The Oxford Belfry Out and About
The Oxford Belfry is situated near the village of Thame, just a short drive from the heart of Oxford and convenient for the myriad of interesting places that abound in this beautiful countryside.
University of Oxford. Tel: 01865 270000
The historic University buildings, museums and gardens are open to the public, many free of charge. Walking tours available from the centre of Oxford by various organisations.
Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames. Tel: 01491 638587
Tudor and Georgian architecture, with its origins in the 12th century, blend to form the family home of the Stonor family for 800 years. The house is surrounded by a deer park in the wooded hills of The Chilterns.
Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. Tel: 01865 722733
Offering 5 large exhibition galleries showing painting, sculpture, film, design and architecture from all over the world.
Vale of Aylesbury. Tel: 01296 486009
Adjacent to Oxford and the village of Thame, The Vale has many attractions, including Silverstone Race Circuit, picturesque villages and market towns, Waddesdon Manor, built by the Rothschilds, and Bletchley Park- made famous by the film Enigma.
Legoland, Windsor. Tel: 08705 040404
A unique experience offering fun for all the family. Rocket Racers, Miniland, The Enchanted Forest, Space Tower- all these and more for a wonderful day out.
Bicester Village Outlet Shopping. Tel: 01869 323200
Designer outlet shopping centre offering prices reduced by up to 60%.
Odds Farm Park, High Wycombe. Tel: 01628 520188
Children's Farm Park offering the opportunity to feed chickens and lambs, ride on tractors, watch milking and shearing, with many seasonal events.
Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford. Tel: 01993 823006
Set in 160 acres of beautiful parkland and gardens. See rhinos, zebras, camels,ostriches, lions, leopards and more. Children' s farmyard, adventure playground and narrow gauge railway.
Thame village. Tourist Information Centre Tel: 01844 212834
Thame is on the banks of the River Thames as it approaches the Chilterns, and is a busy town with a wide main street and a whole range of old buildings from timbered houses to Georgian stone residences.
Cotswolds. Chipping Norton Tourist Information Centre Tel: 01608 644379
The Oxfordshire Cotswolds includes Chipping Norton, Burford, Witney and Woodstock - an area of outstanding natural beauty, with rolling hills, dry-stone walls and rural villages that are best explored at a leisurely pace.
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. Tel: (01865) 278000
The museum of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1683, it is one of the oldest public museums in the world.
The Oxford Story Museum. Tel: 01865 728822
The ideal first stop for visitors to Oxford, The Oxford Story offers the very best insight into the city’s world-famous University, its famous faces and its history.
Located within an extensive and historic three-storey former book warehouse, here you can climb aboard one of Europe’s longest indoor ‘dark’ rides to explore the University’s early beginnings and fascinating facts behind its record-breaking discoveries.
The Wind in the Willows at The River & Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames.
Tel: 01491 415600
This stunning permanent attraction of the timeless English classic recreates the famous illustrations of EH Shephard. Using both audio and interactive elements, the enchanting story of Ratty, Mole, Badger and the irrepressible Mr. Toad truly comes to life.
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxford. Tel: 08700 60 20 80
The birthplace of Winston Churchill, this unique historic house offers something for everyone to enjoy, from the magnificent English Baroque Palace with its priceless collections, to the Pleasure Gardens filled with activities for children to enjoy.
City Sightseeing Oxford
On the bus tour you will see Magdalen College, the site of William Morris's first workshop, University Science Area, the City Walls, Sheldonian Theatre, Ashmolean Museum, Martyr's Memorial, Christ Church College, River Cherwell, Carfax Tower, Alice's Shop, Radcliffe Infirmary, Bodleian Library, The High, Broad Street and the University Parks.The tour also stops at various points for visits to University Colleges, Museums, Shops and Restaurants, The Botanic Garden and the Oxford Story. The city tour lasts approximately 1 hour and departs every 10/15 minutes (subject to season and traffic conditions).
Cogges Manor Farm Museum, Witney. Tel: 01993 772602
Cogges is a unique, working museum depicting Oxfordshire rural life in Victorian times set in an historic manor house and Cotswold stone farm buildings.
