Discover Lucy’s Walking Tours

Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum has been described as a cross between London’s British Museum and National Gallery. It is the University’s Art and Archaeology department

But did you know that around the corner is it’s original building,

The first museum to open to the public in 1683, still welcoming the public. Today it is the History of Science museum.

Within lies one of Oxford’s best kept secrets, a treasure trove of fascinating objects, reflecting the scientific endeavour of human beings through the ages right across the globe.

On this tour well take a look at some of the most interesting objects in each museum.

Your will will discover some of the museum’s most loved objects. Ashmolean highlights include the robes worn by Lawrence of Arabia, a jewel owned by King Alfred and a charming camel from China.

In the science museum you will marvel at the oldest working gear mechanism in the

world, see how penicillin was manufactured and Einstein’s famous blackboard…which includes a mistake!

What do four prime ministers, eight princesses, two Nobel prize winners and a circus owner have in common? Answer: they are all women associated with Oxford.

From Dorothy Hodgkin, the Nobel prize winnert who first synthesised penicillin - to Sarah Cooper, the resourceful grocer’s wife who used up a glut of oranges to invent Oxford marmalade - Oxford abounds with the stories of remarkable women.

Strolling through Oxford you’ll discover their stories and hidden corners.

Sites include the door used by Henrietta Maria for secret assignations with her husband King Charles I, the modest origins of Jane Burden, pre-raphaelite muse and original stunner, local girls (scandalously) immortalised as allegories of languages and a riddle spelt in Gargoyles that boasts the first female head of an Oxford college... And more!

Come and enjoy a gentle stroll through one of England’s most beautiful and historical cities and celebrate the legacy of its women.

From secret agents to Peter Pan, romantic poetry to science fiction - Oxford has inspired a hugely diverse range of literature both old and new, as well as numerous TV producers and movie makers.

Walk down Wordsworth’s Golden Street; seeing the place where Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure' finally "awoke from his dream” and realised the colleges with their quads, chapels and libraries were not for him.

See the college which expelled Percy Shelley for ’contumaciousness’ and salute the pub where C.S. Lewis, Tolkein and their circle of friends spent many an evening over a congenial pint.

Included on the tour will be a visit to at least one college with interesting literary associations, and a glimpse inside part of the old library, a building which goes back nearly 600 years.

This tour appeals to all lovers of literature - and discover why Oxford is one of Britain’s most enchanting destinations, the city of dreaming spires.

**Duration:** 1.5 hours

Discover the astonishing history and beauty of Oxford on a walking tour which explores iconic landmarks and tells the story of over Oxford’s 1000 years of tradition and innovation.

You will se sties which tell the tale of Oxford's Anglo Saxon beginnings, the ever changing University, patrons, town and gown and the lives of the scholars, scoundrels and literary giants who made Oxford home.

Stops include the Divinity School, Bodleian Library’s Old Schools ‘Quad’, Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian theatre, the CS Lewis stop and University church and much more.

The highlights tour will leave you with a lasting memory of Oxford’s history, its role in the art, architecture, social upheavals and discoveries which have shaped the course of history.

This tour includes a visit inside one of Oxford's oldest colleges to see where students studied, worshipped, slept and dined and still do today..

Private Tour

£160 (up to 4 participants)

Extras:

Additional participants over 2: @ £10

Discussion in the pub (40 minutes): £60 (refreshment not included)

Discussion over a Cream Tea (40 minutes): £90 (refreshment not included)

Bodleian Library Tour (40 minutes): £80 (plus £10/person)

Christ Church is known for inspiring JK Rowling's suggestions to Warner Brothers of possible locations for Hogwarts and the Harry Potter movies.However its pedigree stretches back to Anglo Saxon times when the Cathedral site was the same as the minster of Oxford’s Anglo Saxon Saint Frideswide.

Christ Church is one of Oxford’s most outstanding colleges. It has produced 13 prime ministers, the philosopher John Locke and the reforming politician Robert Peel.

The cathedral is the smallest medieval cathedral in Britain and a real gem. Stops include its refectory in the famous Great Hall, the Bodley Tower staircase, Sir Christopher Wren’s bell tower in the Tom Quad, the Cloister and Cathedral.

Afterwards take a walk through the heart of the city and learn about the Architectural and historical highlights of the University and its colleges, how it operates past and present, and the movements and personalities that beautifully tell the tale of 1000 years of history.

Group:£220 (up to 2 participants)

Extra participants: @ 20 (up to 11 participants)

Extras:

Discussion in the pub (40 minutes): £60 (refreshment not included)

Discussion over a Cream Tea (40 minutes): £90 (refreshment not included)