Located 90km northwest of London, Oxford is home to several beautiful architectural masterpieces from every English period as well as the world-famous University of Oxford.
Interestingly, Oxford’s name derives from the two words ‘ox’ and ‘ford’ and comes from the main ford (crossing point) where farmers drove their oxen to the market hundreds of years ago. Nowadays Oxford is heavily populated by students due to its prestigious university and colleges and is a key economical center for manufacturing, publishing, research, science, and tourism.
I had the opportunity to head over to Oxford for a weekend and I created a list of my favorite landmarks and spots to visit.
1. University Parks
📍 S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RF
The Oxford University Parks often referred to as University Parks, is a large parkland area purchased by the University of Oxford in the 1850s and open to the public every day from 7:45 am.
Boasting with large areas for games like cricket, lacrosse, tennis, football, rugby, and even quidditch, the park also has a rich collection of trees and plants.
I obviously had to make a quick stop at this beautiful cherry blossom tree as I was fascinated by its baby pink nuanced flowers.
Okay… I might have spent over 15 minutes taking pictures of the flowers and the little busy bees surrounding the tree.
2. Bridge of Sighs
📍 New College Ln, Oxford OX1 3BL
The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford is a distinctive city landmark joining two parts of Hertford College. It’s hard to miss as there are always at least a dozen tourists waiting to take a picture in front of the skyway.
The Bridge of Sighs is a must for anyone looking for an ‘Instaworthy’ shot and number two on my list of ‘most Instagrammable spot in Oxford’ (the first place has to go to Rad Cam).
3. Radcliffe Camera
📍 Radcliffe Sq, Oxford OX1 3BG
Radcliffe Camera or, as everyone calls it, “Rad Cam” is a neoclassical style building whose construction began in the late 1730s and finished in 1749. The Camera was designed by James Gibbs to house the Radcliffe Science Library and is now an iconic tourist attraction and a favorite for many students in Oxford.
Unsurprisingly, the impressive Radcliffe Camera is at the top of my list of ‘most Instagrammable spots in Oxford’, and by the looks of it, it’ll stay there for a while.
4. Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum
📍 Rose Ln, Oxford OX1 4AZ
The University of Oxford Botanic Garden was founded in 1621 and is the oldest botanic garden in the UK. With its diverse collection of thousands of plants, the botanic garden is the perfect place to see some interesting plant species and practice your macro photography.
Although it’s open to the public, to access the garden you need to purchase a ticket online ahead of your visit and book a timeslot. I wasn’t aware of that prior to my visit but I booked a ticket right before I entered. Another thing to mention in case you’re an Oxford Uni student – you get to enter the garden for free!
5. Magdalen Bridge
📍 Oxford OX4 1DN
Magdalen Bridge, named after its close proximity to Magdalen College, is a stone bridge that spans the divided stream of the River Cherwell to the east of Oxford.
If you’re not familiar with punting and you haven’t tried it before, I would highly recommend checking out the Magdalen Bridge House, situated just underneath Magdalen College Tower. At the Magdalen Bridge House you can hire traditionally crafted punts, rowing boats and pedalos, or even a Chauffeured boat with a pre-ordered picnic basket (if you’re feeling a little fancy).
Punting around Oxford definitely gets the third place on my list of ‘most Instagrammable spots in Oxford’ – it’s cute, it’s fun and you get to see things from a different perspective.
6. The Covered Market Oxford
📍 Market St, Oxford OX1 3DZ
The Covered Market is a historic market with permanent stalls and shops in a large structure located north of the High Street. Officially opened in 1774, the market is still in use and home to numerous traders – from food retailers to gift shops and bakeries.
The Covered Market is open Monday – Saturday 8 am – 5:30 pm and on Sundays 10 am – 4 pm.
Although I got to stroll around Oxford and take pictures of the famous Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Castle and Prison, due to the ongoing UK government Coronavirus roadmap, those sights were temporarily closed. Nevertheless, I am certain I will visit Oxford again in the near future and the museums are now first on my to-do list.
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