The Abingdon Buildings Record's history of a mediaeval house.
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The
County Hall Market Place Abingdon OX14 3HG Daily 10.30am - 4.00pm. Ring to check Bank Holiday opening times. The roof is open on fine Saturdays in the summer, fascinating for photographers, artists and others interested in an overview of this beautiful region.ABINGDON
MUSEUM CLICK
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Tel: 01235 523703 |
| All Souls College (1438) Founded by
Henry
Chichele Archbishop of Canterbury, to commemorate those who had lost
their
lives in the Hundred Years War against France, and to pray for their
souls.
All Souls has no undergraduate members, only graduate fellows elected
for
their academic distinction. The architecture of the college is among
the
finest in Oxford, the north quadrangle and twin towers are the work of
Hawksmoor
and the sundial is by Wren. The Chapel is particularly fine, for its
hammer-beam
roof with angels, the reredos was uncovered and restored in the 19th
century.
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High
Street, Oxford OX1 4AL ALL SOULS COLLEGE CLICK |
tel: 01865 279379 |
| Ambrosden Ambrosden is set in the heart of
the
Ray valley in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Ambrosden, a
village
and a parish in Oxfordshire. The village stands near the river Ray, 2
1/2
miles SE by S of Bicester, which is the nearest railway station. Its
name
is supposed to have been derived from Ambrosius Aurelius, the British
Merlin,
who encamped here during the siege of Alcester by the Saxons. Denton
was
the name of the lord of the manor at Ambrosden in the 16th century.The
parish church of St Mary is mostly 14th century in date, incorporating
a
Norman doorway. The nearby vicarage dates from 1638. The village school
was
built in 1876 in the Gothic style. Nearby villages include Arncott,
Blackthorn,
Merton, Piddington, Fencott and Wendlebury.Akeman Street runs just
north
of the village and Bicester Military Railway runs to the south.
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AMBROSDEN CLICK | |
| Appleton The village of Appleton, with
which
the smaller village of Eaton has long been associated, stands on rising
ground
100 ft above the river Thames, which is its western boundary.
Woodlands,
known as Besselsleigh Common and Appleton Common, still partially cover
its
eastern and southern boundaries. The Saxon name for the village was
Earmundslea
or ‘Edmund’s clearing’. One can still receive an impression of its old
character
and charm as a considerable number of stone houses remain standing in
the
centre of the village, from the Tavern Inn to Charity House Farm.
Modern
housing exists along the roads in and out of the village, and in recent
years
a considerable amount of in filling has taken place. The population of
the
village is now approximately 1,000. Unfortunately, most of the
inhabitants
work away from the village, but there is a village shop and post
office,
a butcher’s shop, a greengrocer’s/market garden, and a wood yard making
garden
furniture and fencing. Village people own all these businesses. There
is
a saddler’s shop also, which serves the surrounding area.
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| Ardington
House In the countryside just a few miles south of Oxford stands Ardington House.Surrounded by well-kept lawns, terraced gardens, peaceful paddocks and parkland, this Baroque house was built in 1720.You will find it on the edge of the village of Ardington, with its picturesque cricket ground, village stores, and ancient church, in the lee of the downland linking the Thames valley to the Kennet. Built by the Strong brothers with typical Georgian symmetry, the House is also famous for its Imperial Staircase. Leading from the Hall, the staircase has two matching flights leading into one and is considered by experts to be one of the finest examples in Britain. |
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Ardington House Ardington Near Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 8QA We are just off the A34 between the M4 and M40 in Oxfordshire, 20 mins from Oxford or Newbury by car. From London by car allow 1hr 20mins. ARDINGTON HOUSE CLICK |
tel: 01235 821 566 |
| Ashmolean
Museum Founded in 1683 and part of the
University
of Oxford, this is one of the oldest public museums in the world, which
contains
major pieces of Greek and Roman sculptures such as the Parthenon
frieze, the
Apollo from Olympia and the Prima Porta Augustus.
