Founded in 1621, the Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in the United Kingdom. More than 5,000 different plant species give it great botanical diversity. There is also a publicly accessible space where treasures from the internationally significant scientific collection of the Oxford Herbaria are on display. Living plants and scientific collection items offer different ways to explore botany here; plant numbers may change over time.
Gardens and landscapes with a history
Blenheim Palace also tells the story of the landscape: around 2,000 acres of parkland were transformed by Capability Brown into a natural-looking English landscape. The estate is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a long tradition of public access. It offers informal recreation and activities such as sporting events, craft and country fairs, music concerts and historical reenactments. Events may vary.
Rousham House and Garden offers another perspective on English garden design. The grounds embody its earliest phase and preserve features that delighted visitors as far back as the 18th century. Together, the two gardens show how a landscape can be experienced not only as a backdrop, but also as designed cultural heritage: here, a parkland shaped by Capability Brown; there, grounds with early features of English landscape design.
The grounds of Cotswold Wildlife Park cover more than 160 acres of parkland. The park is home to a diverse selection of animal species, including many that are endangered in the wild, as well as more than 130 different bird species. During animal encounters, participants can help feed and care for the animals. Numbers of animals and activities may change over time.
Oxford: libraries, collections and discoveries
The Bodleian Library offers a 30-minute tour. Be sure to look at Duke Humfrey’s Library, the oldest reading room at the University of Oxford. The City of Oxford Walking Tour was developed by the Bodleian Libraries in collaboration with the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides and is led by qualified and accredited guides. The short library tour and the city tour focus on different things; specific booking details may change.
The Ashmolean Museum has offered public access since it first opened. The museum has the largest collection of Chinese greenware outside China; which objects are currently on display may change. Oxford thus brings together institutional history and a distinctive collection, while the Bodleian experiences offer a different way to explore the library and the city.
Woodstock and Hook Norton: craftsmanship and brewing history
The Woodstock Gallery at the Oxfordshire Museum showcases examples from the town’s civic and industrial history. It describes the glove industry as the second most important after Worcester’s. It also explains how the manufacture of cut and polished steel established the town’s reputation across Europe in the 18th century.
The Woodstock Textile Trail tells the town’s story through 17 textile pictures. Most are hand-embroidered, with some also painted. Among the rare surviving pieces is an 18th-century needlework piece depicting the design of a Roman mosaic floor. Together with the themes of the Woodstock Gallery, the trail reveals different aspects of local craftsmanship: textile work as well as glove-making and cut and polished steel.
Tours of Hook Norton Brewery include the original steam engine and explanations of how its beers are made. The tour ends with a half-hour beer tasting. The free museum explores the history and heritage of the brewery and the village. The brewery also serves locally sourced food for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Tour details and admission arrangements may change; check them before your visit.
Explore on foot or by bike
Oxfordshire has almost 4,000 kilometres of public rights of way. These include footpaths, bridleways, Restricted Byways and Byways. The different categories provide an overview of the types of routes in the network. For cycling trips, the county’s official online cycling map suggests both traffic-free routes and routes for more experienced cyclists. One named route runs from Heyford to Oxford along the southernmost section of the Oxford Canal. Check conditions before setting out; the online map and its route suggestions may be updated.
For your trip planning, Oxfordshire offers a wide range of discovery themes: botanical collections, designed landscapes, animal encounters, library and museum history, and brewing culture. You can focus on individual experiences or combine different interests, without being tied to a set itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Garford, Witney, Wantage, Wallingford, Thame, Steventon, Sparsholt, South Stoke, Shipton Under Wychwood, Oxford, North Stoke, Nettlebed, Minster Lovell, Kingston Bagpuze, Kingham, Henley On Thames, Great Milton, Faringdon, Duns Tew, Culham, Clare, Chipping Norton, Chinnor, Charlbury, Burford, Bletchingdon, Bicester, Banbury, Bampton, Abingdon, Waterstock, Kingston Blount, Dorchester, Weston-On-The-Green, Letcombe Regis, Charney Bassett, Aston Rowant, Alvescot, Mollington, Middle Aston, Fifield, Coleshill, Deddington, Woodstock, Shipton-On-Cherwell, Drayton, Hailey, Didcot, Chesterton, Clanfield, Swinbrook, Hook Norton, Kidlington, Goring, Church Handborough, Clifton Hampden, Benson, Bloxham, Eynsham, Murcott, Ambrosden, Chadlington, Hethe, Waterperry, Watlington, Ipsden, Great Rollright, Standlake, Horspath, Beckley, Holton, Stratton Audley, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Long Wittenham, Adderbury, Forest Hill, North Leigh, Aston, Milcombe
For the wider travel overview: South East England.
