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The many attractions in Oxford are what makes a holiday to Oxford so exciting. The Blenheim Palace is one place to spend a t least a day exploring. This was were Winston Churchill was born and the Duke of Marlborough lived. The palace grounds are spread out over two thousand acres with beautiful gardens and park like settings. You will marvel in the beauty of the palace and the grounds as you learn more about the history of the palace. The palace is always a delight to see no matter if you take the family or travel by yourself.

If you are looking for architecture delights, you can visit Carfax, where you will see the St Martins Church with its tower that was constructed in the fourteenth century. High Street is another street to walk down and see all the different styles of architecture that Oxford is famous for. The Oxford Cathedral is another architectural delight. It was constructed in the twelfth century. The oldest building to see in Oxford is the St Michael at the Northgate. It has the Saxon Tower that will amaze everyone. There are so many marvels to see in Oxford, that you might find little time to rest.

Copyright: Phil Wiley 2008

You will want to see the Bridge of Sighs. Casanova used this bridge to escape from prison. The Shark House is something out of the ordinary to see. The house actually has a shark through the roof. Why, you will have to find out when you visit to hear the stories. Just these places along will make your holiday to Oxford enjoyable. However, there is so much more to do and see. The Sheldonian Threatre and the museums are also historical architectural buildings that attract much attention. There are over ten museums that you can tour while visiting.

You will find the Ashmolean Museum, Bate Collection of Historical Instruments, Bodleian Library, Curioxity and the Modern Art Oxford. The Museum of Science, Museum of Oxford and the Pitt Rivers Museum are among the other museums to visit. As you can see, you could easily spend an entire day for each museum visit. You will wan to plan your trip to include a variety of things to see including the beautiful parks. No one is ever without anything to do or see. If you need more to do, you could visit the Cherwell River and do some punting.

Punting is done with a flat bottom boat that uses a pole to propel the boat. This is something you do not want to miss doing. Punting is a traditional activity in Oxford. You can spend the days sightseeing and the nights dining at some of the incredible restaurants. There is some nightlife in Oxford that will enchant you and make your night more relaxing. A holiday to Oxford is always enjoyable. All you need to take with you is your clothes and of course, a camera to capture all your memories of your exciting and fun filled vacation.

written by: Jessica Nielson of Cheap Holidays 24.

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England is well known for its historical pubs, some dating back to the middle ages. What better place to do a historic pub crawl than York?

As one of England’s most historical cities, there are plenty of pubs in York worth a visit.

Copyright: Phil Wiley

Not only that, but being the oldest pub in the city, Ye Olde Starre Inn holds real historical significance. It dates back to 1644 – the time of King Henry VIII’s reign – and is the subject of many ghost stories. The Battle of Marston Moor was fought near York in the English Civil War and the Inn’s cellar was used as an operating room for the wounded. It is said their screams of pain can still sometimes be heard throughout the pub. Another interesting story is that of the two cats who were apparently bricked into the pillar between the door and the bar. It is said the cats can be heard scampering through the pubs and that dogs bark and hit their heads against the pillar trying to get to the cats.

Another pub in York that is of particular interest is the Kings Arms. This is one of, if not the best known, of the pubs in York. As you wander inside to the warm, friendly atmosphere take a moment to look around. As you are greeted by the smiling staff and a friendly open fire (in the colder months) you will notice the pub’s inside décor of stone and wood features plaques of water heights.

The Kings Arms is best known for its capacity to flood. Being located on the banks of the River Ouse, every time the river bursts its banks the famous York pub goes under water. When it’s not flooded they serves up a fantastic king-sized meal. Sit inside by the fire, or on the banks of the River Ouse and have a pint or two and a bite (well a lot of bites) to eat.

York and the surrounding area is said to contain one pub for every day of the year, although this now probably a little exaggerated. It is said, with poetic licence, that there is no point within the city walls where one can stand and not be able to see at least one pub and at least one church. So if you like English beer to York.

by Kate Wiley

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The Alhambra (meaning ‘red fortress’ in Arabic) is an ancient palace and fortress built by the Moorish rulers of Granada in southern Spain (known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city of Granada.

Granada - Copyright: Phil Wiley 2005

Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions exhibiting the country’s most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th century and the later additions of the ornate gardens that can be seen today.

In the warmer months the Alhambra can become so full of tourists that the Palace (full of art and antiquities) closes it’s doors quite early. They only allow a set number of visitors inside per day, so if you arrive later than midday you could be locked out. You can still enter the grounds, and walk the walls, but you won’t get to see many of the treasures.

Granada from Alhambra
Copyright: Phil Wiley 2005

My suggestion is to get there no later than 11am. If you’re staying in Granada be aware that it’s quite a hard walk from most of the tourist hotels so, unless you speak Spanish and can find the right bus (and bus-stop) it’s probably best to get a taxi.

