Oxford Student Living – When the Parents Visit

As you would expect, there are a multitude of fascinating attractions in Oxford which is one of the reasons it is such a great place to rent or let student property.

The city’s two main museums are particularly notable. The Oxford University Ashmolean Museum , found on Beaumont Street, is a museum of art and archaeology, displaying pots, coins, paintings, statues and jewellery. Of particular note is the Egyptian section and the Indian gallery, which features an impressive collection of Hindu and Buddhist statues. The collection is currently being expanded in a £61million refurbishment, including a new "world-class building to complement the world-class collections".

The Pitt Rivers Museum on Parks Road is ”world-famous”, and does feature a remarkable number of well-designed galleries. Collections include pacific island objects, hand-woven textiles and looms, early masks, all sizes of boats, baskets, pottery, magic objects, jewellery, tools and weapons. The museum was founded in 1884 and now contains over half a million exhibits. There are many zoological and geological exhibits, and the museum is particularly suited to children, featuring a number of skeletons, stuffed animals, minerals and dinosaur footprints. As the museum is primarily a teaching and research institution, a large proportion of the collections are on display, which while making for crowded display cases does provide a vast wealth and variety of articles and information!

You may also be interested in the Museum of Modern Art on Pembroke Street, the Oxford University Press Museum on Great Clarendon Street in Jericho, and ‘The Real Tennis Courts’ (Merton Street), which are one of only a handful of 17th Century tennis courts still in existence (and used by Charles 1st to exercise in during the siege of Oxford during the 1640s!).

St Mary’s Tower and Carfax tower, both on the High Street offer magnificent views of the city centre for less than £2. St Mary’s Tower is the second-highest in Oxford (pay £16 on Cowley Road for the highest!), and Carfax Tower is the only remains of a 13th Century medieval church.

The Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street was built in the late 1600s and is now the venue for Matriculation (the University joining ceremony) and Graduation. Concerts in the Theatre receive particularly good reviews, or during the day you may take a tour.

During the summer, you may well want to consider punting - a classic Oxford activity. The most convenient place to begin your journey is on the Isis river, a short walk down St Aldates road. You could also walk along the towpath to view the college boathouses, but these 1960s buildings are not that exciting. Back by the river on St Aldates, The Head of the River also serves excellent pints, but you pay for the premium location. There are also a variety of very good restaurants, so this area can make for a great afternoon.

If rivers particularly take your fancy then you may also want to consider the Canal Walk in Jericho, where you will see beautiful scenery and many barges. If the nature aspect particularly appeals though, then you may find the Botanical Gardens towards the end of the High Street much more interesting – they are the oldest Botanical Gardens in the country!

To eat, you might particularly enjoy Quod on the High Street or Brown’s in Jericho. Both high-class restaurants with superb food and decor, you are sure to enjoy what most students cannot afford! Of particular recommendation, however, is The Vault, found behind St Mary’s Church on the High Street, and which at least appears to be located in the Church vaults. In summer you may well want to consider sitting outside, where you will be afforded fantastic views of the Radcliffe Camera (which in itself has become an icon for Oxford, despite a lack of public access!) and the surrounding colleges. For more information on where you might like to eat, have a look at the Restaurant section of this guide.

Oxford on Camera

As you might expect, locations in Oxford have been widely used in film-making. Most famously, the Great Hall in Harry Potter is actually the Dining Hall of Christ Church, and if you visit the Hall you will most certainly be impressed. If you really are, then it is worth knowing that almost all of the Oxford College Dining Halls are fantastic, and you may want to ask your son or daughter to take you to second/formal hall at their college!

Recently, the Golden Compass (based on Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights trilogy) featured many scenes shot in Oxford on location. Pullman based his fictional college, Jordan, on Exeter College (on Turl Street), and if you are familiar with the books, many of the rooms he describes in Jordan College do actually exist in Exeter College. For example, the room featured at the beginning of his first book, in which Lyra (the girl) hides, really does exist. Look for the ‘hidden’ door in the wood paneling at the far end of the dining hall – although in reality it is rarely used, and only for senior college fellows to retire to after dinner to smoke! (Still, after the smoking ban?!). If you’ve seen the film, you’ll also recognise scenes from New College, The Radcliffe Camera and the University Church (St. Mary’s).

Additionally, and somewhat naturally (as that’s where he fictionally lived), Inspector Morse was filmed almost completely on location in Oxford. Exeter College retains its film stardom, as Morse ‘died’ in the main Quad of Exeter College, although many of the colleges were often used as locations in the dramas. The technical crew for Lewis (the sequel to Morse) is now a popular sight around Oxford every few months (look for small orange signs saying LWS LOC!).

Where to stay

The Randolph Hotel (MacDonald) (AA 5 star rating), 0870 400 8200 – Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2LN.
151 rooms, £150 per night.

