Oxford & Oxford University

We drove four hours down to Oxford recently, during a heat wave, in a car whose air conditioner (unbeknownst to us) was broken. Thankfully the visit to Oxford was well worth the trip!

After we arrived and got settled in our B and B (also non-air conditioned), we walked into town. The walk included a bridge over the river Cherwell (which feeds the nearby Thames), where these little boats were docked. The next day we saw tourists getting pushed around the river as though the boats were Venetian gondolas. 

River Cherwell

We walked around the various colleges that make up the university. We didn't take a tour, so we didn't learn a lot of details. We read on a plaque somewhere (and I just confirmed using Wikipedia) that there is written evidence of teaching taking place in Oxford as far back as 1096, and the university has had an appointed chancellor since 1201. Here are a few pictures of various buildings that make up the university.

Oxford University Building

College of Philosophy

Oxford Courtyard

Oxford Building Bridge

We visited the Ashmolean Museum, which I will detail in a separate post. After the museum, we walked past a row of nondescript houses where JRR Tolkien used to live. Around the corner we had a pint at The Eagle and Child pub where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien used to eat, drink, and be merry... and discuss their respective writing projects. Something tells me those writing projects would eventually be successful.

The Eagle and Child Pub

The Lorettas could kick the Oxford students' butts!!