I had been waiting for Alison to finish work for the summer so that we could both go on another day out to Oxford, but her latest contract just goes on and on. So on Tuesday,as the forecast was for a dry but cloudy day, I set off on my own. An early start as I wanted to make sure I obtained a ticket for a tour of the Bodleian Library. There are only four tours a day and numbers are limited to 13 for each tour. There was only one person waiting when I arrived just before 9am, and he seemed to take all the places for the two afternoon tours. But I bought mine for the one at 11.30am.
I had planned on looking round Oxford Castle, but as this didn't open until 10am, I had time to find it, then settle down for breakfast at Costa Coffee. Tea and a bacon roll went down very well. However, once at the castle, it seemed to be something Alison would enjoy, and might take more than the hour I had free. So instead I walked back and paid to go up Carfax Tower.
The 99 steps means that at the top there are good views over the city.
Back along Broad Street, I found a plaque on the wall of Balliol College which I had never seen before.
Thomas Cranmer was Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Edward VI, and so my study of the three years 1547 to 1549 meant he was always of huge interest to me. So to find the spot (the cross in the road) where he was burnt at the stake in 1556 was quite something.
I had not realised that the memorial on St Giles was also in tribute to the three martyrs.
It was time for the tour and had been directed through the main entrance of the Bodleian on Catte Street where I had bought my ticket.
We sat on benches on the ground floor of the library which was The Divinity School where the first examinations (all oral) were held. It is "a masterpiece of Gothic architecture" and the ceiling is famous for the 455 bosses.
Our tour guide told us a lot about the origins of the library before taking us into Convocation House, a meeting place for the university.
A short stop at Chancellor's Court, then up to the main library (Duke Humfrey's Library) on the first floor. Photography is not allowed, but I have to say it is very impressive. There is a clip on YouTube.
After the tour, I took the advice to visit the exhibition on the Making of the King James Bible. The guide does make reference to the First Prayer Book of Edward V1 (Thomas Cranmer's great work) which established English as the language of the liturgy. But it was not on display.
I had hoped to go in The Sheldonian Theatre that had been open to visitors in the morning, but it was now closed. Whilst I was passing Balliol College earlier, I noticed that it was open to the public. As I had not looked round this college before, (last time we went round Merton College) so I wandered back up Broad Street and paid my £2 entry. They even have a guide book, and that was a big help.
It was gone 1.30pm and the Ashmolean Museum was my last stop. Unfortunately their cafe was short on sandwiches, so it was the Costa Coffee at the top of Waterstones for lunch.
The main reason for wanting to visit the Ashmolean was to see the newly built museum that opened last year.
The inside is nothing like the old main entrance. It is an ultra modern building on five floors, a stunning piece of architecture.
On the top floor was an exhibition about ancient Greece, where there was a charge. It was worth it just to see how to exhibit in a modern space.
So that was my day. I caught the bus back to the park and ride at Thornhill and I was home just before 4pm. Exhausted but what a good day.
So for next time: Oxford Castle, The Sheldonian Theatre and Magdalen College. There is so much to see.
No comments:
Post a Comment