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Beaumont
Street,
Oxford OX1 2PH, ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM CLICK |
Tel: 01865 278000 |
| Aston
Pottery Visit a real working pottery that
supplies
over 200 shops in the UK and view traditional techniques for making
teapots,
mugs, jugs and plates. Have a go at decorating your own mug and visit
the
award winning shop for pottery, unusual gifts and country produce.
Guided
tours available in summer months on weekdays. Children’s summer
activity
programme – ring for details.
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Open daily all year ASTON POTTERY CLICK |
tel: 01993 852031 |
| Balliol College (1263) Founded by John
Balliol
was given its Statutes by his widow the Scottish Princess Dervorguilla
of
Galloway in 1282. Most of the college buildings are from the 19th
century.
Past Students include: Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie,
Shogi
Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Cardinal Heard and Archbishop
William
Temple; statesmen too - Lord Beveridge, Sir Edward Heath KG, Lord Roy
Jenkins,
Sir Seretse Khama, Harold Macmillan, Vincent Massey, Viscount Samuel;
writers
- Robertson Davies, Graham Greene, Aldous Huxley, Anthony Powell, Nevil
Shute; creative artists in other media - John Schlesinger in film and
Laurence Whistler
on glass; sportsmen - the Nawab of Pataudi and his son `Tiger', both
famous Captains of India at cricket, and Richard Sharp, Captain of
England at rugby
in the year he took his degree
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Broad
Street, Oxford OX1 3BJ BALLIOL COLLEGE CLICK |
tel: 01865 277777 |
| Bath Place
Hotel he Bath Place Hotel is a cluster of
seventeenth
century cottages surrounding a tiny flagstone courtyard in the heart of
Oxford.The
cottages were built in the early sixteen hundreds by Flemish weavers
who won
permission to build against the outside of the city wall. It is
believed there
had previously been a communal well and bath house on the site. Going
even
further back in history, the area now known as Bath Place would have
been
part of the medieval defence area, being at the foot of the city wall.Very
little of the original city wall remains. However, parts of it are
exposed
on the back wall of the present dining room, and one can see a well
preserved
section of it from several of the hotel windows. The
buildings stood empty for some years in the early eighties until in
1987 the
Fawsitt family completed a total refurbishment of the buildings
to
create the existing hotel. Their restaurant is superb - well worth a
drive out from London for Sunday lunch. |
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4& BATH PLACE HOTEL CLICK |
tel: 01865 791812 |
| Banbury A nursery rhyme, 'Ride a Cock
Horse',
has made Banbury one of the best-known towns in England. It has been
suggested
that the 'Fine Lady' of the nursery rhyme may have been Lady Godiva or
Elizabeth
I. More likely it was a local girl who rode in a May Day procession.
The
original cross was pulled down at the end of the 16th century. The
present
cross was erected in 1859 to celebrate the wedding of the then Princess
Royal
to Prince Frederick of Prussia.
Banbury Cakes, a special fruit and pastry cake, are still produced. At one time they were being sent as far afield as Australia, India and America. The name Banbury may be derived from 'Banna', a local Saxon dignitary who is said to have built his stockade here in the 500's. By the time of William the Conqueror 'Banesberie' was mentioned in the Domesday book. In the 13th century it had grown to become an important wool trading centre bringing wealth to the local population. In 1628 the town was ravaged by fire which destroyed many buildings, though some have survived to the present day. The opening of the Oxford Canal in 1790 connecting Banbury with the Midlands bought new industries and growth which continued with the arrival of the railways. Today Banbury is an expanding market and industrial town experiencing growth as a direct benefit of its proximity to the completed M40 motorway linking London to Birmingham via Oxford. It is home to some major industries such as Alcoa (aluminium products), and Kraft Jacobs Suchard (coffee and custard). |
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Tourist Information Centre Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Road, Banbury OX16 2PQ BANBURY CLICK |
Tel: 01295 259855 |
| Banbury
Museum Visit Banbury Museum where "Hands
on"
displays tell the stories that have made Banbury famous. Find out what
happened
when ..
