The architecture of its 38 colleges in the city’s medieval center led poet Matthew Arnold to nickname it the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’.

On Your To-Do List

+ Where the famous “Oxford Martyrs” were hanged in Oxford in 1555 + 1556. The three martyrs were the Anglican bishops Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer (the Archbishop of Canterbury). They were tried for heresy in 1555 and burnt at the stake for their religious beliefs and teachings. Latimer and Ridley were burnt on 16 October 1555. Cranmer was burnt five months later on 21 March 1556

+ The “Great Hall” from Harry Potter at Christ Church College

+ Christ Church Meadow, beside Christ Church Cathedral. Uniquely in the Church of England, it serves as both College Chapel and Mother Church for the Diocese of Oxford.

+ Alice in Wonderland Sweet Shop – buy your own Alice in Wonderland pop-up book at my Etsy shop here

+ St Michael’s Tower, oldest in Oxford

*Check out quirky photos from Oxford in my other post here

Amazing Facts About Oxford

Oxford has more published writers per square mile than anywhere else in the world!

Best selling authors with links to Oxford include:

+ Lewis Carroll, 1832-1898 – author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass as well as the poems The Hunting of the Snark and Jabberwocky.

+ JRR Tolkein, 1892-1973 – author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

+ CS Lewis, 1898-1963 – author of The Chronicles of Narnia. CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien were close friends and both were Dons at Oxford University. They were also part of the Oxford literary group known as the ‘Inklings’ who could commonly be found discussing literature in the Eagle and Child and Lamb and Flag pubs on St Giles during their time in Oxford.