scrapheapstuart3

WHY OXFORD?

I’ve just been to Oxford. I know that’s not very original and not much to shout about. It’s on every bucket listers hit list when they are “doing” England. However, I had 3 really good reasons for going there : 1. My travel buddy, Ian, has never been. 2. It’s a fantastic city break destination. 3. It’s not Cambridge…. Let me explain.

Don’t get me wrong — Cambridge too is fabulous. In fact my Rough Guide informs me that Oxford and Cambridge are “arguably the two most beautiful seats of learning in the world.” The thing is, my wife spent her formative years in Cambridge, still has friends and family there and so we have been on numerous occasions. In fact we had a very enjoyable visit there earlier this year. So, to put it simply, I fancied a change. Ian was easy as he’d not been to either of these venerable university cities. Predictably, as soon as I told my wife Chris, she immediately responded with “Why don’t you go to Cambridge?” She’s prejudiced as she quite understandably loves the place. But I stuck to my guns and chose Oxford. It meant we could also visit Blenheim Palace and dip our toes into the Cotswolds.

JOURNEY and ARRIVAL.

After a day of mis-adventures on the trains — “We’re sorry that your journey will take longer than planned” — we arrived late in the afternoon of September 1st. A quick electric bus trip took us north up the Banbury Road and delivered us to our hotel in a plush area of leafy avenues and grand Victorian mansions. Both coming from the relatively deprived north east of England, we were immediately bopped firmly on the nose by the North-South divide.

That evening, after getting over the shock that the hotel had no hot water ( it’s boiler had expired), we ate a nice Italian meal in the city centre and then had a stroll around as dusk fell and the floodlights flickered on. The centre of old Oxford is an architectural tour de force. What’s more, at 8pm, we virtually had it to ourselves. The day trippers had all gone away. It was like walking into an atmospheric film set. We wondered through a stunning wonderland of Gothic, Jacobean and neo-Classical statement buildings. We strolled from Sir Christopher Wren’s, 17th century, Sheldonian Theatre, into the ornate Old Schools Quadrangle from 1619, and on to the mighty rotunda of the Radcliffe Camera ( 1734-45) which looks as if it’s just been beamed in from ancient Rome.

Going back to the Sheldonian, it is Oxford University’s main ceremonial hall where degrees are formally dished out and so on. It’s Grade 1 listed. It was Wren’s first major work. It’s a grand rectangular building at the front and gracefully semi-circular at the back. Wren based it on the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome. It’s roof is topped by a white tower with a light green cupola.

The Bodleian Library next door to the Sheldonian, stands in the Old Schools Quadrangle. It is a beautifully proportioned, ornate quad in Jacobean-Gothic style. Within it there is access to all the university’s academic schools, their titles written in gold letters above the doorways that ring the quad. At one end is a tower featuring all the different types of classical columns. . At the other end , slightly incongruously, stands a statue of the great Flemish artist, Peter Paul Rubens, wearing full 17th century military armour. Nicholas Hawksmoor designed the Clarendon Building which houses the library. He was Wren’s talented protegee. The Bodleian is the UK’s second largest library, after the British Library in London, and is reputed to have 117 miles of shelving!

The Radcliffe Camera, the 3rd building we saw in this magical ensemble, was designed by James Gibbs. It was the result of King William III’s physician, Dr John Radcliffe, giving mounds of money to construct a library and secure his legacy. It is another Italian design as Gibbs trained in Rome. He created a huge Baroque, circular concoction of limestone columns, a delicate balustrade decorated with urns and an enormous dome.

Ian and I stared at it in awe for a while. It stands in quiet, pedestrianised Radcliffe Square. On one side of the square are the ancient walls, towers and pinnacles of All Souls College. We peeped through its elaborate, wrought iron gates into a picturesque, floodlit quad. Meanwhile at the bottom of the square is the 15th century Church of St Mary with a soaring tower.

It was all quite mesmerising and we were in a kind of swoon. However, we were quickly brought down to earth when we decided to have a glance into the town’s covered market and found rough sleepers blocking every entrance. We were reminded that Oxford is not all about gowns and mortar boards and the rarefied world of academia. With this sobering thought we completed our first day amongst the “dreaming spires” and returned to our boiler-less lodgings. It was back to reality with a bite. We drifted off to sleep, remembering the age of flannels and strip washes and dreaming of hot, steamy water. Maybe tomorrow?

CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE.

After a good breakfast at the hotel ( but still no shower) we walked into Oxford down the Banbury Road. It started to lightly rain but it soon cleared. We were amazed by all the enormous mansions and villas, some of them converted into private schools or university departments. Many had fancy porticos, stained glass windows, and large, Tudor -style chimney stacks. We entered the centre via the Martyrs memorial. This commemorates the burning at the stake in 1555 and 1556, of Bishops Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer because they refused to succumb to Queen Mary I’s orders and join the Catholic faith. No wonder she was nicknamed “Bloody Mary.”

