Since Winston Churchill 'won' the Great Britain vote(television program for best of Britain), I thought it was fitting to write about Woodstock, just outside Oxford. Since this is where he was born.
PLUS you may want/need exercise... and BEER!
As a transplanted North American, old enough ... Read review
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The New England Button Down casual shirt is a relaxed fit casual men's shirt with an ... more
unstructured, nonfused collar. It also features a centre back box pleat with locker-loop, a single breast pocket and 2 button single cuffs that do not require cufflinks.
The New England Button Down casual shirt is a relaxed fit casual men's shirt with an ... more
unstructured, nonfused collar. It also features a centre back box pleat with locker-loop, a single breast pocket and 2 button single cuffs that do not require cufflinks.
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Advantages: The most amazing view in England and pubs galore Disadvantages: No train station at Woodstock, so must drive or bus to get there
Since Winston Churchill 'won' the Great Britain vote(television program for best of Britain), I thought it was fitting to write about Woodstock, just outside Oxford. Since this is where he was born.
PLUS you may want/need exercise... and BEER!
As a transplanted North American, old enough to remember Woodstock (the FIRST time), here is a place right out of a storybook.
On the way to the Cotswolds, just ... ...the town of Woodstock and through the arches, is Blenheim Palace with its awesome view of the Palace and the Lake.
I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I guarantee you will have a sharp intake of breath when you first see this view. Winston Churchill called it the most beautiful view in England. And he should know. In fact, he was born at Blenheim Palace, unexpectedly whilst his mother(an American) was visiting the Palace. And he ... more
Since Winston Churchill 'won' the Great Britain vote(television program for best of Britain), I thought it was fitting to write about Woodstock, just outside Oxford. Since this is where he was born.
PLUS you may want/need exercise... and BEER!
As a transplanted North American, old enough to remember Woodstock (the FIRST time), here is a place right out of a storybook.
On the way to the Cotswolds, just northwest of Oxford, and 55 miles northwest of London, is the town of Woodstock and through the arches, is Blenheim Palace with its awesome view of the Palace and the Lake.
I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I guarantee you will have a sharp intake of breath when you first see this view. Winston Churchill called it the most beautiful view in England. And he should know. In fact, he was born at Blenheim Palace, unexpectedly whilst his mother(an American) was visiting the Palace. And he chose to be buried in the next town, Bladon.
The Palace grounds are a lovely place for a walk and picnic. Also, if you love antiques and ornateness, there are guided tours of the palace. It is open from May to September (10 or 11 am until 5 pm) and if you go in the 'Front' way it costs about 10 pounds sterling, per person, BUT do what I did, and visit the parkland, for free! You can go for a walk year round, in the grounds, even if the Palace is closed, even in the Winter.
To fortify yourself for your walk, you could start with some proper Fish and Chips from the Chip Shop.
If this doesn't appeal to you, suggest you don't eat in the palace coffee shop (boring), there are many other options in the town of Woodstock, for example:
I started at the Star, for food, tho there are plenty of other choices in the centre of town. Then for dessert (or pudding - I can never figure out which is which -- is it regional?), I wandered down to the King's Arms Hotel which had a friendly bar and the best chocolate desserts you can imagine. (And you can browse in gift shops and antique stores, etc. inbetween the two).
Along the way, you might see someone famous in Woodstock, too, if you are a celebrity watcher, as it is a popular area for entertainers and actors who live nearby.
Take a left out of the King's Arms, and go down the hill. You will get a great view of the Pillar on the hill which is a monument to the original Duke of Marlborough.
Sadly, the Queen's Own (Tuppeny Tube) is no more! But, if you are POSH and like Champagne, You can stop at TREACLE = a new wine bar.
Or continue past another pub, The Black Prince. (Alright, so I stopped there for a beverage too!) If you are a fan of the Inspector Morse books/series, you may remember The Last Bus to Woodstock which featured this pub. But in name only, as the location was wrong!
Cross over to the Left side of the road and continue up the hill, past the houses set above a high stone wall. You will see a sign for Residents parking only and a green Public Footpath sign pointing Left. It looks like a private driveway, however, you may go into the park by heading straight ahead to a gate which you have to siddle around, the Kissing Gate. Voila - into the parklands, cost = Zero. This is because the land belongs to the people of England, though it is not advertised. There are no security guards at this entrance, either! This is handy to know when there is an event on in the park, as well! (Recently I heard rumours that part of the parkland was being closed off and that the park-only fee had increased to 6 pounds, oh dear!)
If you miss this turn, you will be at the bus stop, so you know you have gone too far. However, the locals park in the layby on the weekends, so it may be a place to leave your car if you cannot find a place in town.
