London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [207]
Oxford also features the hop-on, hop-off guided bus tours that have been such a hit in major destinations around the world. While they have stops throughout the city, the main terminus location is at
Essentials
Visitor Information Oxford (01865/252–2000 | www.visitoxford.org).
EXPLORING OXFORD
Any Oxford visit should begin at its very center—a pleasant walk of 10 minutes or so east from the train station—with the splendid University Church of St. Mary the Virgin (1280). Climb 127 steps to the top of its 14th-century tower for a panoramic view of the city. | High St. | OX1 4AH | 01865/279111 | www.university-church.ox.ac.uk | Church free, tower £3 | Church admission Sept.–June, Mon.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. noon–5; July and Aug., Mon.–Sat. 9–6, Sun. noon–6.
Fodor’s Choice | Among Oxford’s most famous sights, the gorgeous, round Radcliffe Camera (1737–49) is the most beautiful of the buildings housing the extensive contents of the august Bodleian Library. The baroque domed rotunda with an octagonal base sits in a lovely square where your photographic instincts can run riot. Not many of the 6-million-plus volumes are on view to those who aren’t dons, but you can see part of the collection if you call ahead to book a regular or self-guided audio tour. Note that children under 11 are not admitted. | Broad St. | OX1 1AB | 01865/277224 | www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk | Bodleian self-guided audio tour £2.50; 30-min guided tour £4.50, 1-hr guided tour £6.50, extended guided tour £13 | Weekdays 9–5, Sat. 9–4:30, Sun. 11–5; Divinity School weekdays 9–5, Sat. 9–4:30, Sun. 11–5 (admission £1). Closed for University functions and events (check Web site).
The Sheldonian Theatre, built between 1664 and 1668, was Sir Christopher Wren’s first major work (the chapel at Pembroke College was his first commission). The theater, which he modeled on a Roman amphitheater, made his reputation. It was built as a venue for the university’s public ceremonies, and graduations are still held here—entirely in Latin, as befits the building’s spirit. Outside is one of Oxford’s most striking sights—a metal fence topped with stone busts of 18 Roman emperors (modern reproductions of the originals, which were eaten away by pollution). | Broad St. | OX1 3AZ | 01865/277299 | www.sheldon.ox.ac.uk | £3 | Mar.–Oct., Mon.–Sat. 10–12:30 and 2–4:30; Nov.–Feb., Mon.–Sat. 10–12:30 and 2–3:30. Closed for 10 days at Christmas and Easter and for degree ceremonies and events.
Outside the “new” (they’re actually Victorian) college gates of prestigious Balliol College (1263), a cobblestone cross in the sidewalk marks the spot where Archbishop Cranmer and bishops Latimer and Ridley were burned in 1555 for their Protestant beliefs. The original college gates (rumored to have existed at the time of the scorching) hang in the library passage, between the inner and outer quadrangles. | Broad St. | OX1 3BJ | 01865/277777 | www.balliol.ox.ac.uk | £1 | Daily 10–5, or dusk if earlier.
The chapel of Trinity College (1555) is an architectural gem—a tiny place with a delicately painted ceiling, gorgeously tiled floor, and elaborate wood carvings on the pews, pulpit, and walls. Some of the superb carvings were done by Grinling Gibbons, a 17th-century master carver whose work can also be seen in Hampton Court Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and who inspired the 18th-century cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. | Broad St. | OX1 3BH | 01865/279900 | www.trinity.ox.ac.uk | £2 | Weekdays 10–noon and 2–4, or dusk if earlier. Weekends noon–4:30 during term, 10–4:30 outside term.
Fodor’s Choice | The Ashmolean Museum, founded in 1683, is one of Britain’s oldest public museums. Some of the world’s most precious art objects are stashed here—drawings by Michelangelo and Raphael, European silverware and ceramics, a world-class numismatic collection, and Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts. A renovation by noted architect Rick Mather, creating 39 additional galleries and a rooftop restaurant, opened in November 2009. | Beaumont St. | OX1 2PH | 01865/278000 | www.ashmolean.org