Monday 25th July: Oxford & Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor

As expected, the university town Oxford, was full of very old and private facilities. This is probably good for the students, but meant we either had to pay to enter each university of just look from the outside in. We wandered through the main street/mall, which was full of students, expensive shopping and various fast food outlets. It was an odd combination. I was all excited about going to the Ashmolean (the University Museum) as there was an exhibition on about Alexander the Great – but the museum is closed on Mondays! Who closes a museum on a Monday!!!!

We decided on Christ Church College as this contains the eating hall used in the Harry Potter films. It’s also one of the oldest colleges at Oxford, re-founded by Henry VIII even though Cardinal Wolsey planned its design originally as Cardinal College. The entrance driveway was lined with lavender, probably a good thing for the students. Inside the ‘gate’ was a giant quadrangle, lined with old sandstone buildings – to me, it was everything UQ would want to be when it grows up! We went into the college cathedral before hitting the eating hall. As with all British Cathedrals, there was some phenomenal stained glass windows which were huge and intricate. The tomb of Lady Montacute (who owned the priory land in 1350s) was there as well and as we were unable to visit her manor house, I felt that I should at least take a photo of her tomb. The vaulted ceilings were dated from around the 15^th century, with the priory itself being established somewhere in the 12^th century. The choir section was intricately carved wood with seats covered in dark red velvet. We moved onto the eating hall – it was much smaller than it appeared in the Potter films, but I just loved walls lined with huge portraiture, with eyes that follow you around the room. At the head of the room was Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Cardinal Wolesely, Prime Ministers educated at the college and other important people.

With the morning spent at Oxford, it was time to head off to Windsor, where the hotel we were staying at (The Oakley Court Hotel) was used as the Rocky Horror Picture Show castle. The hotel itself was beautiful – between the green grounds that overlooked the Thames River, to the old main building, to the simply divine dinner. Mark tells me the trout was the best he had ever eaten, and the beef just melted in my mouth. The entrance, the stairwell in the main foyer, and the drawing room were all used in Rocky Horror. I could picture Riff Raff opening the door (the doorbell was right there, just like in the movie), and we touched the stairway banister that Magenta slid down. Yes, we did wash our hands. This hotel had it all, including loud Americans, and was great to stay at.

Check out our Oxford piccies here!