As a student in Oxford, it can feel like you’re confined to the library 24/7, but it’s important to take days off! Whether you’re a student here or not, Oxford has a whole bunch of cheap activities that you can do at the weekend to really get to know the city.
Here are my top-ten places to go and see at the weekend:
10) Oxford colleges! Lots of colleges are open to visitors, regardless of whether you are a member of the university or not. Not only is it a way to see hidden nooks of Oxford, but visiting other colleges means that you can find out about other events going on there, like concerts and exhibitions. Some colleges charge, or ask for donations, but a lot will let you in for free!
9) Port Meadow. Just outside the centre of Oxford and beside the River Thames, Port Meadow is a great place for a rambling walk. Keep a look out for the horses that graze on the meadow too.
8) The Oxford Playhouse. Going to the theatre is great fun, and the Playhouse puts on a wide variety of productions. Sometimes students put on plays here too, which is great fun!
7) The University Church. You can climb the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, which is on Oxford High Street. The tower gives an amazing view of Radcliffe Square and the surrounding Oxford area!
6) The Sheldonian Theatre. The official ceremonial hall of the university is open to the public when not in use for graduations and other ceremonies. Sometimes there are concerts going on here too!
5) The Weston Library. The library is used by university students and researchers, but it’s also home to some exciting exhibitions which regularly change! Past exhibitions have included studies on Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and have shown lots of rare material to the public for the first time.
4) The Pitt Rivers Museum. This museum displays objects from around the world, from all different time periods. It was founded when General Pitt Rivers gave his collection of artefacts to the University of Oxford. There is all sorts of fascinating material there, including lots of human remains!
3) The Story Museum. I think this one’s highly underrated! The museum, on Pembroke Street, encourages the exploration of all kinds of stories. It’s a great place to take young children, but adults can get a lot out of it too!
2) The Ashmolean Museum. An obvious choice, but a good one. There are lots of exhibitions going on at the museum at any given time, but taking the time to look at the permanent collections is so worth it! Highlights include the Herberden Coin Room, and the Alfred Jewel.
1) The Oxford Botanic Garden. Stunning at all times of year, but especially in summer, the Garden is home to a vast variety of plants. Even in winter, the glasshouses are worth a look, being home to all sorts of tropical plants.
These are just a small selection of the things that you can do in Oxford with some free time. Make sure you get outside and explore this wonderful city!
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Links:
Oxford Colleges: https://www.ox.ac.uk/visitors/visiting-oxford/visiting-the-colleges?wssl=1
Port Meadow: https://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/oxford/guide/river-walks
The Oxford Playhouse: https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com
The University Church: http://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk
The Sheldonian Theatre: https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/sheldonian/
The Weston Library: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston
The Pitt Rivers Museum: https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk
The Story Museum: http://www.storymuseum.org.uk
The Ashmolean: https://www.ashmolean.org
The Oxford Botanic Garden: https://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk
Find Ellen here: https://www.instagram.com/_ellenbrewster/