Europe: Oxford

If, in Paris and london, I was having ‘Robert Langdon’ moments, in Oxford I was most definitely having Harry Potter moments, not surprising as many of the films scenes were shot within the university town.

With only a day and half to explore, I set off as soon as I had dumped by bags at the hostel and made my way to the tourist office. Armed with a map (rule no. 528: always know where you are) which included a self-guided walking tour, I figured I could start the walk and continue on with it the following day.

I started with the largest college in Oxford, the Christ Church College and Cathedral, which began as a priory founded in the 12th century and was created as a college linked to the cathedral in 1546. There is so much history seeped into the stone it is impossible to retell it all, but needless to say it would be amazing to live and study there.

Scenes from Harry Potter were also filmed within the college itself – Christ Church’s great hall becoming the dining hall, and the great staircase, ante-hall and cloisters also featuring in the film. This may have had something do do with my sudden interest in further education, I felt like I was walking around Hogwarts (the interest in study faded pretty quckly, let me tell you).

The college had another famous resident – mathemetician student and lecturer Charles Dodgson, who made up a story about a white rabbit for the Dean of Christ Church College’s daughter, named Alice. At Alice’s request, Dodgson wrote up the story and added illustrations, giving the book ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to her as a present (and calling himself Lewis Carroll. Ah, why not if you can?)

Many of the towers and characters are reflected in the book – the deer park (scenes with the fawn), the college forests, Dodgson’s love of work games, the treacle well, the Dodo (the remains of one being kept in the university museum), secret garden and the long corridoors and mysterious layout of the university grounds. And two fat little creatures guarding the fire grate in the great hall (Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee).

Ironically, Queen Victoria once write to Dodgson, asking him to send her his next book, as she enjoyed the others so much – he sent her his next book ‘Syllabus of plane algabraical geometry’. Classic.

Many more famous people, everyone from Kate Beckinsale to Hugh Grant, studied at Oxford, and many of the stars of Harry Potter live or studied nearby. The following day, I continued the walking tour through the streets of the town, exploring undercover markets, Trinity College and Church towers overlooking the town.

I caught the bus to Blenheim Palace – given to John Churchill in 1704 for winning the battle of Blenheim, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill – and spent hours looking through the palace and perfectly manicured gardens and grounds. There was also a marching band performance by the Church School of Scots in Melbourne which was great, albeit not as authentically English as I would have expected.

The afternoon was spent in one of the word’s oldest and biggest academic libraries in Oxford, the Bodleian Library, which began in 1426. The books, ancient wooden staircases up to reach the high shelves, vaulted ceilings and lecture hall ‘The Divinty School’ was so old and magnificent, I could have spent days roaming around looking at medieval texts.

Oh, and it was also used as the library and classrooms in the Harry Potter movies. Which just adds a few kudos in my books. Just a few. Not as much as learning all about the history though, of course…

-Sarah