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Oxford walking tour with TM
Punting – on certain itineraries
Christ Church College and Cathedral visit & lunch
· Entrances are paid by voucher for both visits
· Check payment method with London Office & Punting Company, cash or card.
· Check in advance for special events, closed areas of sites etc. Booking time MUST be adhered to.
· Especially check times of Christchurch Cathedral. (Sunday 1400)
NB: An alternative Route to the one above is to, take the A3400 then A44 to Oxford it will take you through some picturesque villages and beautiful countryside and still only takes 1.15 hours.
Oxford
Set down and pick up in Beaumont St. and arrange time/place for departure. If you decide on the Martyrs Memorial impress on group that they will be making their own way back to the coach from Christchurch so to pay attention to route and find bearings, and they need to be on time. Otherwise make a meeting spot on Cornmarket and walk to the coach as a group.
Conduct your walking tour, starting at the Martyrs Memorial and finishing at Christchurch. Make sure they know the location of the meeting point.
Oxford College Visit
Christchurch – in recent years this has become tricky to incorporate easily into Oxford walking tour. Despite what is outlined in this guide, depending on booked timeslot you may be required to go straight to Christchurch and then do walking tour afterwards.
Ticket office is the thatched barn on the opposite side of the Broad Walk in Christ Church Meadows. Groups are to be taken to the grassed area to the side of this building to collect multi-media guides.
The introduction on the audio guide can be listened to prior to entering through the archway of the New Buildings of Christchurch college. It is then numbered taking in the Dining Hall, Tom Quad, Peckwater Quad before doubling back to see the Cathedral and exit through the same archway you entered. At this point you return multi media guides.
Toilets – some are still open just off the Cloisters as you exit the cathedral, but the main ones now located in Ticket Office/Shop Barn.
Larger groups may be split over different entrance times. Annoyingly not always the subsequent time slot. You may need to remain outside to make sure people are not disorientated for the rest of their time in Oxford at the end of their visit.
New College – If the office decides Christchurch is not feasible as an option, New College has been used as an alternative. Less rigid than Christchurch, larger groups may still need to split into sub groups but that will only be a short wait for those standing on New College Lane. Chapel, Cloisters (Harry Potter filming location) Dining Hall and part of the old medieval wall of Oxford in the gardens of the college. There are toilets but not well signed, people should ask if necessary.
Punting – (only on certain itineraries)
Your booking will have been made by the office with Oxford Punting. They are located next to Magdalen College and directly opposite the Botanic Gardens at the end of the High Street. It lasts approximately 1 hour. On the far side of Magdalen Bridge, as you travel out of town, is a local bus drop off bay, but more likely you would incorporate the activity into part of your city walking tour.
Oxford – Facilities/places of interest/shopping
Oxford Tourist Office, Broad Street, 01865 656430
www.oxfordcity.co.uk
TOILETS At the back of the Covered Market on Cornmarket & within Christchurch College.
CASH-POINTS & BUREAU DE CHANGE ATMs: Carfax, Cornmarket, Marks and Spencer on Queen Street.
COVERED MARKET (closed Sundays) places to eat, craft, souvenir shops, toilets at back of building.
ST MARY’S CHURCH: Worth climbing the tower for a small fee. 360 degree views of the dreaming spires. The café is also excellent.