Oxford

Any good?

Just booked a B&B there. Never been there before.

 

If the Isis is running clear, there'll be loads of chub in the river beside the beer garden at the Trout at Godstow (Morse & Lewis have been filmed there) - take some bread for them http://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/ but watch out for peacocks and I think they've now got a no scruffy jeans policy, but I was OK last time I went there. In the city try http://www.theturftavern.co.uk/ for real ales. The open-top bus tour was cheap (but it's been over 20 years since Mrs Scrungee was at Uni there). The Ashmolean has got loads of old stuff and it's free admission (although I hate what they've done to it by ripping it's guts out and making the interior more modern and "accessible".

OxfordNick should be able to give some info on The Botanic Gardens http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/

 

Well that kinda depends what you want - theres some nice buildings, decent pubs, culture, botanical stuff.. and an awful amount of overpriced tat.

Things I like to do (I dont live in Oxford city)
- Good Beer in the Kings arms, Royal Blenheim, "far from the madding crowds" (other pubs are available !)
- Oxford Botanical Garden
- Pitt Rivers Museum
- Ashmoleam Museum

If the sun is out, walk upstream on the towpath by the river to the perch for lunch - they have a nice big garden (if theres anything left after the flooding this year) ; you can go further to the trout which is also good, its kinda in the middle of nowhere so you either have to be prepared to walk back or wait for an expensive cab.

If you have a car, white horse hill is nice

 

Cheers Nick

Got half a day to kill there before going on to Shineyland, i'm driving so beer is out.

Botanical stuff sounds good

 

Cheers Scrunge, just seen your post above Nick's

Free sounds good too

 

Cool - if its a grey day (and we have had a few of those recently!) Pit Rivers museum has a huge collection of odd things - its also free :-)

 

Mrs Scrungee went to a lecture near-by and then went there, but visited 'a local hostelry' on the way and only remembers that is was very good (but can't remember why).

The Kings Arms is nearby, but the last time we were there it had gone very 'upmarket' from the days when we drank there, but that seems to be the case with every pub/restaurant/etc. that we used then (or perhaps we have gone 'downmarket?).

 

I think that all of the city pubs have had to tart themselves up to keep the tourists happy - its where the money is ! I still like the Kings arms 'cos the beer is good & I can sit out the back & read a book without feeling like a freak. I kinda gave up on the Turf 'cos the last couple of times they were more interested in serving the beautiful people than the scruffy bloke at the end of the bar.. maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder.. :-)

Pit Rivers is one of those eccentric places that isnt too well known & is all the better for it - my recommendation for spending a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon.

 

Wasn't Pit Rivers a nineteenth century Archealogist that lived in Wiltshire?

 

The Turf used to be my "local" and I'd "get lost" on a wet afternoon in the Pitt Rivers museum. (Notice my avatar!) (Dark Blues)
Can you still get Audit Ale in Oxford? They'd only serve it in ½ pints and limit you to a max of 2 servings! :(
Now I'm a "West Brit"!

 

Not just the city pubs - The Bullingdon Arms on Cowley Road has had it's name changed and been tarted up beyond recognition. Gone are the days when it was one of the places for The Convoy to meet up before heading off to Stonehenge.

 

I sat in a 2 hour traffic jam in Oxford ! Never got out of the car. This was pre M40 . Continued to Stratford upon Avon and had a couple of hours there.

 

JWK Do they still sell hot cheesy croissants there?