Roundheads beseiged the town - plush cloth was made and exported around the world World War II came to Banbury - Watch from the Waterways Gallery ... the Oxford Canal pass beneath your feet boats being repaired in the historic Tooley's Boatyard - Discover treasures never before displayed - costume, spanning four centuries, from baldrics to corsets - a cannon from Banbury Castle - the hangman's gibbet - Victorian toys - a carrier's cart - momentos from the Home Guard |
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Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Rd, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 2PQ. Banbury Museum's main entrance is in the Castle Quay Shopping Centre. Follow signs to Castle Quay.Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm Sunday and Bank Holidays 10.30am - 4.30pm BANBURY MUSEUM CLICK |
tel: 01295 259855 |
| Bate Musical
Collection
Museum The Bate Collection celebrates the
history
of the western musical tradition from medieval times to the modern day.
The
museum houses a large collection of instruments from around the world
as well
as a complete bow maker’s workshop and historic bows. The institutions
aim
is to further the understanding of our musical past and preserve the
enjoyment of historical performances for all. The museum is situated
centrally, close to the river and Christ Church College; admission is
free.
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Faculty
of
Music, St. Alate’s, Oxford OX1 1DB Monday to Friday 14.00–17.00 Saturday 10–12 during Oxford Full Term Closed – Christmas and Easter Holidays ring for details BATE MUSICAL COLLECTION MUSEUM CLICK |
tel: 01865 276139 |
| Beckley ‘I went to Noke and nobody spoke;
I
went to Beckley, they spoke directly’. This is an old aphorism, quite
probably
untrue of Noke nowadays, but certainly true of Beckley. It is the
friendliest
of villages, where passers-by always speak to each other and newcomers
are
gathered into the fold and made to feel at home. In spite of Beckley’s
close
proximity to Headington and Oxford, when you cross the B4027 you enter
another
world. There has been a settlement at Beckley since Roman times; the
Roman
road from Dorchester to Alcester cuts the village in two. The present
village
is a survival from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries with only the
original
school building and a few nearby cottages representing the Victorian
era. Almost every house is in some way associated with Beckley’s
ancient past,
if only because some of its building stone was originally part of the
medieval
royal palace. Between the wars many of the tiny stone and thatched farm
labourers
cottages became almost derelict as farm work decreased and men took
jobs in
the Cowley factories. Fortunately their potential for amalgamation and
conversion
into larger homes appealed to people wishing to move out of Oxford’s
growing
eastern suburbs. Equally fortunately these people wished to retain and
even
pinpoint the period features of the cottages, so that even when they
were
practically rebuilt they fitted in with the Beckley landscape.
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| Benson
Veteran Cycle Museum A fine collection of about 450
veteran
bicycles dating from 1818 to 1930.
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61 Brook
Street,
Benson, Wallingford, OX10 6LH. |
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| Berinsfield Berinsfield is a village and civil
parish
in the South Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, with a
population
of 2,700 (2001 census). The village is just north of
Dorchester-on-Thames
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If there
is
someone out there who can let us have a decent pic of Berinsfield
please
do |
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Bicester
Bicester, situated in the North
East
of the county has a traceable history of over a thousand years and was
recorded
in the Domesday book. It is a busy market town and now home to Bicester
Village
- the factory designer outlet shopping village. Like Banbury further
North,
it is experiencing growth and prosperity from its proximity to the M40
motorway
linking London with Birmingham via Oxford. Oxfam,
the
famine relief charity has its emergency warehouse near the town which
has
given its name to one of the British Army's largest Ordnance Depots.
Flora Thompson based her trilogy 'Lark Rise to Candleford' on the area
North East
of Bicester including the nearby villages of Juniper Hill, Cottisford,
Fringford
and Hethe.
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Visitor Information Centre Bicester Village Outlet Shopping Pingle Drive Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 6WD BICESTER CLICK |
Tel:
01869
369055 Fax: 01869 369054 |
| Bicester
Village Bicester
Village
is the best place to go shopping in Oxfordshire. Located a short drive
away
from Oxford, the Village comprises some of the best retail outlets in
the
country with top designer names such as Dior, Ralph Lauren, and Ted
Baker
to name but a few. Clothes, shoes, jewellery, household items,
lingerie,
and accessories can all be found here at bargain prices. The shops
themselves
are brightly coloured and there are restaurants and cafés
available
to recharge your batteries before another few hours of bargain hunting.