We walked on to Christchurch College. It is Oxford’s largest and most famous college. We were guided to it by Sir Christopher Wren’s striking Tom Tower which was added in 1681 to house a great bell. We couldn’t go in via the main entrance, as tourists like the servants are smuggled into a hidden side entrance to the south. We walked past a colourful herbaceous border to a modern building which processes visitors and houses the inevitable shop. We had booked a timed entry and were given audio guides to help us make sense of the place. Unfortunately this building failed to set the mood as it had pop music blasting away. I cheekily suggested they might be better playing some Jacobean harpsichord music but I don’t think they appreciated the joke. So it was that we set off on our medieval, Tudor and Jacobean experience with the 3 chords of Status Quo’s “Down Down” pounding in our ears. Finally leaving the modern world behind we entered the ancient college, greeted by bowler-hatted attendants.

We soon stepped into Tom Quad which we had glanced into from the street. It’s the largest quad in all of the University’s colleges and one of the loveliest. Its historical buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries are all in soft, honey coloured stone and form an harmonious whole. Overlooking it all is Wren’s fabulous Tom Tower ( or Thom Tower) and in one corner is a small statue of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who had had a lot to do with the development of Christ Church

A wide, stone staircase, beneath a spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling led us up to the Hall, the grandest refectory in Oxford. Long tables decorated with little green lamps were being set for some big, formal meal later in the day. They are surrounded by portraits of monarchs, bishops and past scholars by famous artists such as Gainsborough, Reynolds and Millais. It was fairly quiet when we went in but we kept nervously looking over our shoulders as it’s this hall that was recreated in the studio as Hogwarts’ Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies. Other scenes were filmed in Christchurch and also in Oxford’s New College. I had spotted that some companies specialise in ( expensive) Harry Potter tours where fans of J K Rowling’s boy wizard can pose for selfies waving wands or wearing the famous long, woollen scarf. Diehard fans half believe they are visiting Hogwarts, not Oxford University. Surprisingly, the university seems to be pushing this connection. The audio guide brought up Harry Potter before it even mentioned Cardinal Wolsey!

We enjoyed our visit to Christchurch and it was a highlight of the holiday. We got invited by one of the bowler hats into a very old library not usually open to the public. It had an exhibition about Cardinal Wolsey to celebrate 500 years of the college’s birth in its present form. After ascending a curving staircase with a delicate wrought iron banister, we entered a beautiful, peaceful room with antique furniture and an ornate ceiling. In the exhibition we saw Wolsey’s red cardinal’s hat and his exquisitely illustrated 16th century prayer book given to him by a representative of the Pope, plus a collection of fascinating old documents from the 16th century.

We eventually made it into Christ Church’s college chapel, also known as Oxford Cathedral. It has a mixture of styles but has lots to admire and think about. In one area there is another stunning ceiling and a medieval -style triptych above the altar. There are windows with medieval stained glass dating back to 1320. There is also a replica of a shrine to St Frideswide which many pilgrims used to visit. Her original tomb and shrine was destroyed in 1530 during the Reformation. Frideswide was a Saxon princess and abbess who supposedly performed miracles and who founded the original church on this spot in the 7th century. Behind the shrine is a ravishing stained glass window by the Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne -Jones, which tells the story of the revered saint. It shows her being pursued by a rejected suitor. In the end, according to legend, the suitor was struck blind by a lightning bolt sent by God. Bizarrely this picture of life in Anglo Saxon times includes a depiction of a modern, flushing toilet. It’s thought to be something to do with Burne-Jones’s industrialist sponsor. There are 4 wonderful stained glass windows by Burne-Jones in the Cathedral. He is one of my favourite artists with his exquisite depictions of idealised beauty. It was a great finale to our visit to Christchurch and there was not a wizard’s hat, long scarf or wand in sight, thank goodness.

We wound down by having a stroll along the banks of the River Cherwell. It is separated from the city and university buildings by meadows and playing fields. The river was lined with colourful house boats. Small flocks of Canada and Greylag geese swam around or flew, honking overhead. We saw a few rowers and a couple of punts. We walked through to the Botanical gardens and Magdalen college where the Cherwell has its confluence with the River Thames. We ate wraps at a middle eastern cafe before returning to our base and thankfully finding that the broken boiler had at last been replaced. We enjoyed our hot showers as we looked back on a very satisfying day.

OTHER COLLEGES.

