Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

The car battery was flat this morning. The warden kindly gave us a jump start from his little tractor. They we packed up and headed off home.

Oxford

My 59th birthday today. Started off as a very nice warm sunny day but the clouds came in after lunch and it became a little cooler.

After opening my prezzies in bed we had a relaxing morning, infested with dozens of ladybirds in the awning.

About 1:30 we caught the bus into Oxford for my birthday Afternoon Tea at Browns Bar and Brasserie. Very nice it was too.

We the walked to The Four Candles. A Wetherspoons pub named after the famous four candles sketch by The Two Ronnies. Ronnie Barker went to University close by.

Then we caught the bus back to the van.

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

A nice start to the day. We decided to get on the bikes again and headed off down National Cycle Route 5 towards Sandford Lock on the River Thames. We turned left along the Thames Towpath, through Ifley Lock and past the University Boathouses to Folly Bridge. By this time it was looking a bit black over Bill’s mothers so we re-traced our steps back to the van.

A little later we hopped on the bus from the park and ride and headed into Oxford. We had a walk down to the castle before heading up to Cosmo for Tea, and then back to the van for the evening.

Museum of the History of Science & The Ashmolean Museum

A nice bright day today. We Caught the bus into town from the nearby Park and Ride. We had a walk around the covered market before going to Pizza Hut on the High Street for a Buffet Lunch.

After lunch we went to the Museum of the History of Science, on Broad Street, housed    in the Old Ashmolean Building. Built in 1683 it is the oldest surviving purpose built museum in the world. It holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the middle ages to the 19th century. Unfortunately half of the museum was closed due to staff illness.

We stopped for a moment to look at the statue of the naked man, sculpted by Anthony Gormley overlooking Broad Street on the roof of Blackwell’s Art and Poster Shop.

We had a quick look around Debenhams before heading to the Ashmolean Museum.  The main museum contains huge collections of archaeological specimens and fine art. It also has an extensive collection of antiquities from ancient Egypt.

After a nice coffee in the roof-top café before heading back to catch the bus back to the van.

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Bit of an overcast day today. We cycled the 2 miles to Halfords to pick up some fuses for Maddy’s car. 

We had a nice coffee in the Costa Coffee, and then did some shopping at Templar Square shopping centre before cycling back to the van.

Oxford Museum of Natuarl History & Pitt Rivers Museum

It rained quite a bit overnight, but by morning it was dry and quite a nice day for the time of year.

We went for another lap on the open top bus, before jumping off at the Museum of Natural History. 

It houses many of the universities natural history specimens. It is also the only access to the adjoining Pitt Rivers museum. Founded in 1884 by Lieutenant General Augustus Pitt Rivers, and houses the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford.

We then headed back to the van for tea.

Oxford

Bit of a misty start but the sun soon came out and it turned into a lovely day.

We walked over to the Park & Ride and caught the sightseeing bus into Oxford. We had bought a 48 hour ticket and rode into town on the green route before swapping onto the red route for the city centre tour.

Then we went for a walk around the centre, to enjoy some of the marvellous yellow limestone architecture.

After a nice coffee and bag of crisps in Costa coffee the caught the bus to complete the green route on our way back to the van.

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

We left Mirey Leys about 9 am. It was bit of a murky start but dry. We stopped at Stonebridge Island Toby Carvery for our customary Breakfast to set us up for the day. A nice easy journey with just a few spots of rain, and we arrived about 1:30 pm.

Oxford Camping and Caravan Club Site is situated behind Go Outdoors store about a mile from Oxford City Centre and close to the Park an Ride. A nice small level site, with excellent TV reception.

The toilets are starting to look a little tired now but still nice and clean as you would expect.

We realised we had forgotten the cycle helmets, so after we had set up we had a walk to Go Outdoors to buy new ones.

We went back to the van for a nice chilled evening.