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50 Pingle Drive, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 6WD BICESTER VILLAGE CLICK |
tel: 01869 323200 |
| Bishops
Palace The foundations of this
magnificent
medieval building, built by the Bishop of Winchester are situated at
Church Green opposite St Mary’s church, in the centre of Witney. The
Palace was originally built in the 12th Century and then extended in
the 13th Century.
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Open all
year
– Site only: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Site & interpretation centre: Easter to end of September Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 4pm |
tel: 01993 814114 |
| Blackwell's
Books It is rare that a bookstore
becomes
a tourist attraction, but Blackwell's is not just any bookstore. For
one thing, it lays claim to the largest single room devoted to book
sales in Europe, the cavernous Norrington Room (10,000sq.ft.). How, in
cramped-for-space Oxford, did Blackwell's manage to create enough space
for the Norrington Room? They excavated under neighboring Trinity
College Gardens, that's how! So while students walk and - hopefully -
study above, shoppers peruse endless shelves of books well
underground.In truth, Blackwell's is not one Oxford bookstore, but
nine! The main store at 48-51 Broad Street is the largest, holding
250,000 volumes, but there are also specialised stores for Art, Music,
Rare Books, Paperbacks, Maps and Travel, Medicine, Children's Books,
and a University bookstore. The main store also has a large used books
section.Benjamin Blackwell founded his store in 1879 in a tiny building
at 50 Broad Street, which is now the main store. That first store
measured only 12 feet square, and held just 700 used books! Blackwell's
catered exclusively to the academic market, and gradually opened new
stores in university towns around the UK.
Since the 1920s Blackwell's has also published its own text books, medical texts, and periodicals. |
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48-51
Broad
Street Oxford OX1 3BQ BLACKWELLS BOOKS CLICK |
Tel:
01865 792792 |
| Blenheim
Palace Blenheim Palace offers a wonderful day out for all the family. You will be inspired by the majesty of the Palace, with its carvings by Grinling Gibbons, delighted by the interior filled with treasures and intrigued by the apartments devoted to Sir Winston Churchill. There are gardens in a variety of styles; lakes to row on, an adventure play area for children and even a narrow-gauge railway to take you from car park to the Palace. Blenheim Palace was built for the National Hero John 1st Duke of Marlborough and his Duchess Sarah, given by Queen Anne as a gift in reward for his military services. The palace was built between 1705 and 1722. The architect chosen to complete this task was Sir John Vanbrugh and his clerk of works Hawksmoor, who had already proved their ability with the masterly designs for Greenwich Hospital and Castle Howard. Set in glorious parkland, Blenheim can be exciting to look at in all seasons and is the supreme example of English Baroque architecture. |
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Woodstock
CLICK |
tel: 01993 811 091 |
| Bloxham
Village
Museum In this
day
of computers, it is still the written and printed word that gives us
the key to understanding our past. The village museum has a treasure
house of books and documents about Bloxham. The exhibition
brings many of these documents together and links them to other
exhibits
from the museum's collection. There are many fascinating records and
photographs
about Bloxham life and Bloxham people - Queen Victoria's Jubilee
celebrations,
help for the poor, bugler Harry Ayres (buried in the churchyard), the
railway,
the telephone system, to name just a few. |
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Church Street,
Bloxham February 13thMarch
13th
2.30pm - 4.30pm March 27th
until
the end of September Every
Sunday & Bank Holiday2.30pm
- 5.30pm.PLUS EVERY
WEDNESDAY in JULY
FROM 6th July 2.30 -
5.30pm
Up
until October
16th every
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tel: 01295 721256. |
| Bodleian
Library Founded in 1602 and regarded as a
masterpiece
of English Gothic architecture, the Bodleian is one of the oldest
libraries
in Europe and today serves as the main research library of the
University
of Oxford.The Divinity School and the Bodleian's exhibition room
are
open to the public, and receive a quarter of a million visitors each
year
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Broad
Street,
Oxford OX1 3BG Easter Monday opening - Monday 17 April 2006 Library open on Saturday afternoons during term BODLEIAN LIBRARY CLICK |
Tel:
01865
277180 |
| Brasenose College (1509) Founded on
the
site of an earlier community. The name is thought to derive from the
Brazen Nose doorknocker hanging in the dining hall, which resembles an
animal snout.
