Oct 30 - Cotswolds & Oxford

(Oct 31 - I revised the video links so (hopefully) anybody can open them.)

Today is a bus tour to the Cotswolds and Oxford.  The Cotswolds is a region of rolling hills, about 40 km x 140 km in size, west of London, known for its natural beauty (and no doubt too many tourists if you ask the locals).

It started as a beautiful day at 07:30 in front of the Glouster Arms where we boarded our bus.  Once you got out of London you could see the scenery change.  Also, I noticed about 10 jet contrails criss-crossing above us.  A busy sky - you could play-tic-tac toe in the pattern.

Our first stop was the town of Burford.   Burford is a tiny town, not a village, because it received a charter declaring such in 1090.  The town's history ( Burford History ) talks about this and has a gorgeous shot of the town's main street.

Here are some of my photos.

The church, with beautiful stonework above its entrance

Local stream and one-lane bridge 

(but it has a traffic light!)

I noticed a plaque describing a visit by HRH Charles in 2000 to unveil a carved lion.

Last shot of Burford:  This house is Burford Priory, owned by Rupert Murdoch's daughter and son-in-law (no, I didn't get past the gate).

Onward to Bouton-on-the-Water.  I'm not sure if the name is to be hyphenated or not.  I looked at a history page which had the name spelled both ways.  Bourton

I'll be lazy and just type Bourton

Bourton (known as the Venice of the Cotswolds) is distinctive because of the 5 low bridges across the stream running beside the main street.

Obviously too low for Narrow Boats.  According to James, our guide, the river used to run outside of town and was diverted through town to supply water to 3(?) mills in the village.  Only the buildings remain. I saw a reference to corn grinding as the purpose.

This was in the water near one of the mills.

Things I notice:  Two of the bridges accommodate cars, but (high clearance) vehicles can also try crossing the stream another way, at their peril.

Very pretty house nearby

The New Old Inn, accommodation in Bourton

We left Bouton-on-the-Water noonish - I didn't have time to sample this ice cream, apparently the most popular flavour

Other attractions I missed in Bourton were the car museum and the model village model (do they have a model of the model in the model?)

And, I didn't include any views of the central village, so I stole this one from Google.   A very pleasant place.

OXFORD

The plan for Oxford was an hour walking tour and then a couple hours on our own to get lost.

A shot out and thanks to Robert our driver and James our tour guide.  A big advantage of a tour over just going somewhere are the stories that the guide has.  Of course, I forget most of them...

We started in the centre of Oxford, at the Martyrs Memorial.  Important because that's where we have to meet later.  Buses have to leave and return only for a short while to pick up tourists.

Some of the landmarks and colleges we passed by

The Ashmolean Museum

Balliol College, one of the oldest at Oxford (1263)

Story time: Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264) college both claim to be the oldest.  According to James, Merton's claim is based on the fact that their building was completed before Balliol's.

Mr. Google AI's comment:

Oops, bad notes.  Don't know the name of this building.  Homework for somebody - Google blurred out the name. The round building beyond is the Sheldonian Theatre.

Sheldonian Theatre

The theatre courtyard behind.  

I did a 360 video from here:  Bodleian Square

Revised video link:  Bodliean Square 2

You see:

-The Sheldonian Theatre

-Clarendon Building

-A Venice Bridge ?????

-Bodleian Library

Before I talk about the bridge, a note about the Bodleian Library.  You can come here to look at a book, but you CANNOT take it out.  According to James, that includes everybody, including then Prince, now King Charles.  He asked for a book and both times he got the same answer:  "You may come to the library to look at the book."

Ok - now the bridge (another story courtesy James)

The Hertford Bridge, or Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

A link to the history: Hertford Bridge

Short summary of James version:  The bridge was built so students could sneak home late at night from the pub to the college.  

Next, we walked into the Bodleian Courtyard.  Another video: Inside the Bodleian Library

Revised video link: Inside the Bodliean 2

After that, the Radcliffe Camera

And the last, short video with a bit of James' commentary:   Radcliffe Camera 

Revised video link:  Radcliffe Camera 2

The last story from James before he cut us loose:  We were standing on a concrete walk on Market Street outside the market.  He tells us: The old creek used to flow under here.  Settlers  would have to take their cattle and Oxen across the stream, or 'ford' the stream.  Hence 'Ox' + 'ford'  = 'Oxford'

On my own I headed for the History of Science Museum

Einstein's Blackboard

If I figure it out, I'll tell you.

I'll leave out the rest of the Museum.  It had lots of interesting bits, but much of it I've already seen (if I see another Astrolabe, I'll scream!).  I'm getting museum overload

A few minutes in the Ashmolean Museum.  

Three walls of the Shrine of King Taharqa

And a very interesting coffin

Last but not least, a bit of bad humour about the annual Cambridge - Oxford Rowing Race

Guess where I found it.

I will finish there.  As usual I have lots more photos.

A comment:  If you are serious about going to Oxford, one day is probably not enough.  Do the Cotswolds and Oxford separately and get a walking tour of Oxford while you are there.  In the non-student seasons of Oxford you can even stay in one of the colleges.

If you need someone to take you there, I've got it figured.  I won't even make you buy me lunch.  Here's the route

Time to finish.  A couple of chores, maybe the Nat Hist Museum, dinner and early to bed.

A 4:30 a.m. get up for the trip to Paris tomorrow.

Greg