The only 5 star Hotel in Oxford, The Randolph is also centrally located - just opposite the world-famous Ashmolean Museum, a two minute walk from the city centre. The Hotel offers ‘the highest level of comfort and service’, and also has a full spa with four treatment rooms, sauna, steam room and relaxation room.

Bath Place Hotel (AA rating applied), 01865 791 812 – 4 & 5 Bath Place, Oxford OX1 3SU.
15 rooms, £105 - £195 per night.

This hotel is made up of seventeenth century cottages, which were originally built against the old city wall. There is very little of the city wall remaining in Oxford and so many may find it a delight to find the wall exposed in this hotel’s dining room. The hotel has wireless internet, and nestles centrally in Oxford, between New College and Hertford College.

Old Bank Hotel (4 star AA and VB rating), 01865 799 599 – 92-94 High St, Oxford OX1 4BN.
42 rooms, £175 - £210 per night.

The Old Bank Hotel is a luxurious hotel, centrally located on the High Street. The rooms are modern and stylish, and most of them were particularly designed with spectacular views of Oxford’s famous skyline. The hotel places particular emphasis on service, and tells guests to ‘prepare for a new and fresh hotel experience’. The heart of the Hotel is the Quod Brasserie, an incredibly stylish restaurant with stone floors, leather seats and an oval zinc-topped bar.

Tower House Hotel (4 star VB rating), 01865 247 508 – 15 Ship Street, Oxford OX1 3DA.
7 rooms, £75 - £120 per night.

Located on Ship Street, a tiny rustic street in the very centre of town, this hotel is fantastically located to quickly get to any part of the city centre. The rooms and individually designed furnished with period antiques, while the medieval city walls form part of the dining room. The hotel is non-smoking.

Royal Oxford Hotel (3 star VB rating), 01865 248 432 – Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HR.
26 rooms, £85 - £119 per night.

The Royal Oxford Hotel is just five minutes walk from the city centre and two minutes from the railway and coach stations. The rooms are spacious and each have a luxury shower, writing desk, telephone, Sky TV, hairdryer and a range of snacks and drinks. The hotel is fully air-conditioned and has wireless internet throughout.

Malmaison Oxford (3 star AA rating), 0845 365 4247 – 3 Oxford Castle, Oxford OX1 1AY.
94 rooms, £150 - £170 per night.

Located in the magnificent Oxford Castle, just two minutes walk from the city centre, this finely decorated hotel includes 88 non-smoking bedrooms, 6 suites, an impressive restaurant bar and even a champagne lounge! For lunch and dinner both an a la carte and ‘home-grown and local’ menu are offered, as well as a 300-bin wine list!

The Oxford Hotel (4 star AA rating), 01865 489988 – Godstow Road, Oxford OX2 8AL.
168 rooms, £68 - £170 per night.

A recent £12million refurbishment has ‘created 168 designer bedrooms’ at this hotel. Rooms are well equipped with designer beds, televisions, and the usual amenities. The Medio Bar and Restaurant features a relaxed atmosphere in a stylish setting, offering healthy or indulgent meals ‘with a contemporary twist’. The hotel also has its own Health and Fitness club with new equipment, heated splash pool, sauna, a beauty treatment room, squash courts and a solarium.

Head of the River (4 star VB rating), 01865 721600 – Folly Bridge, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 4LB.
12 rooms, £95 - £120 per night.

This impressive hotel has stunning views overlooking the River Thames, and features a very smart bar and restaurant which are popular with both students and tourists. Conveniently located for punting, walks and other activities on the river, the city centre is also just over five minutes walk away. All rooms are ensuite and some have air conditioning and DVD/video playback facilities.

Rewley House (3 star VB rating), 01865 270 362 – 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA.
35 rooms, £29 - £88 per night.

Wellington Square is a very central location, less than three minutes walk to the city centre, which also benefits from almost complete isolation from the bustle of Oxford. All the rooms are en-suite, and there is a bar at lunch and in the evenings.

Mercure Eastgate Town House (3 star AA rating), 0870 400 8201 – 73 High St, Oxford OX1 4BE.
63 rooms, £85 - £160 per night.

Located near the Magdalen bridge, less than ten minutes walk from the city centre, this hotel was originally a seventeenth century coaching inn which has now been full refurbished. The Hotel features air conditioning, wireless internet access and is conveniently located for quick access to walks along the river Thames.

The Old Black Horse (4 star AA and VB rating), 01865 244 691 – 102 St Clements, Oxford OX4 1AR.
9 rooms, £60 - £110 per night.

The Old Black Horse is a 17th Century Coaching Inn, found by the river and Magdalen Bridge, less than ten minutes walk from the heart of the city at the end of the High Street. All bedrooms are en-suite, and equipped with cabled and wireless internet, television, telephones and tea/coffee making facilities. The bar is newly re-fitted, and offers a selection of locally brewed beers, making it a popular choice local residents as well as guests.

Prices correct at time of publishing but no guarantee of availability is implied

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Oxford Student Living – When the Parents Visit

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