Blenheim Palace
North Wessex Downs
Ashmolean Museum
The Duchess of Sutherland at the Didcot Railway CentreOxfordshire is one of England's most historic and beautifully rural counties with architectural jewel the city of Oxford at its core. Oxford with its beautiful Oxford colleges and internationally acclaimed museums and galleries is a mere 50 minutes by train from central London and perfect for cultural breaks. Both the M40 and M4 motorways afford easy access by road into Oxfordshire which is within easy reach of Gatwick and Heathrow Airports. Oxford Airport just north of Oxford offers fast helicopter shuttle links to London Heliport.
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Oxfordshire contains stunning ancient English market towns and villages with Saxon and medieval origins, castles linked to the English Civil War and spectacular stately homes like World Heritage Site Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. Take boat trips on the River Thames at riverside Abingdon, Wallingford and Henley or visit one of Britain's best designer shopping outlets Bicester Village. Outstanding walking and cycling trails feature around the Oxfordshire Cotswolds towns of Chipping Norton and Burford whilst South Oxfordshire walking hotspots like Wantage offer easy access into the North Wessex Downs.
Centrally situated in Oxfordshire is the great English city of Oxford, one of Britain's most popular tourist locations featuring the beautiful historic Oxford Colleges and a host of museums and galleries. Attractions in Oxford include some of Britain's most acclaimed museums like the Ashmolean Museum, a world centre for art and archaeology. A range of Oxford tours are available in the city from themed walking tours to classic Oxford Punting Tours on the River Cherwell. The Oxford Colleges contain architectural jewels like the iconic domed Radcliffe Camera of the Bodleian Library designed by James Gibbs and the magnificent Bell Tower of Christ Church College designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
The River Thames pushes into Oxfordshire and superb locations for boat trips on the Thames and walking along the Thames Path include historic market town Abingdon, Wallingford and rowing centre Henley-on-Thames. In North Oxfordshire are the historic market towns of Bicester and Banbury with top Oxfordshire attractions in this area including Broughton Castle and high end chic designer outlet Bicester Village.
Superb walking and cycling in Oxfordshire features around the beautiful towns and villages of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds including Burford, Chipping Norton, Witney and Woodstock. All these Oxfordshire Cotswolds historic towns boast an outstanding choice of specialist independent shops, traditional inns and luxury period accommodation. There are fine Oxfordshire breweries in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds including the Wychwood Brewery, brewers of legendary beer Hobgoblin based in Witney and the acclaimed Hook Norton brewery.
Further spectacular Oxfordshire walking is around South Oxfordshire's Vale of White Horse area bordering the North Wessex Downs. Walking centres in this area like Wantage sit close to the Ridgeway National Trail, Britain's oldest road. The Thame area of South East Oxon hosts one of England's best and largest agricultural shows annually and affords easy access into the Chilterns countryside. Essential visiting in South Oxfordshire is the Didcot Railway Centre, home to the definitive collection of artefacts and archives of Brunel's Great Western Railway.
Blenheim Palace image copyright Colin Howley. North Wessex Downs image copyright Alan Cooper. Ashmolean Museum image copyright 'dichohecho'. The Duchess of Sutherland image copyright Ashley Dace.
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