Lonely Planet Pocket Oxford & the Cotswolds

By Greg Ward and Catherine Le Nevez

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet's Pocket Oxford & the Cotswolds is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Wander the honey-toned streets of Oxford, follow in the footsteps of Betjeman and Wilde on a tour of Magdalen College and explore picture-perfect Cotswold villages - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Oxford & the Cotswolds and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Oxford & the Cotswolds:

• Full-colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Free, convenient pull-out map (included in print version)
• User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time
• Covers Oxford, the Cotswolds, and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Oxford & the Cotswolds is our colourful, easy to use and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, providing on-the-go assistance for those seeking the best sights and experiences on a short visit or weekend away.

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's England guide for an in-depth look at all the country has to offer.

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Apr 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781788685672

Greg Ward

Greg Ward is a pioneer in HDRI, having developed the first widely used HDR image file format in 1986 as part of the Radiance lighting simulation system. In 1998 he introduced the more advanced LogLuv TIFF encoding and more recently the backwards-compatible HDR extension to JPEG. He is also the author of the Mac OS X application Photosphere, which provides advanced HDR assembly and cataloging and is freely available from www.anyhere.com. Currently he is collaborating with Sunnybrook Technologies on their HDR display systems. Greg has worked as a part of the computer graphics research community for over 20 years, developing rendering algorithms, reflectance models and measurement systems, tone reproduction operators, image processing techniques, and photo printer calibration methods. His past employers include the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, EPFL Switzerland, SGI, Shutterfly, and Exponent. He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in computer science from San Francisco State University. He is currently working as an independent consultant in Albany, California.

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Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Oxford & the Cotswolds

Top Sights

Eating

Drinking

Activities

Architecture

For Kids

Festivals & Events

Shopping

Tours

Art

History

Museums

Literary Links

Four Perfect Days

Need to Know

Explore Oxford

Central Oxford

Cowley Road & Southeast Oxford

Jericho & the Science Area

Explore the Cotswolds

Chipping Norton & the Central Cotswolds

Chipping Campden

Broadway & the Northwest Cotswolds

Burford & the Southeast Cotswolds

Cirencester & the Southwest Cotswolds

Worth a Trip

Blenheim Palace

Stratford-upon-Avon

Vale of the White Horse

Survival Guide

Survival Guide

Before You Go

Arriving in Oxford

Getting Around

Essential Information

Behind the Scenes

Our Writer

Welcome to Oxford & the Cotswolds

With its ancient colleges, and alleyways lined with pubs and cafes, the university town of Oxford offers a seductive blend of history and modern charm. Off to the west, the golden villages, thatched cottages and stately churches of the Cotswolds – little changed since the Middle Ages – encapsulate a timeless rural idyll.

View of Oxford from South Park | JOHN ALEXANDER / GETTY IMAGES ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds

Top Sights

1 Christ Church

Oxford’s largest and grandest college

ROBERTHARDING / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Bodleian Library

Oxford University’s magnificent medieval library.

JON BOWER/LOOP IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Blenheim Palace

Baroque extravaganza with glorious gardens

FULCANELLI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Magdalen College

Magnificent college with beautiful grounds.

JOHN AND TINA REID / GETTY IMAGES ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Pitt Rivers Museum

Eye-opening anthropological oddities.

PETER ADAMS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Ashmolean Museum

World-class art and archaeology museum

PATCHAMOL JENSATIENWONG / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Chipping Norton

Handsome hilltop town

OVERSNAP / GETTY IMAGES ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Chipping Campden

The perfect golden-hued Cotswolds village

DAVID HUGHES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Stratford-upon-Avon

Historic birthplace of William Shakespeare

DAVE PORTER / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Broadway

Gold-hued cottages and art galleries

DAVE KNIBBS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Burford

Picturesque town with centuries-old church

CHRISATPPS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Oxford and the Cotswolds Top Sights

1 Cirencester

Ancient Roman city turned lively Cotswolds town

NEIL HOLMES / GETTY IMAGES ©

Eating

While the Cotswolds villages offer visitors abundant fine dining, Oxford’s restaurants tend to be geared towards hungry students, charging reasonable prices for high-quality food. Take your pick from the appealing cafes of central Oxford, the lively neighbourhood gastropubs, and the student-oriented diners along Cowley Rd.

BEATS1 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dining in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds having become renowned for a sustainable, locally sourced approach to cooking, its ravishing villages and sumptuous countryside hold some truly fabulous places to eat. Organic produce, seasonal ingredients and farm-to-table cooking characterise everything from delectable cafe breakfasts and gastropub feasts to Michelin-starred delights. You’ll find organic delis, farmers markets and oh-so-English tearooms at every turn. It’s always advisable to book ahead, especially for upmarket restaurants but also for the best-known pubs, which attract diners from miles around.

A World Tour of Oxford

Mastering the world’s languages and literature can safely be left to Oxford’s high-minded students. For visitors, it’s more appetising to make a globe-spanning tour of its well-priced international-flavoured restaurants. In the Cowley Road neighbourhood, in particular, almost every major world cuisine is represented, along with some you may have never tried or even heard of. The top of any list has to be the cornucopia of Caribbean specialities at Spiced Roots, while nearby alternatives include Sri Lankan, Slovakian and Moroccan options.

