Oxford

Oxford is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. It is a small city, and the attractions of the University, historic buildings and places of interest are within easy walking distance of the centre.

College Cruisers narrowboats are an ideal base to visit Oxford’s many attractions whilst enjoying comfortable canal boat holiday hire accommodation.

Here are a few ideas about places you can visit on your canal boat holiday hire around Oxford…

BLACKWELL’S BOOKS
Not just any bookstore, this is the largest single room devoted to book sales in Europe.

BODLEIAN LIBRARY
Unusual for not being housed in just one building but in many spread all over the city of Oxford. The oldest parts of the Bodleian being located around Radcliffe Square with the Duke Humphrey’s Library (1488) and the Divinity School.

CARFAX TOWER
Standing at the crossroads of St. Aldate’s, Cornmarket, Queen and High Street in the centre. The tower’s location makes it a perfect central point to tour the city of Oxford.

OXFORD BOTANIC GARDENS
Founded 1621 by Henry Danvers for the study of medicinal plants.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY COLLEGES
The Oxford University is a collection of independently founded colleges each with its own history rather than ‘one campus’ as with many other city universities.

THE RADCLIFFE CAMERA
One of the most distinctive landmarks in Oxford. The Camera (meaning ‘room’) was built 1737-1749.

SHELDONIAN THEATRE
In 1667 this was the first major commission by architect Christopher Wren.

UNIVERSITY CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN
Based on the High Street this was the first University library.

JERICHO
The historic Oxford district where College Cruisers is based, Jericho is Oxford’s Greenwich Village – slightly Bohemian and full of great cafés, pubs and restaurants. It’s a great place to kill some time before picking up your boat, or for eating out on your last night (we recommend The Old Bookbinders or Brasserie Blanc). In fiction, Jericho was the setting for parts of Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights and a location for the famous TV series Inspector Morse, and is reputed to have been the inspiration for the fictional Beersheba area featured in Thomas Hardy’s Jude The Obscure.

OXFORD MUSEUMS
Ashmolean Museum | Britain’s first official museum.

Bate Collection of Musical Instruments | Based at the Faculty of Music building on St. Aldates.

History of Science Museum | Scientific instruments and devices throughout the ages.

Museum of Modern Art | Exhibits of 20th century art.

Museum of Oxford | Based at St. Aldates this covers the 2000 years of Oxford history.

Pitt Rivers Museum | Based at Park Road covering prehistory, ethnology and the arts of all cultures and periods.

University Museum | Based at Park Road this collection shows natural history such as gemstones, dinosaurs and other fossils.

BEYOND OXFORD
Beyond Oxford itself lots of visitors come to Oxfordshire to to visit Blenheim Palace. Oxfordshire also has delightful countryside to offer with outstanding pretty villages dotted along the banks of the Oxford Canal.

Here are a few details of what you can see on your narrow boat holiday hire around the Oxford Canal:

Blenheim Palace | Just a few miles north of the city of Oxford is the grand Blenheim Palace.

Uffington White Horse | Carved into the chalk hillside the mysterious White Horse can be seen above the village of Uffington.

Wayland’s Smithy | Just a short distance from the White Horse is the Wayland’s Smithy famous for it’s chambered tomb.