The front, the first quadrangle and the gateway tower are all original,
the hall and chapel are attributed to Wren. Past Members - Field
Marshal Haig, Jeffrey Archer, and William Golding, Colin Cowdrey &
Henry Addington,
Lord Sidmouth.
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Radcliffe
Square, Oxford OX1 4AJ BRAESNOSE COLLEGE CLICK |
tel: 01865 527 7823 |
| The Bridge
of
Sighs The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford is
almost
as famous a landmark as its Italian counterpart. The bridge was built
in 1913
and is named after the famous Venice Bridge. However, it was modelled
on
the Rialto Bridge, another famous bridge in Venice. The bridge links
two
buildings belonging to Hertford College and is close to the Radcliffe
Camera.
Visitors can take a walk underneath the bridge to the Turf Tavern, a
popular
pub with tourists and students alike.
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New
College
Lane, Oxford OX1 3BL |
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| Brilliant
Weekends
in Oxford Stag Weekends, Hen
Weekends, Activity Breaks, Corporate Weekends, Birthday
Celebrations, Golf Weekends.The dreaming spires of
Oxford conjure an
image of calm serenity and reservation in the English heartland. Forget
it!
However well-reputed the university may be, it's still full of young
people
and where there are students there are clubs, parties and a nightlife
to
knock you flat! Oxford is a busy and cosmopolitan city, and a popular
destination
for groups travelling from all over the country. A major and historic
city
nestled between the Thames Valley and the Cotswolds, Oxford has
everything
a brilliant Stag or Hen weekend could require.
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Brilliant Weekends
Limited, Mardyke House, 18 Hotwell Road, BRISTOL, BS8 4UD Monday 8.30am - 6.30pm Tuesday 8.30am - 6.30pm Wednesday 8.30am - 6.30pm Thursday 8.30am - 6.30pm Friday 8.30am - 6.30pm Saturday 10am - 3.00pm Sunday closed OXFORD BRILLIANT WEEKENDS |
tel: 0870 75 85100 |
| Brook
Cottage
Garden Four-acre
hillside
garden formed since 1964 surrounding 17th century stone house. Wide
variety
of trees, shrubs and plants of all kinds in areas of differing
character,
over 200 shrubs and climbing roses, many clematis. Water gardens and
colour
coordinated borders. Interesting throughout the season. DIY tea, coffee
and
biscuits daily,
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Brook
Cottage,
Well Lane, Alkerton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6N Monday – Friday, Easter Monday to end October 9am – 6pm. BROOK COTTAGE GARDEN CLICK |
tel: 01295 670303 |
| Broughton
Castle Broughton Castle is a splendid
medieval
manor house and the family home of Lord and Lady Saye and Sele.There
was
already a building on the site when Sir John de Broughton built his
manor
in 1300. It was set on island surrounded by a three acre moat.
