How have I lived in the UK for five years and never visited Oxford? As fate would have it, my UK visa program, now called The Global Talent Visa (formerly Tech Nation Visa), was hosting an event at the university and a group of us decided to go earlier to see more of Oxford. This happened in late January 2020, before COVID-19. Our day ended up being so much fun and I wanted to share some highlights with you, should you want to plan a day trip to Oxford!
Known for its rich history, charming architecture, and prestigious University, Oxford makes for a fantastic day trip. It’s also an easy place to get to. I booked train tickets the day before on the Trainline app and hopped on a train from London’s Paddington Station. There are fast trains with zero stops that will get you from London to Oxford in under one hour.
Oxford Castle & Prison
Upon arrival, we made our way to Oxford Castle & Prison, which dates back to 1071. Starting in the 14th century, the castle was used primarily for county administration and as a prison. Today, visitors to Oxford Castle & Prison can climb the Saxon St. George’s Tower for 360-degree views of Oxford, tour a 900-year-old crypt, visit the 18th-century Debtors’ Tower and Prison D-Wing, climb the mound of the 11th century Motte-and-Bailey castle, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk/
We didn’t have enough time to do a full tour of Oxford Castle and Prison, but I think this would be a fun activity to do on a future visit. Instead, we climbed the mound (which, I wouldn’t recommend, the views are not exciting) and posed for some fun photos.
However, if you have time, I highly recommend a visit to the Oxford Castle & Prison gift shop. It’s very charming and well-curated!
The Oxford Covered Market
Next up, we wandered over to The Oxford Covered Market. The market dates back to the 1770s and is incredibly charming. Today, visitors are encouraged to come hungry and can enjoy a range of offerings from a full meal, to sweet treat, coffee/tea, groceries, fresh meat, fish, produce, and more. We discovered the loveliest chocolate shop called Wicked Chocolate, which has chocolates from all over the world. If you’re looking to bring treats home for yourself or gifts for others, this is a great shop to find them!
Strolling Through Oxford
After a visit to the market, we had a nice stroll through central Oxford, which is so charming. I loved seeing the many historic buildings, taking notes for future visits of which ones to explore further. Even the local Pret, a fast-casual chain known for good coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more, is historic-looking!
An Incredible Lunch at Gee’s Restaurant & Bar
After strolling through Oxford, we ventured a little out of the historic city center to Gee’s Restaurant & Bar. I did a ton of research on top restaurants in Oxford and not only is Gee’s top-rated, but it has a beautiful atrium-style dining room and the menu looked fantastic. It didn’t take any convincing to get my friends to venture off the beaten tourist path with me to make the 15-20 minute walk to Gee’s.
We were given a large table at the far end of the restaurant and proceeded to try many of the menu items. They were all fantastic! Here’s a rundown below.
Roasted Cod With Spinach & Potatoes
Sweet Potato Risotto
Burrata
Octopus With Braised Lentils
Baby Gem Salad w/ Avocado & Pecorino
An off-menu creation – Bresaola Salad w/ feta, cauliflower, walnuts
Our Event At Oxford University
After an incredible lunch, we walked back into the city center for our event at Oxford University. Getting a chance to go inside a University building not normally open to the public was really cool!
Something I didn’t realize – Oxford University actually makes its own wine!
Our event went really well – we had quite a large crowd!
Drinks At Turf Tavern – A Historic Pub
After our event, we decided to go for some more food and drinks at Turf Tavern, a historic pub that dates back to 1381. To get to the pub, you have to enter down a narrow alley. If you look closely at the photo below, two people are about to walk down the narrow alley between the two buildings to the pub.
There were too many people to get a proper photo of the space, but here’s a gem showing you just how many famous people have stopped by this pub while in Oxford.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it was a great day trip to Oxford! We barely scratched the surface on all that this charming city has to offer, but it was a great first visit. I definitely want to go back to Oxford in better weather for sure!
For more of my travel adventures, visit here: https://thesavvybostonian.com/category/travel/