Blog

May 19 2021

Celebrate English Tourism Week in Oxfordshire 22 to 31 May 2021

English Tourism Week is an annual celebration of the English tourism industry. With the easing of restrictions Oxfordshire is ready to welcome back visitors and to showcase what is on offer, from rural retreats to a city break. Whether you are exploring somewhere new or revisiting a favourite attraction, support the local economy during this week...
Apr 08 2021

Experience Oxfordshire this spring

Oxfordshire is opening up! Why not pay a visit this spring? There are plenty of things to see and do in our beautiful county, to be enjoyed safely! You can get involved online, too! Don't forget to share your Oxfordshire experience on social media.  Just use the hashtags #ExperienceOx and #OpeningUpOx on your Instagram, Twitter...
Apr 07 2021

Oxfordshire’s top restaurants & bars for outdoor dining

Here we are, after a long winter in lockdown Oxfordshire is starting to open up. Warm weather days are ahead of us and we are looking forward to visiting our favourite bars & restaurants for al fresco dining from the 12th of April. From cosy countryside pubs, romantic restaurants on the river, to panoramic rooftop...
Sep 09 2020

Art Classes @ Matrix Arts Centre-Sutton Courtenay

Art Classes on Wednesdays or Thursdays 4:15 – 5:45pm for 7 – 11 year olds (KS2) We wanted our art provision to mirror our music education at Matrix, with a course which is progressive and structured, but also creative. After a careful search for teachers who could take on the ‘Matrix approach’, we are very happy…

Jul 03 2020

Adventures ‘On the Road’ to Oxford!

This blog post was written by Active England Tours. Active England Tours is a premier provider of active holidays for International and UK audiences offering beautifully curated tours, including private, guided and self-guided trips: cycling, walking, watersports and adventure tours! You can find us at www.activeenglandtours.com A Karouac inspired road trip, to discover the adventures...
May 15 2020

Oxford in Lockdown: a Cycle Ride Through the City Centre

  An Oxford cyclist has captured the city’s eerily quiet streets during lockdown, by filming a bike ride through the historic city centre.   Thom Airs decided to film a bike ride through the city centre to show just how empty many famous streets and landmarks are without tourists, students and many workers.   His journey captured…

Mar 01 2020

Bursting into Spring

As a very wet February turns into March, here’s hoping that spring bursts into action across Oxfordshire. However, whether there’s an inclement or otherwise, there is plenty of brightness in the county’s galleries this month. In the very centre of Oxford, across from the Railway station, a group of UK artists and illustrators remind us…

Feb 14 2020

Experience a Traditional Cotswolds Brewery and Pubs with this new tour!

Ever wanted the real experience of sipping a pint of beer in a traditional Cotswolds country pub? Now you can, with your own designated driver!  Join Go Cotswolds on their popular Brewery & Pub Tour, offering a weekly “craft brewery and traditional English pub experience” every Saturday. Learn more about their curated, authentically English itinerary…

Feb 03 2020

A Fabric Focus for February

The art in Oxfordshire encompasses The Natural World and human endeavour within it as Oxfordshire Artweeks’ Esther Lafferty picks five places to be wowed, inspired and provoked this month, and finds a fabric-focus for February.   In the Cotswold Town of Witney, the SOTA Gallery is presenting a collective exhibition of British Wildlife by SOTA…

Jan 17 2020

2020 Events at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Start 2020 as you mean to go on and join Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons this year for some truly fabulous events you will not want to miss!   A new year means new opportunities, and what better way to celebrate the dawn of a new decade, than to escape to the stunning, Oxfordshire retreat…

Jan 08 2020

Prescribe Yourself a Dose of Winter Wellness at Blenheim Palace

Discover the beauty and tranquillity of a perfect winter’s day out with a visit to Blenheim Palace.   Open every day throughout the winter season, the 2,000 acre ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped Parkland offers visitors tranquil space, winter walks, wellness activities and wildlife watching.   Fitness & Wellbeing   Challenge yourself in 2020 with the Blenheim…

Jan 07 2020

A Fresh Canvas this January

As 2020 dawns, January heralds in the first exhibitions of a year of great art here in Oxfordshire. Here are five suggestions to kick start your county-wide explorations of colour, craft, talent and inspiration: it’s a great start. In Oxford city, from 18th, Summertown’s Sarah Wiseman Gallery presents Hidden Histories by Mychael Barratt, an exploration…

Dec 02 2019

Unique Oxfordshire Art in December

As Christmas draws closer, there’s great art to see across Oxfordshire and, away from the High Street, Artweeks artists’ venues offer both peaceful sanctuary and unique gifts created locally. And there’s something special about an original piece of art, jewellery, pottery or wood which is truly one of a kind, hand-crafted with a rare imagination…

Nov 26 2019

‘Tis the Season of Style at Bicester Village

From 8 November, Bicester Village will be transformed into an illuminated Cotswold Christmas garden with a magical lantern-lit parade, live music and more than 160 glittering boutiques offering savings of up to 60% on the recommended retail price.   Extended shopping hours throughout the festive period will give you ample time to choose just the...
Nov 26 2019

Beauty & The Beast Christmas Pantomime At Oxford Playhouse

Friday 29 November 2019 to Sunday 12 January 2020 Full casting has been announced for Oxford Playhouse’s fun-filled family pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, which is set to wow audiences from Friday 29 November 2019 to Sunday 12 January 2020.   Roseanna Frascona will play Belle. Roseanna’s theatre credits include Macbeth (Chichester Festival Theatre), and…

Oct 29 2019

Oxford Christmas Light Festival 2019: Our Top Picks

Festival dates this year: Friday 15th - Sunday 17th November The famous Oxford Christmas Light Festival is back for 2019! Taking place over 3 days and featuring light and sound installations, a festive market, music, dance and loads of free activities in venues across the city. It can be tricky knowing where to start, right?...
Oct 18 2019

8 Spooktacular Halloween Events in Oxfordshire

Make the most of summer in Oxfordshire with these outdoor shows!

Oct 18 2019

IF Oxford 2019: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Periodic Table with Elemental Science for All

There is no Targaryen Iron Throne in Oxford: however university researchers are battling it out for an Iron Crown as they argue about this element’s most important functions during IF Oxford science and ideas festival. Since the end of the stone age, when the advent of metal-working gave us advances in both tool and weapons,…

Oct 18 2019

IF Oxford 2019: Looking at the Perils of Children and the Policies that Might Help

After WWII, portrayals of ‘evil children’ proliferated in horror and science fiction films in both Britain and the US. From characters displaying a disturbing amount of intelligence to those who were simply outright bad, children as well as adults were suddenly being presented in popular culture as dangerous threats rather than innocent victims. Drawing on…

Oct 09 2019

IF Oxford 2019: Family Activities

IF Oxford bursts into life, there’s a chance for children to get down and dirty with science at family events across the city. From exploring the city’s geology with a trowel to uncovering the secrets of the human body through a microscope or peering into the far reaches of the galaxy, there’s something to intrigue…

Oct 09 2019

IF Oxford 2019: A Scientific Wonderland in Oxford

Oxford has a literary heritage that goes back centuries and some of the world’s most loved books were written here. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was crafted by Christ Church mathematician Charles Dodgson, under the pen name Lewis Carroll and is feted globally for its wordplay. It is also riddled with mathematical conundrum and scientific analogies…