The Steeples and Spires of Oxford
“Proud and godly kings had built her, long ago/ With her towers and tombs and statues all arow/ With her fair and floral air and the love that lingers there/ And the streets where the great men go.” – James Flecker
Whether it was established in the 9th century by Alfred the Great as a learning center or later in the eleventh century there is little doubt that Oxford is steeped in history and one of the earliest universities in the English speaking world. Despite the golden gleam of its venerable colleges and architecture there is little doubt that this is a university town with a diverse group of students walking, eating, studying, and in general doing all the things that students do at universities around the world.
The diversity of today’s student population comes home to you as you walk through the main shopping street to find restaurants of all ethnicities jostling amongst the usual fast food fare. I was amused to see a Mexican restaurant offering tacos and tortilla’s aptly named Tortilla holding pride of place amongst its other food brethren. There was even a couple of bakeries and restaurants offering gourmet goodies.
J.R. Tolkien of the Lord of Rings fame graduated from here along with countless inventors, writers, poets, prime ministers and dignitaries. I let my imagination fly wild as I put myself in the shoes of one these alumni and wonder what they would think of the changes that time has wrought.
I’m on a discovery of Great Britain and Ireland and this was just the first stop in my grand odyssey. That too a short one. Come walk with me through the golden hued colleges, libraries and churches crowned with steeples and spires and let your imagination soar as you imagine stepping with your favorite alumni.
We started our walk outside the Ashmolean museum where we were dropped off from our coach. The Ashmolean is an impressive museum full of art and culture first established in 1683. Admission is free to the public but alas today we did not have the time to enter the rooms, inhale the history and step through the ages with other visitors here.
Our first stop was at the Martyrs’ Memorial which commemorates the burning at the stake of three prominent protestant martyrs: Thomas Cramer Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester under the catholic rule of bloody Queen Mary.
It gave us a quiet moment to reflect on the bloody religious history as Catholicism gave way to the church of England and briefly with Mary’s reign an attempt to re-establish the Catholic faith. Alas so many wars fought and so many lives lost in the name of religion.
The Museum of Oxford is a great spot to visit if you are interested in learning about the history of the university and this region. The displays include original artefacts, treasures from Oxford colleges and period room reconstructions, from prehistoric times onwards.
There are 39 colleges and six permanent private halls which are autonomous self governing corporations within the university. We walked past a few f these colleges that serve as houses of residence and teaching forums for undergraduates.
As I walked along these streets I couldn’t help but compare my trip to Cambridge university both the similarities and the differences the major difference of course being that I saw Cambridge through the eyes of my nephew who is an alumni.
The Bridge of Sighs the original of which is in Venice. Interesting the bridge in Cambridge spans the River Cam and its an interesting experience to pass under it on a punt which stimulates the experience in Venice on a gondola. This one spanned a quiet street with a few students walking the street.
The Radcliffe camera became a part of the Bodleian Library as the original set of books that formed the basis of the library collection expanded and overflowed to the more than 12 million that it currently houses.
There was a lot of construction in this area including the main building that houses the library even while the library itself was open during this remodel.
Christ Church, one of the largest and wealthiest of colleges at the university of Oxford. It’s grounds cover a lot of significant buildings including the Tom Tower designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
I was at the wrong entrance to be able to pay my admission and walk in the grounds themselves but I managed to peek in and feast my eyes before walking back along the high street towards the Ashmolean which was our meeting point for departure.
Given it’s stature here it will come as no surprise that notable alumni include 13 British primer ministers, royalty such as King Edward VII, King William II of Netherlands, and writers, philosophers and inventors. Lewis Carroll of the Alice in Wonderland fame, William Penn founder of Pennsylvania in the US, Robert Hooke, Albert Einstein, W.H. Auden, John Locke, to name a few.
Carfax Tower is considered to be the center of the city standing at the cross roads serving as a prominent landmark looking out over the city. These roads lead to shops, restaurants, museums, churches and colleges all that makes up a university town.
Tourists were a part of the crowd walking about as were double decker sightseeing buses.
Across from the Ashmolean is the Randolph hotel which sparkles with the gleam of crystal, heraldic flags and beautiful drawing rooms serving as a welcome retreat for locals and travelers alike.
I decided to take a few minutes to use the facilities, wander through the lobby and lower public rooms with a brief stop to order a refreshing lemonade to be enjoyed in one of the public salons. What a great way to end my brief sojourn here.
This war memorial comprised of a cross decorated with a fleur-de-lys bid us welcome and goodbye. It might be the right time of the year but I was enthralled by all the flowers that bloomed on street corners, and front yards that made me smile with their flash of color as we sped by on our way to our next destination.