Oxford – a Year-Round Destination

Its towers, spires, gilded gates and wind vanes glinting in the sunshine, Oxford is perhaps most magical in winter’s snow and early spring. Secluded college gardens are carpeted in flowers, blossoms tumble over cloister walls, and Christ Church's rare breed cattle are turned out to munch the ancient meadow.

If you fancy a bit of culture, there are 5 free museums, including Britain's first, the Ashmolean, a Modern Art gallery and 5 towers with splendid views. Concerts and a varied programme of theatre, from pantos to Shakespeare in college gardens are often on offer, as well as candle-lit Evensong in the Cathedral.

The best way to explore Oxford is on foot with an Official Guide. Tours for groups of any size and in many languages can be booked through the Oxford Visitor Information Centre. Themed tours, focusing on subjects as diverse as gargoyles and stained glass, as well as TV programmes like Morse/Endeavour/Lewis/Midsomer Murders add an extra dimension to your visit.

Oxford is a unique all-year-round destination. With its compact city centre, quirky independent shops and High Street big names, Oxford is ideal for shopping - in the summer sales, at Christmas or whenever. Foodies will revel in the Covered Market with its impressive displays of fresh foods and Cake Shop, guaranteed to make you laugh. (And how many shops achieve that?)

With accommodation ranging from Edwardian grandeur to the former prison (velvet handcuffs anyone?), from welcoming guest houses to the YHA, there’s somewhere to suit every visitor.

There's plenty to see in Oxfordshire too - Blenheim Palace, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Broughton Castle, Waterperry Gardens to name but a few - and Oxfordshire's market towns, a-bustle with shoppers, make a great stop on your travels. For serious shoppers, of course, only Bicester Village will do.

You won't see and do everything on one trip - but you can always return. Most people do…..