Oxford University was founded in the reign of Henry I, the so called “scholar king”. He was the 4th son of William the Conqueror. It is the oldest university in the English speaking world dating back to 1096. It is only beaten for age by Fez In Morocco( 8th century) and Bologna, Italy in 1088AD. It has 38 colleges, most of them set up by wealthy bishops who wanted to promote learning but also ensure their own immortality. We visited Merton College ( 1264) which featured 3 peaceful quads, an impressive chapel and an exotic Fellows garden. We almost had it to ourselves.We also saw some of Oxford’s famous gargoyles — grotesgue , carved water spouts up on the roofs.

Later in the week we visited New College which is actually very old of course. ( 1379) We were now also back on the Harry Potter trail and we had to detour past fans taking selfies in the quad. The college’s atmospheric, long corridors, great arched windows and cloisters combine to form the illusion of a magical boarding school. It’s a film director’s dream. New College has a large, plain Front Quad which leads to a lovely colourful garden, partly bordered by the original Oxford city wall dating back to the middle ages.

New College had a lovely historical refectory or hall and a stunning, Perpendicular chapel with rows and rows of stone saints and apostles behind the altar. It was like looking at the west front of Lincoln or Wells cathedral. I think it is an immaculate Victorian replica of a medieval cathedral entrance by Gilbert- Scott. It contains over 50 figures and its technical term is a reredos. The chapel also features a striking, hammer-beam ceiling. It was commandeered for a location in a Harry Potter film , and after having it almost to ourselves for a few minutes, we were invaded by Potter fans all furiously snapping selfies on their phones.

New College chapel also features outstanding medieval stained glass windows from the 14th century and an 18th century window designed by the artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds. It includes a nativity scene and apparently, according to the blurb that I read, it features the famous artist himself as one of the shepherds, wearing a bright orange robe. I told one of the guides this and he didn’t know — presumably because it has nothing to do with any of J K Rowling’s creations. What a shame that her fantasy world seems to have taken precedence over real art and history.

CULTURE VULTURES. — The ASHMOLEAN AND PITT RIVERS MUSEUMS.

An essential ingredient of Ian and I’s city breaks is to chase down culture whenever possible. As well as architecture and history, this usually involves visiting galleries and museums. Thus it was no surprise that, when in Oxford, we prioritised a visit to the Ashmolean Museum. It looks like a huge Greek -style temple. It has thousands of exhibits spread across 4 large floors. It’s second only to the British Museum in importance. Artefacts from all over the ancient world are displayed along with an excellent collection of paintings on the top 2 levels. The floors are connected by a lift or by a grand staircase. Imagine the British Museum and the National gallery rolled into one and you will have an idea of what the Ashmolean is like. It’s technically free and there is no pressure to donate but we gladly paid the recommended figure of £5. Considering the treasure trove of art and history within, this has to be one of the bargains of the century.

The Ashmolean is huge and can easily overwhelm the visitor both physically and mentally. So we made a plan — looks at the superb ancient Egyptian collection, have a rest over a coffee, then go and view the paintings, and in particular, the 19th and early 20th century works. After depositing our bags in a locker we made our way down a long gallery of ancient Greek statues and busts to get to the Egyptian rooms. We then split up, on the understanding that we would meet in the cafe . I quickly got absorbed in the Ancient Egyptian collection. They had whole carved tombs and shrines as well as grave goods, wall paintings, stone carvings, statues, mummies and painted mummy cases from all eras. It is fascinating and the explanations are very clear and interesting.

I then went to the cafe and texted Ian expecting him to follow me quite soon as I had taken my time. However he never turned up and didn’t answer my texts, so I drank my coffee alone, feeling a little worried. Afterall, I selfishly surmised, he had the key to the locker where my rucksack was stored! All the best plans of mice and men…. Not to worry –we eventually met amongst the Italian Renaissance pictures on floor 3. Ian had been absorbed by the art and artefacts from the eastern Mediterranean civilisations especially those of the Ancient Greek Cyclades islands. It was a good thing to happen as he had been drawn in and been intellectually stimulated instead of just ticking items off from a list. We looked at the paintings together. We particularly enjoyed the Impressionists and post Impressionists and the Pre-Raphaelites, although I know they are not everyone’s cup of tea. They had some big hitters in there such as Pissarro, Manet, Van Gogh, Samuel Palmer, Turner and Corot. I particularly liked an exquisitely painted wardrobe by Burne Jones which he gave to William and Jane Morris as a wedding present. It’s not everyday you get to see an exquisitely painted Arts and Crafts wardrobe. In fact it was a unique experience for me.

After all that culture and information overload, we wound down in the tranquil courtyards of Merton College and then enjoyed Mexican veggie burritos at a fast food food joint. We munched away and sat out a sharp shower.

