Home to the Mini car, Britain’s first concert hall, and a 25ft sculpture of a shark cascading through a roof, there is more to Oxford than ‘dreaming spires’ and honey-hued quads. Its cobbles may pave the oldest university in the English-speaking world, but there is nothing staid about these streets, whose cultural roll-call extends from JRR Tolkein to Russell T Davies to Radiohead. This is the city where college dons dine with tech gurus, where morris dancers jive with students, and where evensong is followed up by a plate of authentic sushi.
Chart a route through its artisan coffee roasters and contemporary galleries, or opt for the classic itinerary of punt, pub and Playhouse. Whichever way you choose to wend past quad and over meadow, Oxford has never looked sharper in its esteemed history.
(Louise Long)
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What to do
The Ashmolean
The crown jewel in the city’s cultural menu is the Ashmolean – Britain’s first public museum, and an even more joyous visit since its 2009 major revamp. Take your pick of its three light-filled floors of art and objects, spanning Japanese netsuke to English Pre-Raphaelite paintings; and don’t miss contemporary temporary exhibitions on the top-floor. Recent shows include surveys of Jeff Koons, ‘Young Rembrandt’, and ‘Tokyo Art & Photography’, a colourful voyage through Tokyo’s cultural history. Open daily 10am-5pm.
(Louise Long)
Modern Art Oxford
For contemporary culture hunters, Modern Art Oxford is the city’s hub, with temporary exhibitions showcasing emerging and established international artists, from the likes of Anish Kapoor, Marina Abramović and Ruth Asawa. The bookshop is worth a visit for art titles and locally made design pieces. Keep an eye on the events programme, including ‘MAO Lates’, with performances, drinks and live music. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm, Monday closed.
The Oxford Botanic Garden
The oldest of its kind in the UK, the Oxford Botanic Garden houses floral borders, wild meadows and soaring greenhouses. An hour amongst the apple orchards, ‘pie-tin’ waterlilies or soaring cacti will restore your senses for the rest of the afternoon on the cobblestones. Further afield, the Botanic Garden’s sister Harcourt Arboretum does a riotous autumn display – pick-up a handmade willow hamper at nearby Fallow & Fields for an afternoon…
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