We are in Oxford for a few days for me to attend a Words and Puzzles Conference, and then do a bit of sightseeing.
Today we had walk from our hotel on Abingdon Road to Iffley Lock, through the city via the botanic gardens and the Parks to Wolfson College and back, stopping at the Rose and Crown pub for lunch and an Art Exhibition on the way back.
Here is our route from Iffley Lock
Here are a few of my photos (including some from Thursday and yesterday).
Firstly, from Thursday...
We stayed at the Travelodge on Abingdon Rd - right next to the Park & Ride, but we didn't use the buses - walking into and back from the city centre each day.
We were close to
Donnington Bridge.
From there we walked up the tow path by the river Thames aka Isis. You can get boat tours, but we didn't.
The boat houses are mostly on the other side.
Rowing ends at the Head of The River, where there is a pub of the same name.
We stopped for a drink at
The Kings Arms, a Youngs pub, as was our local in Binfield where we lived when we first got married almost 35 years ago.
A view down the river as we headed for our hotel...
Yesterday I was at the
Words and Puzzles Conference at
Magdalen College. Walking along the river on my way there I spotted this 8 - a women's eight from Wolfson College. Dawn used to cox their first boat. We have a Wolfson college blade hanging in the upstairs landing from when they won their oars in the 1989 Torpids.
I walked past Christ Church College and Merton College.
At the conference we went from the Auditorium through the college grounds to the Hall for our lunch. (You can find a map of the college
here).
I was surprised to find they have a deer park in the college grounds.
They have a sign saying not to feed them.
The New Building.
The cloister with chapel behind.
In the hall we had a buffet lunch. Our table was the last to be invited to serve ourselves. I was relieved there was something left.
Back past the new building for the rest of the conference.
This bridge is similar in design to the mathematical bridge in Cambridge, but less steep, I think.
Being a Saturday morning, the river was busy with rowers.
We noticed that quite a few of the boats along the river bank were rather neglected and even submerged.
As I had done yesterday, we passed Christ Church college on our way to the Botanic Garden.
There are spring flowers everywhere at the moment.
The Great Tower of Magdalen College....
...is just opposite the entrance to the
Botanic Garden. We spent some time here. This is the Horsebox Coffee stand next to the river.
We enjoyed the glasshouses.
They are along the edge of the river.
They have a good collection of carnivorous plants.
...and a mistle thrush in the gardens.
The arch at the entrance has a large magnolia next to it just coming into bloom.
We walked the The Parks and along the River Cherwell.
A heron looking unperturbed.
We recrossed the river to reach
Wolfson College, where Dawn studied for the D. Phil.
...as is the new location for the porters' lodge.
The café wasn't open so we went in search of the
Rose and Crown pub on the way back into the city centre. North Parade, where the pub is had a food festival on which was just finishing.
A good traditional pub and I had my first pint of
Old Hookey for many a year.
Coninuing back towards the city centre we passed the carbuncle of a building that is the Department of Engineering, where Dawn had a desk.
We spotted an Oxford Art Society Art Exhibition so went in and enjoyed the art for a while.
The it was onward back through the city centre to retunr along the towpath towards our hotel
A good few days and it brought back memories for us both seeing Wolfson College again.
You can see more of my photos here on Flickr.
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