I have never been to Oxford, but we hope to visit as a family in the next two years. I will definitely save this post to help with our future planning! Is there anything you would add that children might enjoy especially? (At the time of the proposed trip mine would be 13, 13, 12, and 9). And is there a best time of the year to visit?
A v small thing- Lewis was Irish not English, although he described himself as most of all an Ulsterman. Due to the complexities of Irish history his nationality could be both Irish and British but never English.
“No Englishman will be able to understand my first impressions of England,” he wrote in Surprised by Joy.
No worries! I grew up living around the corner from Little Lea (his childhood home) and read Surprised by Joy obsessively when horribly homesick at uni, he was the first person I read who was both a proper Christian and from my background (Protestant writers from Northern Ireland were thin on the ground then) so he's very special to me. Also your tip re Addison's walk is spot on, I was lucky enough to have a guided tour by a friend who lectures at Magdalen and recently wrote a book about Lewis and Oxford.
Hi Sarah! I used this guide (or a very similar one from your old blog) for an Oxford trip back in May 2023 and it made for a really lovely time. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Sarah, thank you for taking the time to make this lovely guide! I will save it away for our next trip! We had a grand time when we came for our 15th anniversary and want to return for our 20th. Thanks!
Thank you, Sarah! Our daughter is studying at Green Templeton College and lives with her family in their married student housing close by. We visit every year and love it. Just want to second your recommendations of the Old Parsonage where we stayed and dined several times last year. Breakfast on the porch was our favorite! Also, we toured the Bodleian this year and thought it was amazing. Branca on the corner of Observatory and Walton Street near Green Templeton is also a favorite for breakfast, lunch, or goodies to take home. All of your recommendations are spot on and you've given us some new places to try!
I loved touring Oxford with you in this post! I have finished reading Day One and will save Day Two for later. I recently read Elizabeth Goudge's chapter on Oxford from her autobiography The Joy of the Snow, so your article was very timely for me. :)
Sarah, that was indeed a wonderful tour of Oxford! I miss being able to travel there, also I’m so grateful for the times I could travel. This was the best next thing! You are the perfect tour guide. Thank you so much for the memories! 💕
We honeymooned in the UK and Ireland, and though our three weeks were incredibly full, I still kick myself that we didn't make it to Oxford (though we did spend a day in Wells [and met Philip and Lanier Ivester!] which was divine!). I guess we'll just have to go back because my desire to see it has grown exponentially since then...and placating it by ordering books from Blackwell's doesn't work super well. 🤪 Definitely will be coming back to this should that lovely dream ever come to fruition...thank you so much for sharing!
My cousin and I visited there in late March and loved every minute. We saw several of the places you mentioned and enjoyed a nice UK Mother’s Day dinner at The Old Parsonage. Our hotel was close by at The Cotswold Lodge. This was my second trip there but saw so much more staying for a week this last time!
What a beautifully written guide! Reading it felt like a vacation in itself, and will have to do, alas, until my husband and I can leave our little ones for a dream trip to England. Thank you for sharing!
A dream!!
I have never been to Oxford, but we hope to visit as a family in the next two years. I will definitely save this post to help with our future planning! Is there anything you would add that children might enjoy especially? (At the time of the proposed trip mine would be 13, 13, 12, and 9). And is there a best time of the year to visit?
Lovely reading! I’ve only visited Oxford once, but really cherish the memories. Hope to return, we only got to see Magdalen College from the outside.
A v small thing- Lewis was Irish not English, although he described himself as most of all an Ulsterman. Due to the complexities of Irish history his nationality could be both Irish and British but never English.
“No Englishman will be able to understand my first impressions of England,” he wrote in Surprised by Joy.
You are absolutely right and I can’t believe I blanked this! Thank you. :)
No worries! I grew up living around the corner from Little Lea (his childhood home) and read Surprised by Joy obsessively when horribly homesick at uni, he was the first person I read who was both a proper Christian and from my background (Protestant writers from Northern Ireland were thin on the ground then) so he's very special to me. Also your tip re Addison's walk is spot on, I was lucky enough to have a guided tour by a friend who lectures at Magdalen and recently wrote a book about Lewis and Oxford.
Hi Sarah! I used this guide (or a very similar one from your old blog) for an Oxford trip back in May 2023 and it made for a really lovely time. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Glad to see this before I leave Oxford tomorrow!😊
Sarah, thank you for taking the time to make this lovely guide! I will save it away for our next trip! We had a grand time when we came for our 15th anniversary and want to return for our 20th. Thanks!
-Val
Thank you, Sarah! Our daughter is studying at Green Templeton College and lives with her family in their married student housing close by. We visit every year and love it. Just want to second your recommendations of the Old Parsonage where we stayed and dined several times last year. Breakfast on the porch was our favorite! Also, we toured the Bodleian this year and thought it was amazing. Branca on the corner of Observatory and Walton Street near Green Templeton is also a favorite for breakfast, lunch, or goodies to take home. All of your recommendations are spot on and you've given us some new places to try!
I loved touring Oxford with you in this post! I have finished reading Day One and will save Day Two for later. I recently read Elizabeth Goudge's chapter on Oxford from her autobiography The Joy of the Snow, so your article was very timely for me. :)
I cannot BELIEVE what a treasure trove this is, Sarah! Thank you for putting the time into it for the rest of us :)
sarah, a friend and i are contemplating a rainy uk trip in january and this list is unbelievably helpful! thank you so much!
Sarah, that was indeed a wonderful tour of Oxford! I miss being able to travel there, also I’m so grateful for the times I could travel. This was the best next thing! You are the perfect tour guide. Thank you so much for the memories! 💕
The stuff dreams are made of...
We honeymooned in the UK and Ireland, and though our three weeks were incredibly full, I still kick myself that we didn't make it to Oxford (though we did spend a day in Wells [and met Philip and Lanier Ivester!] which was divine!). I guess we'll just have to go back because my desire to see it has grown exponentially since then...and placating it by ordering books from Blackwell's doesn't work super well. 🤪 Definitely will be coming back to this should that lovely dream ever come to fruition...thank you so much for sharing!
My cousin and I visited there in late March and loved every minute. We saw several of the places you mentioned and enjoyed a nice UK Mother’s Day dinner at The Old Parsonage. Our hotel was close by at The Cotswold Lodge. This was my second trip there but saw so much more staying for a week this last time!
It sounds every bit as wonderful as I had imagined. Thank you, Sarah.
What a beautifully written guide! Reading it felt like a vacation in itself, and will have to do, alas, until my husband and I can leave our little ones for a dream trip to England. Thank you for sharing!