Later in the week we visited the incredible Pitt Rivers ethnological museum. It’s in a Victorian quarter opposite Keble College which is decorated with different coloured bricks in geometric patterns. Pitt Rivers is situated at the back of the Natural History Museum which is housed in a splendid building similar to its close relative in South Kensington. It is all curving cast iron and glass and dominated by the skeletons of two huge dinosaurs including a fearsome T Rex.

Entering Pitt Rivers is like plunging into an amazing Victorian time warp. I agree with my guide book’s description of it as “an exotic junk shop.” It’s the main place emblazoned on my memory from previous Oxford trips. Crammed cabinets display artefacts from all over the globe, covering all aspects of human life. They include: religion, music, food, clothes, transport, jewellery, weapons, writing, masks, headgear etc — the list goes on and on. Its set out in a large atrium with the 2 upper floors looking down on the displays below. The ground floor is dominated by native American totem poles. Cases around display African fetishes, model boats, religious deities, shell and bone jewellery, gruesome masks and even mummified crocodiles. It’s in fact impossible to describe everything. This treasure trove or stolen horde ( take your choice) was brought back to Britain by explorers such as Captain Cook and ethnologists and archaeologists such as the man himself — Augustus Pitt Rivers. The latter’s 22,000 collection of objects was eventually donated to the University of Oxford and forms the core of the present display bearing his name.

Of course this incredible cornucopia of treasures is not without its controversies. It’s very much like the arguments over the Elgin Marbles and the Benin Bronzes in the British Museum. Many say these precious objects were stolen , using British military might ,and should be returned. Until recently the Pitt Rivers museum displayed shrunken heads from Ecuador, trophy heads from south Asia and the ancient Egyptian mummy of a child. These were removed in 2020 on the orders of the museum’s ethical committee as it was thought wrong to continue to display human remains . They are to be kept in storage until the countries of origin are contacted and a returns arrangement negotiated. It’s a thorny, sensitive issue and a notice about it all is displayed prominently in the museum today.

Anyway, what we did see was more than enough to keep us absorbed and excited for a couple of hours. Amongst the highlights are cabinets where one can pull open multiple drawers to see what surprises are inside. In one drawer I discovered little religious icons from the Orthodox church. They were all individually labelled in neat, precise handwriting. The next drawer I slid open contained tiny pieces of jewellery from around the world.

Ian and I found the whole experience so stimulating that we were forced to flop into seats outside the museum and consume coffee and cake from a conveniently situated refreshment van. Luckily the sun was shining.

TOWN AND GOWN.

For much of our visit to Oxford, we concentrated on the areas dominated by the university. However, Oxford is also a workaday town or city. Beyond Magdalen college, going east up the busy Cowley Road is where the car workers lived and worked. At the other end of the High Street, to the west of the Carfax Tower, there is a sudden transition from gown to town, from academia to normal life. Thus within a minute or two of Christ Church College is Westgate Shopping Centre, a typical mall containing all the usual suspects. Typically the area is packed with everyday shoppers rather than tourists. The train station is up there as well. Near the end of our stay we decided to have a complete change and have a stroll up the Oxford Canal. It’s just beyond the shopping mall and Oxford castle which is now nothing more than a mound adjoining a luxury hotel, and a cluster of shops, bars and restaurants. The canal is picturesque and peaceful. Parallel to it runs an old mill stream. Ducks and moorhens potter about and colourful barges are moored up on the canal banks. It was a lovely walk. We had been told about it by a friend who went to Oxford University back in the day.

We strolled for about 20 minutes to a bridge, which we crossed to enter a bohemian, former working class area of terraced houses, some of them painted in pastel colours. The area is known as Jericho because it used to sit just outside the city walls. It is dominated by a large brick church with a tall tower like a Venetian campanile. The area seemed to have a strong community spirit with everyone greeting each other on first name terms. It was a bit like walking into a southern version of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. It seemed to have the same vibrant arts scene, independent shops and sense of togetherness. It even has the lovely canal side location. We liked the atmosphere of the place. Ominously though, we spotted a couple of “Save Our Jericho” signs. Maybe the developers are threatening to move in!

It was our last night and we ate at a very nice Lebanese restaurant in Jericho. It’s opposite a synagogue and I’m sure one of the waiters was an orthodox Jewish boy. Maybe Mr Netanyahu should go there to learn some lessons about peaceful co-existence and cooperation, rather than death and destruction.

It had been an excellent visit to Oxford. Over 7 days we had seen so much and even fitted in 2 interesting trips out of the city to Blenheim Palace and the Cotswold town of Burford. ( Maybe the subjects of a future blog.) The next day we had our last stroll around the central sights and along the river. Then it was back on to the trains home. We got stuck in Birmingham for a while, but that’s another story. “We are sorry that your journey will take longer than planned.

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