The Dreaming Spires of Oxford
To Appreciate England and the English, one MUST Visit Oxford
Jul 26, 2008
The first image that strikes you on approaching Oxford by train is that of the famous grey spires emerging out of the dawn mist . The vista is dominated by the cupola of Christchurch College’s chapel , which thanks to Oxford’s idiosyncratic traditions also happens to be the city’s cathedral.
The city has some magnificent museums - like the famous Ashmolean with its many fascinating collections of exhibits and the ever-popular visitor-friendly Radcliffe Science Museum. Be moved at Rhodes House by the poignant memorial plaque to the Oxford scholars who lost their lives in the ‘Great War’ – from England, from colonies like Canada and Australia, from allies like the US and adversaries like Germany - all of whom had once studied here and then gone out to fight (and die) for their respective countries. Make sure to see the Martyrs’ Memorial at the corner of Broad Street and Cornmarket Street that marks the spot where three Christian priests (including Bishop Cranmer who translated the Prayer Book into English) were burnt to death by the Catholic hierarchy in 1556.
Oxford also has a memorial to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley – a beautiful marble statue of the poet - at University College, said to be the College’s way of atonement to the man who, expelled when he was a controversial undergraduate, went on to become one of England’s most famous poets.
Don’t miss those famous buildings which have become icons of Oxford - like the Radcliffe Camera (the word is derived from the Latin camera which means room) and the Sheldonian Theatre where degree ceremonies are held. Scattered around the city are colleges ancient and modern ranging from the oldest, University College established in 1249, to newer ones like Green College and the Saïd Business School which started life in the latter decades of the 20th century.
Marvel at quaint structures like the Hertford Bridge which crosses New College Lane and the fountain in the form of a Triton that spits out a constant stream of water in front of the old and now abandoned hospital, the Radcliffe Infirmary.
Don’t miss the opportunity of downing a pint of ale in one of the historic pubs here – The Eagle and Child on St Giles which men like Samuel Johnson, C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien used to frequent, or the Turf Tavern opposite the Holywell Music Room, the oldest music hall in Europe, where musical recitals have been staged since 1742. And while you are there, you may even take in a performance at the Music Room yourself!
Getting to Oxford from London is easy. Coaches from Victoria Station or trains from Paddington take about an hour, and a day trip here is well worth one’s while.
One could definitely say that a visit to England would not be complete without a trip to Oxford!
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