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Luxury Car Hire uk Oxford Guide
When they think of OXFORD, visitors almost always think of its university, revered as one of the world's great academic institutions, inhabiting honey-coloured stone buildings set around ivy-clad quadrangles. Much of this is accurate enough, but although the university dominates central Oxford both physically and mentally, the wider city has an entirely different character, its economy built on the car plants of Cowley to the south of the centre. It was here that Britain's first mass-produced cars were produced in the 1920s and, although there have been more downs than ups in recent years, the plants are still vitally important to the area.
Oxford started late, in Anglo-Saxon times, and blossomed even later, under the Normans, when the cathedral was constructed and Oxford was chosen as a royal residence. The origins of the university are obscure, but it seems that the reputation of Henry I, the so-called "Scholar King", helped attract students in the early twelfth century, their numbers increasing with the expulsion of English students from the Sorbonne in 1167.The first colleges, founded mostly by rich bishops, were essentially ecclesiastical institutions and this was reflected in collegiate rules and regulations - until 1877 lecturers were not allowed to marry and women were not granted degrees until 1920. There are common architectural features, too, with the private rooms of the students arranged around quadrangles (quads), as are most of the communal rooms the chapels, halls (dining rooms) and libraries.
Though they share a similar history, each of the university's 35 colleges has its own character and often a particular label, whether it's the richest ( St John's), most left-wing (Wadham and Balliol) or most public-school-dominated ( Christ Church). Collegiate rivalries are long established, usually revolving around sports, and tension between the university and the city "Town" and "Gown" has existed as long as the university itself. Relations became especially fractious during the Civil War, when the colleges sided with Charles I (who turned Oxford into a Royalist stronghold) while the city backed the Parliamentarians. The privileges enjoyed by the colleges until 1950 the university had two MPs of its own have also stoked resentment and this still flares into the occasional confrontation, but a non-communicative coexistence is more typical. Given that thousands of tourists and foreign-language students also invade the city throughout the y ear, it is no surprise that Oxford's 120,000 permanent inhabitants often choose to keep themselves to themselves.
Despite - indeed, partly because of - its idiosyncrasies, Oxford should be high on anyone's itinerary, and can keep you occupied for several days. The university buildings include some of England's finest architecture, and the city can also boast some excellent museums and numerous bars and restaurants. Getting there is easy, too: from London the journey takes just an hour by train, and around two hours by bus.
Oxford Getting around guide
From Oxfordtrain station, it's a five- to ten-minute walk east to the centre along Park End Street and then Hythe Bridge Street. Long-distance and many county-wide buses terminate at the Gloucester Green bus station, in the centre adjoining George Street. The Oxford Bus Company (01865/785400) operates most local and city buses, many of which pull in on the High Street and St Giles.They also run the city's Park-and-Ride scheme, with buses (daily Mon—Sat 5.30am—11pm, Sun 8.30am—6.30pm) travelling into the centre every thirty minutes - fifteen at peak periods - from four large and clearly signed car parks on the main approach roads into the city. Parking costs are minimal, whereas parking in the city centre is — by municipal design — both inordinately expensive and hard to find. The tourist office is plum in the centre of town at 15 Broad St (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm,plus late April to late Oct Sun 10am-3.30pm
; 01865/726871, ©www.visitoxford.org).They have a wealth of information about the city and its sights, though little of it is issued free. One of their better booklets is the Welcome to Oxford Visitors' Guide (£1), which provides a general overview of the city and has a wide range of more specific information on everything from shopping and pubs to self-guided walks and college opening hours. There is also Staying in Oxford (£1), guided walking tours; a two-hour stroll round the city centre costs £6.50.There are several tours daily, but it's still a good idea to book in advance. More specialized walking tours are available too. The tourist office weighs in with a once-weekly tour following in the footsteps of British TV's Inspector Morse G£6.50), whilst the main Blackwell's bookshop (01865/333606), just along and across Broad Street from the tourist office, runs three specialist tours at £6 each from April to October: a Li
terary Tour of Oxford (3 weekly); a Children's Writers Tour (1 weekly); and an Inklings Tour (1 weekly) — Inklings being the group of writers, Tolkien and C. S. Lewis included, who met regularly in Oxford in the 1930s. In all cases, advance booking is recommended.
Oxford Accommodation Guide
With supply struggling to keep pace with demand, Oxford's central hotels are almost invariably expensive, though nowhere near as pricey as those in London. There are one or two inexpensive hotels in or near the centre, but by and large they are far from inspiring and, at the budget end of the market, you're better off choosing a guest house or B&B, of which there is a healthy supply. The problem is that the majority (but certainly not all) of these establishments are scattered on the edge of town — and Oxford is much better appreciated if you stay in the centre. Wherever you stay, book ahead in high season either direct or through the tourist office (see above), which operates an efficient accommodation-booking service and compiles a comprehensive accommodation listings booklet, Staying in Oxford
Banks and exchanges All the major banks have branches on or near Cornmarket.
Bike rental Bikezone, 6 Lincoln House, Market St, off Cornmarket 01865/728877.
Bookshops The leading university bookshop is Blackwells. They have several outlets including three shops a stone's throw from each other on Broad St: Blackwells Music, Blackwells Art & Posters and the main bookshop, at 50 Broad St (01865/792792).
Buses Most local buses, including Park-and-Ride, are operated by the Oxford Bus Company ( 01865/785400), which also - amongst several companies - offers fast and frequent services to London and Gatwick and Heathrow airports. Most other long-distance services are in the hands of National Express (08705/808080).
Car rental Avis 01865/249000; National 01865/240471.
Cinema The Odeon cinemas on Magdalen and George streets (both 0870/505 0007) show the latest blockbusters, while the best arts cinema is the Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP) on Jeune St, off Cowley Rd (01865/245288, www .ultimatepicturepalace.com). The Phoenix Picture House, 57 Walton St (01865/554909, www.picturehouses.co.uk), shows mainstream and arts films, and regularly screens foreign-language films too.
Internet & email Mices, Gloucester Green and 118 High St (both Mon-Sat 9am~ 11 pm, Sun 10am-11pm ).
Pharmacies Boots, 6 Cornmarket (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm; 01865/247461).
Police St Aldates 01865/266000.
Post office At the top of St Aldates, near the corner with High St.
Taxis Ranks are liberally distributed across the city centre, including at the train station and on the High St and St Giles. Alternatively, call City Taxis 01865/201201.
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Oxford/ Oxford Getting around guide/ Oxford Accommodation Guide/ Norwich Airport information listings