Art Holiday Travel and Vacation information for Oxfordshire

"A county of England, 47 miles in length, and 29 in breadth; bounded by Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Warwickshire, and Northamptonshire. It is divided into 14 hundreds, which contain 1 city, 12 market towns, 280 parishes, and 51 villages. The air is sweet, mild, pleasant, and healthy, for which reason it contains several gentlemen's seats; and the soil, though various, is fertile in corn and grass, and the hills are shaded with woods. It is also a great sporting country, there being abundance of game preserved here. It has no manufactures of any account, being chiefly agricultural. Its chief city is Oxford. Population, 161,643. It sends 9 members to parliament."
-- James Barclay's "Complete and Universal English Dictionary", 1842

Richly varied countryside, plenty of delightful places for adults to visit, some good family days out; Oxford itself is a vibrant mix of medieval buildings and modern bustle Oxford has a great deal to fill a day visit or short break. It's full of uniquely striking buildings, and the colleges themselves, the art collections of the Ashmolean Museum, the unusual Curioxity, and the intriguing Pitt Rivers ethnology museum head a long list of rewarding places to see; the university's Botanic garden is the oldest in the world.

Blenheim Palace by the attractive small town of Woodstock is the county's great showpiece, with memorable lakeside grounds, and all sorts of things going on to entertain families. The Cotswold Wildlife Park at Burford is another really good family day out. Children are also very fond of the friendly farm at Wigginton Heath, the bird and animal collection at Ipsden, the model landscape at Long Wittenham - and Thames boat trips.Most of the county's other attractions are suited more to adults than to children. There are lots of rewarding old houses and other interesting buildings such as Broughton Castle, the newly opened Chastleton House, Dorchester Abbey, Rousham House, Stonor House, Buscot Park, Mapledurham House and Kelmscott Manor. The gardens at Waterperry and Greys Court nr Henley are rather special. The countryside has Cotswolds charm over in the W, and good varied scenery in the prosperous S, inc long rich reaches of the Thames, the edge of the Chilterns, and some sweeping downland. Many of the villages and small towns are very rewarding, with picturesque stone houses (up in the NW corner many glow with a glorious golden stone), and plenty of antique and craft shops. Steam enthusiasts won't want to miss the railway collection at Didcot.Oxfordshire is one of the more expensive places to stay in, though there's a fine choice of hotels and good food.