Best in Oxford

Magdalen Arms Relax over a steak pie built for two in Oxford’s finest gastropub.

Spiced Roots Dedicated vegetarians and die-hard carnivores will be blown away by this Caribbean stunner.

Edamamé Well-priced specials keep loyal customers returning to this much-loved Japanese cafe.

Vaults & Garden Wholesome vegetarian and meat-based dishes, overlooked by the stunning Radcliffe Camera.

Turl Street Kitchen Laidback local bistro with something to suit any time of day.

Covered Market Central hideaway that’s perfect for everything from a pad Thai to a pork pie.

Best of the Cotswolds

Wheatsheaf The seasonal menus at Northleach’s ivy-clad coaching inn deserve their sky-high reputation.

5 North St Gourmet France-meets-the-Cotswolds tasting menus in Winchcombe, with ample vegetarian choices.

Wild Thyme Up-to-the-minute British cuisine, especially fresh Cotswolds meats, in Chipping Norton.

Badgers Hall The perfect Cotswolds tearoom offers wonderful fresh-baked delights.

Mount Inn This irresistible hilltop pub, near Broadway, serves a hearty British menu with fabulous local cheeses.

Best World Food in Oxford

Spiced Roots Goat curry, jerk chicken, oxtail stew – Caribbean cuisine at its consummate best.

Edamamé Savour Japanese specialities – though seldom sushi – amid lunchtime’s crowd of enthusiastic students.

Oli’s Thai Join in-the-know locals for some of the tastiest Thai cooking you’ll ever encounter.

Coconut Tree Sri Lankan street snacks, including delicious ‘hoppers’, served in tapas-sized portions.

Al-Shami Lebanese favourite, up in Jericho, that’s a sure-fire winner for every palate.

Drinking

Savouring a pint in a traditional English pub ranks among the great joys of visiting Oxford and the Cotswolds. Every Cotswolds village holds at least one glorious old inn, while Oxford boasts countless classic pubs. Many in the centre and Jericho reverberate with literary associations, while Cowley Rd holds a fine crop of lively modern bars.

Head of the River | CHRISDORNEY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

An Oxford Pub Crawl

With atmospheric pubs squeezing into every nook and cranny, central Oxford is perfect for a pub crawl. While the pick of the crop, the legendary, labyrinthine Turf Tavern, is buried in a back alleyway, the main concentrations are along or off the east–west George St/Broad St axis, and south along St Aldate’s. You may not see as many undergraduates as you might imagine – they prefer to drink in their college bars.

Gourmet Gastropubs

In the Cotswolds much of the finest food can be found in veteran village pubs that double as high-class restaurants. Oxford’s acclaimed gastropubs, too, are a real treat, where you can wash down a great meal with a pint of finest ale. While not every Oxford pub serves good food – in fact few of the city-centre pubs do – it’s a different story in residential neighbourhoods like Jericho.

Best Oxford Pubs

Turf Tavern This glorious old pub, rich in real ales, is a medieval maze of corridors and hideaways.

Lamb & Flag Writers including JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and Thomas Hardy found inspiration for their fabulous alternate universes – along, of course, with beer – in this historic pub.

Head of the River A broad riverside terrace renders this imposing pub perfect for a sunset pint.

The Perch The ideal destination for a summer stroll, with its verdant Thames-side garden.

Best Cotswolds Pubs

Crown & Trumpet Local real ales and ciders flow in abundance in this welcoming Broadway inn.

Woolpack Inn Author Laurie Lee was a long-time regular at this village pub, just south of Painswick.

King’s Head Inn Blissfully rural 16th-century cider house, set amid lovely gardens outside Stow-on-the-Wold.

Old Crown Inn Time-honoured village pub, facing Uley’s village green, and serving locally brewed beer.

Eight Bells Inn Cosy centuries-old pub, famous for its food, in the heart of Chipping Campden.

Best Oxford Gastropubs

Magdalen Arms Oxford’s finest gastropub can match any restaurant in the city, or the whole of England for that matter.

Old Bookbinders Ale House A gastropub with a Gallic twist, specialising in French cuisine in general and savoury crêpes in particular.

The Chester Backstreet pub that serves a memorable roast lunch on Sundays, and a huge steak platter the rest of the week.

Rickety Press The burgers and pizzas in this Jericho favourite way exceed the usual expectations.

Worth a Trip

Half the fun of the lovely, riverside Isis Farmhouse %01865-243854; hnoon-9pm Mon, to 11pm Thu, to midnight Fri, 10am-midnight Sat, to 10pm Sun) – yes, it really is a farmhouse – is the half-hour walk from Central Oxford to get there, south along the Thames footpath from Folly Bridge. The other half is drinking fine local beers in its rustic garden. And the third half is the live jazz on Sunday afternoons.

Activities

Apart from punting or rowing – a crucial component of any Oxford education – your main activity will probably be walking. Expect to do a lot, exploring Oxford itself and heading into the countryside in search of scenery and rural pubs. Further afield, the gentle hills of the Cotswolds are perfect for walking, cycling and horse riding.