HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Great Escapes: Oxford 1 Historic Oxford For caravanners, one of the best things about Oxford is that the Camping and Caravanning Club's site in Abingdon Road is open to non-members. Equally important, opposite the site is a Park and Ride service so you don't need to use your car to get into the city centre. The fare is £1.70 and the journey takes around ten minutes. Get off the bus at the Martyrs' Memorial in Magdalen St and walk to the Tourist Information Centre in Gloucester Green at the end of Beaumont St. As well as the usual range of tourist information, and maps, you can buy tickets for bus and walking tours of the city. Also in the Old School building is a café serving coffee and snacks. From here retrace your steps along Beaumont St to begin your tour of the city at the Ashmolean Museum at the junction of Beaumont St and Magdalen St. 1 THE ASHMOLEAN This museum dates from the mid-19th century, the original building still existing in Broad St but now renamed the Museum of the History of Science. The Ashmolean contains what is unquestionably one of the finest collections of antiquities and art to be found anywhere in Europe, if not the world. Not surprisingly, then, it is possible to spend the whole day in the museum. If you do, there's a café in the basement to the left of the main entrance. 2 THE MARTYRS' MEMORIAL Opposite the Ashmolean is the Randolph Hotel, which may seem rather familiar; it, like the museum and other attractions here, featured in the Oxford-based Inspector Morse TV series. Across Magdalen St from both buildings is the Martyrs' Memorial marking the spot where, under the reign of the Catholic Mary I, Protestant bishops Latimer and Ridley, and Archbishop Cranmer were burnt at the stake as heretics. The memorial however, wasn't erected until the mid 1840s. 3 BROAD ST From the memorial, walk past the church of St Mary Magdalen and turn into Broad St where both Balliol and Trinity College are situated. Also here, across the road from Balliol, is the Oxford Story. Open daily except Christmas Day, the museum features a 25-minute ride through 900 years of Oxford's history. Allow an hour for your visit. On the opposite side of the road is Exeter College, where Inspector Morse suffered his fatal heart attack in the final episode in the series. Next to the college is the History of Science Museum followed by the Sheldonian Theatre with its outer wall of emperors' heads. These are the third set of heads to be sited on the walls, the originals first erected in 1669. The theatre's splendid interior are where the University's student receive their degrees. Be sure to also check out the 360-degree view over the city from its cupola. 4 BODLEIAN LIBRARY AND RADCLIFFE CAMERA Next to the Sheldonian, at the junction of Broad St and Catte St, is the Bodleian Library which dates back to 1320. It is one of six copyright deposit libraries in the country and receives a copy of every book published in the UK. It is not surprising, then, that it houses between five and six million books. The library is linked by a tunnel to the Radcliffe Camera in nearby Radcliffe Square. Unfortunately, though, the Camera – the medieval word for room – is not open to the public. Constructed between 1737-49 and the circular building is the reading room for the library. 5 UNIVERSITY CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN Next to the Camera on the High St is the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. It has borne witness to some difficult times in Oxford, as it was here that Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer were tried for heresy. The statue of the Virgin and Child in the south entrance to the church was a target for the ire of the Puritans who took pot-shots at it during the English Civil War. Today, the church is the venue for the University sermons which are held most Sundays during term time. 6 MITRE HOTEL As you walk westwards from the church along the High St, you come across one of Oxford's oldest inns, the Mitre Hotel. Dating from the 13th century, it is said to be one of only three of the city's original inns. However, unlike most pubs, it is owned by neither a brewery nor an individual, but by a college, in this case, nearby Lincoln College, which acquired it some 500 years ago.  • Visiting the colleges Most of the colleges are open to visitors during the holidays, and in the afternoons during term time. The opening times can vary, however, and some never open their doors to the public. Visit the Tourist Information Centre on Gloucester Green for maps of the college locations, plus opening times. . HOME PAGE | TOP OF PAGE GREAT ESCAPES   Historic Oxford  Morse & Churchill  Drive in the country  BACK TO ARCHIVE FACTFILE: PLANNING Distance Three miles Time Eight hours Start/finish The Camping and Caravanning Club site, Abingdon Road, Oxford, OX1 4XN Suitable for All the family Tourist Information Centre The Old School House, Gloucester Green. From February 15-16 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AS Tel 01865 726871 Refreshments The Chequers High St, Oxford OX1 4DH Tel 01865 727463. Attractions The Oxford Story 6 Broad St, Oxford, OX1 3AJ Tel 01865 728822 Website Click Here Email Click Here City sightseeing Railway Station, Park End St, Oxford OX1 1HS Tel 01865 790522 Website Click Here Email Click Here HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Contact Practical Caravan Best viewed in screen resolution 800 x 600 using I.E.4 or Netscape 4 or later.