The Palace of Charles V, within the Alhambra, was erected by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527. Its most westerly feature is the alcazaba (citadel); a strongly fortified position. The rest of the plateau comprises a number of palaces, enclosed by a relatively weak fortified wall, with thirteen towers, some defensive and some providing vistas for the inhabitants.

Completed towards the end of Muslim rule in Spain by Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353-1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last days of the Nasrid emirate of Granada. It is a place where artists and intellectuals had taken refuge as Christian Spain won victories over Al Andalus. The Alhambra mixes natural elements with man-made ones, and is a testament to the skill of Muslim craftsmen of that time.

The literal translation of Alhambra “red fortress” derives from the colour of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings now seen today are reddish.

The first reference to the Qal’at al Hamra was during the battles between the Arabs and the Muladies during the rule of the ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad (r. 888-912). In one particularly fierce and bloody skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs, who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive red castle located in the province of Elvira, presently located in Granada. According to surviving documents from the era, the red castle was quite small, and its walls were not capable of deterring an army intent on conquering. The castle was then largely ignored until the eleventh century, when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by Samuel ibn Naghralla, vizier to the King B?d?s of the Zirid Dynasty, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement also located on the Sabikah hill. However, evidence from Arab texts indicates that the fortress was easily penetrated and that the actual Alhambra that survives today was built during the Nasrid Dynasty.

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Radcliffe Camera - copyright: Phil Wiley

The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially, “Rad Cam” or “Radders”) is a building in Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in the English Palladian style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library. The building was funded by a £40,000 bequest from John Radcliffe, who died in 1714. Nicholas Hawksmoor originally proposed making the building round, although the final plans designed by Gibbs were quite different from those planned by Hawksmoor.

After the Radcliffe Science Library moved into another building in about 1860, the Radcliffe Library was taken over by the Bodleian and renamed the Radcliffe Camera (the word camera translates from Latin as “room” or “chamber”.). The upper-floor library became a reading room, used mainly by undergraduates, who had been admitted to the Bodleian since 1856, and the ground floor was turned into a book-stack (it was converted into a second reading room in 1941). In taking over the Radcliffe, the Bodleian library acquired its first major addition of space for readers since the building of Selden End in 1634. And by the beginning of the twentieth century an average of a hundred people a day were using it. It now holds books from the English, history, and theology collections, mostly secondary sources found on Undergraduate and Graduate reading lists. There is space for around 600,000 books in rooms beneath Radcliffe Square.

The Bodleian Library, which is the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in England is second in size only to the British Library. These days, many students choose to order books up to Radcliffe Camera’s reading rooms to enjoy the picturesque surroundings. Annoyingly for staff, it is also one of the harder Bodleian sites to deliver items to

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford - Copyright: Phil Wiley 2008

Oxford’s libraries are among the most celebrated in the world, not only for their incomparable collections of books and manuscripts, but also for their buildings. Some of which have remained in continuous use since the Middle Ages. These buildings are still used by students and scholars from all over the world, and they attract an ever-increasing number of visitors.

The Bodleian, the chief among the University’s libraries, has a special place.

First opened to scholars in 1602, it incorporates an earlier library erected by the University in the fifteenth century to house books donated by Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester. Since 1602 it has expanded, slowly at first but with increasing momentum over the last 150 years, to keep pace with the ever-growing accumulation of books and papers, but the core of the old buildings has remained intact.

Before being granted access to the library, new readers are required to agree to a formal declaration. This declaration was traditionally oral, but is now usually made by signing a letter to the same effect — ceremonies in which readers recite the declaration are still performed for those who wish to take them, these occur primarily at the start of the University’s Michaelmas term. The English text of the declaration is as follows:

I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.

This is a translation of the following traditional Latin oath:

Do fidem me nullum librum vel instrumentum aliamve quam rem ad bibliothecam pertinentem, vel ibi custodiae causa depositam, aut e bibliotheca sublaturum esse, aut foedaturum deformaturum aliove quo modo laesurum; item neque ignem nec flammam in bibliothecam inlaturum vel in ea accensurum, neque fumo nicotiano aliove quovis ibi usurum; item promitto me omnes leges ad bibliothecam Bodleianam attinentes semper observaturum esse. (Leges bibliothecae bodleianae alta voce prae legendae custodis iussu).

Here’s a short video of the libraries of Bodleian.

If you’d like to read more about the Bodleian you can find the official history of the Bodleian here, or browse a richly illustrated full colour .pdf brochure.

And if you’d like access to the online section of the library you can find a range of resources at that link. Some sections though are limited to registered students of Oxford universities.

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