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Oxford, the home of one of the most famous universities in England, is a really interesting place to visit. We only had one day here on our recent trip, so we were only able to scratch the surface. Here’s some tips and ideas for visiting there with your kids!
What is there to do in Oxford?
The University of Oxford is not to be missed. It is the oldest known English-speaking university in the world (dating from 1096). So many famous people have attended or have taught here. It is a little confusing to visit, however, as the university’s 39 different colleges are spread throughout the city.
One really great place to go to is Christ Church, founded by King Henry VIII. This is one of the University of Oxford’s many colleges. We booked in for a self-guided tour with an audio guide. Although it was expensive and quite a small tour, it was amazing to see the Great Hall. They still serve three meals a day in this hall! It has become especially famous through the Harry Potter films (although they created a replica of the hall in their studios), but it was also a source of inspiration from which Lewis Carroll produced his ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Hatter’s tea party. It seems that Mr Carroll received much inspiration from the college, as the main character from his novel was also based on the Dean of Christ Church’s daughter, Alice Liddell. The Great Hall contains the portraits of many famous people who studied here (including 13 prime ministers, King Edward VII, W H Auden and Lewis Carroll – listed as Charles Dodgson). The hall is closed while meals are served, so time your visit to suit this.
The Great Hall
What a place to get your meal served!
Other interesting highlights of the tour included a staircase also used in the Harry Potter films, and a quad and clock tower designed by Christopher Wren (the same architect who designed St Paul’s Cathedral in London). In addition, Christ Church claims that it has the oldest form of graffiti on record, which is on a door and states ‘Peel’. Apparently it is a protest against Robert Peel, the Prime Minister in the early 19th century. Surely there’s some older graffiti somewhere in the world?! There are also drawings by da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael in the Christ Church Picture Gallery (although we didn’t see these as we didn’t know they were there!). The Christ Church Cathedral is stunning, and you can go inside as part of the same tour.
Wren’s tower and quad
You can also see the magnificent Meadow Building without having to buy a ticket.
The Meadow Building
Another great place to visit in Oxford was the free Ashmolean Museum – an unexpected delight. We wandered in to fill in a few minutes, and discovered incredible Egyptian mummies and frescos, plus figurines from around 2000BC, all with no crowds of people disrupting our view (unlike at the British Museum). This museum also houses a Stradivarius violin, a Jericho skull from 7000BC, sketches from Michelangelo and Raphael, paintings by Pissarro, samurai armour, and Guy Fawkes’ lantern among other treasures. Don’t miss these like we did!
A mummified cat
More mummies
Both J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis attended the University of Oxford. These famous authors used to be part of an informal group of writers, the Inklings, who met together in the 1930s and 1940s to critique each other’s work. One of the sites of these club meetings was at the Eagle and Child Pub. We tried to go inside for a look, but alas, it was closed.
The River Thames is a pretty place to visit, particularly if you like ‘messing about with boats’. it’s also fun just to walk around the many beautiful old buildings in the city. I’m sure that we missed a lot of treasures – Bodleian Library being one, but you can’t do everything in just one day! Oxford…well worth a visit!
Why would you visit Oxford as a homeschooler?
Oxford is the site of the oldest university in the world. Show your kids the amazing buildings and museums, and wander around the old streets. Connect with their literary favourites, particularly if they have read the Narnia books, the Lord of the Rings series, the Harry Potter series and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Inspire them to want to study in such a place…our 20 year old decided it was the perfect place to do a PhD once he has finished his current Bachelor’s!
My tips for Oxford
🏴 It’s tricky to park in Oxford, as many areas are off limits, but it is possible to park in car parks if you arrive early enough. Another option is to park on the outskirts and take the shuttle bus in to the city (there is a fee)
🏴 Book ahead to see inside Christ Church as it is extremely popular! Here is the website to book tickets on: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/tickets
🏴 We only spent one day at Oxford due to lack of time. You could easily spend much longer here
Book suggestions
The Narnia series by C S Lewis. My all time favourite children’s series. Start with ‘The Magician’s Nephew’. The Narnia series can also be found in an excellent radio drama as audiobooks, and some titles are now films (which is always fun if you’ve read the book first). For older students, read some of Lewis’ thought-provoking texts such as ‘The Screwtape Letters’
The Lord of the Rings series by Tolkien. Start with ‘The Hobbit’. These titles have also been made into films (which, although very gory in my opinion, have fabulous scenery!)
If your kids get right into Egyptian history after seeing the mummies, try ‘You Wouldn’t Want to be an Egyptian Mummy’ by David Stewart, or a historical fiction for older readers such as ‘The Golden Goblet’ by Eloise Jarvis McGraw or ‘Pharaoh’ by Jackie French
Ideas for education
Find out some of the history of the University of Oxford
Learn about some famous people who have attended the University of Oxford (C S Lewis, Lewis Carroll, J R R Tolkien, Theresa May, Dorothy Hodgkin etc)
Find out more about Egypt (after seeing the Ashmolean Museum)
Learn about how medieval houses are constructed
The University of Oxford has produced many Nobel Prize winners. Find out what this is and about Alfred Nobel – you could get the excellent book: ‘Alfred Nobel: the Man Behind the Peace Prize’
Get my Nobel Peace Prize Unit Study from Teachers Pay Teachers!
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