Oxford: the back story

About Oxford: the back story

By the ULTIMATE London Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Oxford is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and its colleges, libraries and museums fill a compact city of honey-coloured stone.

The university

Teaching existed at Oxford by the late 11th century, and the university grew into a federation of independent colleges.

Colleges

Christ Church, Magdalen, New College and others open to visitors at set times; Christ Church is also the city’s cathedral.

Oxford is a university that happens to have a city around it.

Libraries and museums

The Bodleian Libraries, the Radcliffe Camera and the Ashmolean Museum are highlights, along with the Pitt Rivers and the Museum of Natural History.

Our advice: arrive early, book a Bodleian tour, visit one college and the Ashmolean, and end with a walk by the river.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Oxford: the back story before you go.