Another visit to Oxford

Alison's sister and her husband were visiting and wanted to look round Oxford. So I dug up my map (see bottom of the page) from the last time and off we were. We took the park and ride from Thornhill which dropped us off at the High Street. We cut through the covered market (which I had not seen before). Arriving at Cornmarket, we decided to go up The Saxon Tower at the church of St. Michael at the North Gate.

I had been up the Carfax Tower but not this far older and superior structure. The photo at the top is a view over the city. The bells are visible on the way up.

We also liked the mechanism of the old church clock. A small old wooden door that is propped against a wall is that through which passed the Oxford Martyrs, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer, on their way to the stake on Broadgate. The plaque below describes what happened.

We then followed the route I had previously planned. Broad Street, Sheldonian Theatre, Bodlein Library and Radcliffe Camera before passing under the Bridge of Sighs and making our way past the colleges to High Street and Magdalen College. Then over the road, past the Botanic Gardens and Christ Church, up St Aldates to Pembroke College and Queen Street.

Here we diverted to the new Queensgate shopping centre and a great lunch at Comptoir Libanais, a smart Lebanese restaurant. From there we made our way to the Ashmolean Museum which was our last port of call. A long day, but the weather was dry though cloudy and not too cold.