Visit Oxfordshire and uncover hidden treasures of this beautiful county, with a charming and diverse landscape – Oxford is sure to satisfy any visitor. Perhaps you want a captivating rural landscape, excellent for cyclists and walkers, or maybe a cultural getaway? You might even fancy treating yourself to a shopping spree, well look no further because Oxford has the lot. So sit back, relax and let Les Routiers guide you to planning your perfect short break.
Oxfordshire benefits from many quaint villages and market towns, one of whom is Witney, the largest of the market towns in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Much of the architecture reflects the past prosperity of the woollen trade that put this pretty town on the map. An exquisite high street runs from the Butter Cross spire, featuring the 18th century town hall and the Victorian Corn Exchange. The town has a bustling atmosphere with a good range of shops with a twice weekly market. Witney also offers a varied shopping experience including the Marriotts Walk shopping development, pubs, restaurants, and leisure facilities located at The Witney Lakes resort and the Windrush Leisure Centre.
Make the most of your trip and experience the true beauty of Oxford by taking a boat trip down the River Thames. Salter’s Steamers are a family firm that provide first-class hospitality on the Royal River Thames for over 150 years! As one of the longest established firms on the Thames, they own one of the largest and most exclusive fleets operating on the river. With a combination of traditional style, contemporary comforts and the highest modern standards, it will make a fantastic addition to your trip away. They offer a variety of vastly popular boat trips through some of the most beautiful scenery in England. During the summer months, scheduled trips operate from every major location on the Upper-Thames between the university city of Oxford and the London boundary city of Staines (including such famous places as Reading, Henley and Windsor).
A special event commencing on the 20th June is the wonderful, ever flourishing Flower Show showcasing at Blenheim Palace. Inspire your gardening creativity with a visit to the Blenheim Palace Show Gardens. Some of the UK’s finest garden landscape designers will construct breath-taking outdoor spaces in order to sample their exquisite design work. A stunning 25,000 sq. ft. Grand Floral Pavilion forms the main centrepiece of the show. Playing host to a selection of the UK’s finest nurseries, the Grand Floral Marquee is the perfect place to speak to the experts, buy your quality flowers and admire the best of British Gardening. The curators of this annual show have designed these gardens to illustrate how to combine design flair with practicality. Using top-quality plants and materials from local suppliers they have created an affordable garden that includes bold, beautiful planting, practical paving, decking areas, smart lawns, generous seating and soothing water features.
To finish your trip why not visit Headington Quarry, a quaint village now part of Oxford city. With an attractive combination of old and modern houses, built in and around the quarries which provided some of the stone for the Oxford colleges. Just off the main high-street is the Black Boy Restaurant, a Les Routiers listed establishment. This special eatery is a perfect way to top off your trip to Oxford. The Black Boy owners Chris Bentham and Abigail Rose have been in catering business for over 15 years. They’ve also have had the privilege of working with high profile mentors such as Raymond Blanc and Paul Heathcote. With The Black Boy, they are taking the fine dining concept, turning it on its head, providing well-priced, homemade food with Artisan bread and traditional pub fayre (including homemade pork scratchings!). With the addition of their Kids Kitchen and weekly jazz/blues nights in the mix, they provide that little bit more than just a conventional restaurant.
There are countless ways to enjoy Oxford and Oxfordshire, hopefully we have inspired you to book your short break, to enjoy everything that this magnificent county has to offer.