In the late 16th century the house was enlarged into an impressive Tudor home, decorated with splendid plaster ceilings, fine panelling and ornate fireplaces. In the 17th century William Fiennes, 8th Lord Saye and Sele, opposed Charles I's attempt to rule without Parliament and refused to take the Oath of Allegiance. Broughton Castle became a secret meeting place of the King's opponents. However, he disapproved of the King's execution and removed himself from public life. This act earned the 8th Lord a pardon after the Restoration in 1660. The oldest part of the house is found in the groined passage and dining room. There are also passageways with vaulted ceilings and a staircase leading to the rare 14th century chapel. This has a stone altar, traceried window and heraldic glass. The Great Hall has displays of arms and armour from the Civil War and the Fiennes family tree. The Oak Room has Tudor oak panelling from floor to ceiling and an unusual interior porch. Queen Ann's Room commemorates the visit of James I's wife Queen Ann of Denmark in 1604. The King's Chamber was used by James I and Edward VII and has a splendid stucco overmantel of 1554. The gatehouse, garden and park are also open to the public. The gardens have mixed herbaceous and shrub borders and the formal walled garden has roses surrounded by box hedging in unusual design. |
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Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 2 m SW Banbury, on B4035, open mid May-mid September, Wed., Sun. 2-5, and Thurs. In July and August. BROUGHTON CASTLE CLICK |
Tel. 0295
262624 |
| Burford In earlier times Burford was a
flourishing
market town dependent on the sheep of the Cotswolds, the local
industries
being fulling, tannery, saddlery, glove making, and two bell foundries
at
different times; all that was necessary could be purchased locally.
In 1990 Burford celebrated the 900th anniversary of its first charter.
It
may seem strange that a community of barely 1,200 people should have a
Mayor
and Town Council (the population is probably smaller now than in the
18th
century at the height of the coaching era, and much the same as at the
end
of the Middle Ages). The present arrangement only dates from the
reorganisation
of local government in 1974, but is a reflection of Burford’s earlier
history
when it was ruled by an Alderman and Burgesses, elected from the Guild
Merchants.
The Burgesses’ roll is to be seen in the local museum at the Tolsey,
the
15th century building where the tolls were collected from the traders.
It
is also still used for the Town Council meetings. Burford has
grown
very little because of stringent planning restrictions which ban any
expansion outwards, and insist on any new building being done in local
materials. This
means that the cost of housing in the town is exceptionally high, so
that
there is very little chance for first time buyers to obtain property.
|
 |
Information centre: The Old Brewery, Sheep Street.Burford Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm, November to February 10am-4.30pm, plus Sundays, May-September 11am-3pm. BURFORD CLICK |
Tel:
01993 823558 |
| Buscot
Park Buscot Park is a National Trust
property,
administered on the Trust's behalf by Lord Faringdon. It is a fine late
18th
Century house and contains the Faringdon Collection of paintings,
(including
works by Rembrandt, Reynolds, Murillo, Rossetti and the famous 'Briar
Rose'
series by Burne-Jones) and fine furniture.There are extensive parklands
offering
delightful walks, including a walled garden with a pleached hop
hornbeam avenue
and a water garden by Harold Peto. The Tearoom serves home made cakes
and
cream teas. There is ample free parking.
|
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Faringdon Oxfordshire SN7 8BU BUSCOT PARK CLICK |
Tel: 01367 240 786 |
| Buscot
Old Parsonage An early 18th-century house of
Cotswold
stone, set on the banks of the Thames and with a small garden.
|
 |
Faringdon Oxfordshire SN7 8DQ Apr-end Oct Wed only 14.00-18.00, |
tel: 01793 762209 |
| Bygones
Museum Housed in farm buildings, the
displays
show 19th and early 20th century material from the homes, farms,
offices
and craft workshops of the Midland Counties. Also shown are seven
tractors,
a 1903 traction engine, a 1912 steam roller, a 1915 Merry Weather fire
pump,
three stationary steam engines and other model steam engineAlso on show
are around 25 stationary engines, grass mowers, horticultural and
agricultural
machines, motor-cycles, bicycles and a Sinclair C5 etc.
|
 |
Butlin
Farm,
Claydon, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 1EP All in steam on the first Sunday in the month and Bank Holiday Sundays and Mondays from the months of April to Septembe |
Tel:
01295
690258 |
| Carfax
Tower The name Carfax, derives from the French "carrefour", or "crossroads", and the tower's location makes it a good central reference point for touring the old city centre of Oxford.The Tower is all that remains of the 13th century St. Martin's Church. If you are fit (or simply determined) a climb to the top of the 74 foot high tower is rewarded by an excellent view over central Oxford. Look for the clock on the east side of Carfax. It is a copy of the original church clock, with mechanical figures called "quarterboys" which hammer out the quarter hour on b |
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