If you want to stay there is a variety of choices. Mine was the room at the front above the Star, but the post office trucks can be a bit noisy in the morning. The Kings Arms had some nice rooms, not cheap, but pleasantly decorated.
One word of caution, the Traffic warden will give you a parking ticket, so read the signs, and don't overstay the limits!
Alternately you can catch a train or bus from London to Oxford, then a bus from Oxford, which allows you to look at the villages along the way.
If you have a car, you might want also to head north 7 miles to Charlbury, and have a stroll around Cornbury Park, with a stop for a bite and a brew at The Bell Hotel (say hi to Martin) or The Bull (friendly new owners)CHEERS Y'ALL!
Advantages: Vibrant and historic. A mix of ancient and modern. Good public transport Disadvantages: Bad for parking
Where shall I begin, Oxford is a truly magnificent city and it is where I lived for 18 years before moving to Essex. I therefore feel qualified to give an opinion and guide to England’s primary seat of learning.
Oxford is a beautiful city of cloistered college grounds, pinnacled towers, walks, parks, rivers and provides the visitor with an historic and educational feast. The city is built around the river Thames, know locally as the river ... ...and settled. This is where Oxford derives it's name.
The university is probably what Oxford is best known for and was founded in the 13th Centaury with the building of three colleges, University College, Balliol and Merton. Today there are 35 colleges which make up the university. Exploring these colleges can be a time consuming event and you will certainly want to spread your visit over a few days if you want to take it all in. It would take too ...
jonwhite 14.01.2001 (16.01.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oxford (England)
Advantages: lots to do, nice shops, plenty of places to eat, pretty Disadvantages: lots of beggars, extortionate car parking prices
...for me. I went to Oxford for the day. It wasn’t an ordinary visit though. It was a Ciao day out, where I finally got to meet some of the friends I have made through using this website! The fifteen of us there included some familiar Ciao names – I went along with my other half and two of our kids (one being my eldest, who writes as littlepenguin on Ciao), then there were Linda (Linda01865) and Noel, Louise (Wulise) and Shane (enahs1), ... ...is not to suggest that Oxford is awful, far from it. It is very pretty, with lots of old buildings and lovely architecture. The high spires and the beautiful colleges are very picturesque. The streets were generally clean and it seemed to have everything you could want in a city (although we failed to find a beanie shop!). It was pretty busy though, with lots of students and overseas tourists!
It was quite a long walk to the pub, but not unpleasant. ...
KarenUK 20.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oxford (England)
Advantages: Beautiful buildings and friendly people Disadvantages: Not for cars
...only spent a day in Oxford so apologies for all the things I miss but it also means that you can see a great deal and have an enjoyable time there within a period of ten or so hours.
We travelled there by train from Bath. The journey took about 75 minutes , the connecting train was on time and the cost was a miserly 7.50 GBP return because we travelled after 9:30 am. If I'd travelled before the cost would have been nearer 20 GBP rising to 40 GBP ... ...was good so walking round Oxford allowed us to see the place in its best light.
PArking seemed to be at a premium and many of the streets are very narrow, so try and come by train if you can. Bicycles are prevalent throughout Oxford, and are tied to every spare place you can see (almost). The sight of thousands of parked bicycles at the station was amazing, and also good for the environment and probably the health of the cyclists.
Oxford is big ...
mikeydred 05.03.2001 (28.08.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oxford (England)
Advantages: Nice city and churches Disadvantages: Crowded streets and parking not readily available
...friends and I drove to Oxford for a day on our way to Straford Upon Avon. Well, the whole of afternoon was spent on finding a parking place. The first mistake that we made was to drive into the town centre right into a no-car zone where only buses and coaches are allowed. The signs are misleading and not easily seen. By the time I realised it, I was driving right in notorious roundabout in the city centre. I was nearly booked by a traffic warden...I'm ...
sailormn 10.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oxford (England)
Advantages: Beautiful colleges. Culture.Sophisticated Disadvantages: Parking is difficult. Pricey.
Oxford is one of England's most famous and most visited cities,largely on account of the world wide fame of the University of Oxford,which,inter-alia,numbers President Clinton, the Crown Prince of Japan, Benazir Bhutto and Tony Blair among its former students.
At first glance many North Americans visit Oxford and expect to find a campus called Oxford University and are a bit surprised to find that the U is a collection of unique colleges.They very ... ...St John's.The dreamy spires of Oxford can get very seductive.
The University,important though it it is,does not dominate Oxford in quite the same way as,say,Durham and Cambridge Universities appear to dominate their host cities. Indeed Oxford is an important industrial city and is one of the major automobile manufacturing centres in England.
The city has several top class hotels,guest houses, and bed and breakfast establishments. It is also renowned ...
ashford 04.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Oxford (England)
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
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