Visitors take a step back in time when they enter the beautiful farmstead with its original Cotswold buildings and meet traditional breeds of farm animals including cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. Characters from Cogges' history describe life on a working farm in an audio tour of the farm buildings and displays of farm implements and machinery. Regular demonstrations of farm work such as hand-milking and butter-making add to the experience and help bring the museum to life.
Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01993 823006
Set in 160 acres of parkland and gardens, with a wide variety of animals from around the world, including rhinos, Asiatic lions, leopards and primates. The gardens are a major feature of the park. The Walled Garden is highly acclaimed for the exotic planting including bananas, daturas, and cannas, and within this area is the Tropical House and the ever-popular meerkats in their unique ‘arid-scape’ landscape enclosure, penguins and a number of small mammals and tropical birds. Throughout the park, you will find prairie-style plantings, various herbaceous and mixed borders colour and imaginative containers with seasonal displays. A superb venue for gardeners and their children.
Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01235 817200
Welcome to Didcot Railway Centre, home of the Great Western Society and its unique collection of Great Western Railway steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and small relics. The Great Western Railway was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to link London with Bristol. Didcot lies about halfway; the engine shed is home to Great Western steam engines and you can celebrate Brunel's bicentenary by travelling on our recreation of his original broad gauge railway. On Steamdays and other special events you can see typical activities of a steam age depot, including turning and coaling the locomotives, and ride in 1930s carriages on two demonstration lines.
River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01491 415600
The Museum has three main galleries devoted to the River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the town of Henley. There are also three special exhibition galleries, the Riverside Café, shop, Education Centre, library and function rooms.
Rousham House and Garden, Bicester, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01869 347110
A 17th Century house built by Sir Robert Dormer and still in the ownership of the same family, with a wonderful 20 acre William Kent garden – a rare surviving example with ponds, cascades, stone built features and statues. On the skyline is a sham ruin known as the ‘eyecatcher’. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic and wander round for the day. Uncommercial and unspoilt property. No children under 15 and no dogs allowed.
Rycote Chapel, Milton Common, Thame, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01844 210210
15th Century Chapel with exquisitely carved and painted woodwork, has many intriguing features, including two roofed pews and a musicians´ gallery.
Rycote Chapel was the domestic Chapel to the adjacent Rycote Park and is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. The Chapel has associations with both Elizabeth I and Charles I. What makes it outstanding in national terms are its internal fittings, including original pews, the two early 17th Century covered pews (one of which was probably put up for Charles I´s visit in 1625), and the late 17th Century reredos (possibly by Grinling Gibbons).
Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01491 638587
Historic home of Lord and Lady Camoys and the Stonor family for over 800 years. The house is surrounded by a wooded deer park in a valley in the Chiltern Hills. With its origins in the 12th century the house has architectural features of medieval Tudor and Georgian periods now with a warm red brick facade. The ancient family Catholic chapel is situated alongside near the site of a pre-historic stone circle. To the rear of the house a hillside walled garden affords commanding views of the deer park. Inside on display are many items of rare furniture, sculptures, bronzes, paintings and family portraits from Britain, Europe and the USA.
Sulgrave Manor, Banbury, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01295 760205
Sulgrave Manor was set up in the 1920s as a symbol of the rich network of links that bind the United Kingdom and the United States together. It was built by George Washington's direct ancestor in the middle of the 16th century and is now restored to show how the gentry of the period lived. An early 18th wing shows the style of George's own period. The largest UK collection of Washington memorabilia is on permanent display.
Tom Brown's School Museum, Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01367 820259
The small volunteer-run Museum is housed in a former schoolroom, built in 1617, for 12 worthy boys of the village and described in the opening chapters of Tom Brown's Schooldays. Photographs and mementoes of Thomas Hughes and John Betjeman, who both lived and wrote in the village. Results and information from the archaeological dig and historical research into the evolution of the village of Uffington and its connection with the famous White Horse cut into the hillside above the village. Try the new touch screen presentation which gives information about the history of the village.
Waterfowl Sanctuary & Children's Farm, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01608 730252
Children are encouraged to handle and feed the animals at this friendly, family-run centre. There are fact sheets for children who want to learn about ancient breeds and other interesting animal information. There is also a picnic area, which is lovely in this rural setting.
