The famous theatre in Oxford
I left Bath late in the afternoon and headed to Oxford. I had the whole of the next day to explore this famous old University city. When I was young I had thought of attending either Oxford or Cambridge so I thought it important to at least see one of these cities that I missed out on experiencing. Of course once I had the A-level samples sent to me, I realized how little I knew and how hard it would be to get good enough marks to attend either of these Universities. Sadly the Canadian education system is not up to snuff compared to the British system.
A very old house on Ship Street. When you look at it from the side it appears to be falling out towards the street.
Oxford of course has been witness to many famous people including J.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, Hugh Grant and Bill Clinton to name a few. It is also known as the City of Spires. I visited the oldest University here – Balloil College. It has been here since the 1200s. Just imagining the number of people to walk through its halls is staggering.
I think this is Balloil College from the street but I could be wrong
One of the many interesting Gargoyles inside the courtyard of Balloil College
I really love these old educational institutions. There is something unique about houses of knowledge. And the glorious buildings that stand in testament to their need and demand. Oxford of course is lovely with its river running through it where famous rowing races have occurred. The town is filled with student pubs, libraries, book shops and general fair geared towards a student population.
Don't know the name of the river but here it is - one of the channels anyway
The famous Turf Tavern, the oldest in Oxford. From the 1400s.
Part of the old city wall through Oxford
There is a lot to see in Oxford and I did do the main run through of the town, but I was tiring after so much moving about and called it quits at about 3 pm even though I could have stayed until late before heading to Gatwick airport. Instead I decided to take an earlier train and through the Last Minute Club was able to get a hotel room for 40 pounds which was awesome because I was so tired and couldn’t imagine sleeping in the airport for my early flight the next day. So I did enjoy this city but probably could have got more out of it if I had not been so tired.
The famous Radcliffe Centre
Yup - I was really there!
Too bad that you were too tired to do more exploring, but I’m glad you decided to take a well-deserved rest by catching up on some sleep. 🙂
Now you have an excuse to return to England in order to explore Oxford (and Bath).
By the way, did I mention that I enjoyed your Oxford entry and I like your pictures, especially the one of the gargoyle? Well, I did. 🙂