Experiences
The Bee Museum
Tucked within our garden lies the Maison du Miel - The Oaks Bee Museum - a cosy, enchanting nook where the hidden world of bees gently unfolds. It’s where we harvest our honey, but it’s also a space for curiosity and connection. Discover the extraordinary lifecycle of these vital pollinators, and explore why bees are more essential than ever. With hands-on displays, a peek into our working hives, and tastings of honey made right here at The Oaks, it’s a delicious blend of nature, sustainability, and story.
As proud recipients of the Gold Award from Green Tourism, we’re buzzing to share the wonder of our bees with you.
Trail of Illusions
At The Oaks, magic isn’t just a theme - it’s a craft. Created by a member of The Magic Circle, illusions are woven throughout the estate: from hidden carvings and woodland wonders to our AI-powered talking mirror.
Amble through the Eastern Woods, where nothing is quite as it seems. Book the Trail of Illusions with one of our Keepers of the Keys, and the forest will begin to share its secrets.
Explore the Bats of Shotover
We provide everything you need for a magical night of bat watching, including a user-friendly bat detector and red light torch (to preserve night vision and limit bat disturbance).
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned nature lover, our kits make it easy to tune in to the hidden world of bats.
Just step outside at dusk and let the adventure begin.
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Escape Rooms at Cedar Hollow
Escape experiences are included for Cedar Hollow Oxford guests.
Non-staying guests can book either for £35 per person, subject to availability. Designed and built by the Wizards of Ox
The Queen’s Hunt: Exclusive to the Beaver’s Den. The fire is warm, the tea is still on the table, but the Queen’s wolves are closing in. Can you escape before they reach you.
The Call Beyond the Lamp Post: The Professor is trying to reach you through an old Oxford telephone box, but the Queen has bewitched the connection. Can you restore the line before the spell takes hold.
Both games are story-led escape experiences designed for ages 12+. Advance booking is required through the guest app.
A.I. Guided Walking Tour of CS Lewis' Oxford
In partnership with the C.S. Lewis Foundation, we’ve created an interactive walking tour of Lewis’s Oxford, guided by Jack, as he was known to his friends.
Hear stories of the Inklings, the pubs where they gathered, and the colleges that shaped their imagination. From The Eagle and Child to Magdalen College, follow Lewis’s footsteps through the city he loved and let his own words bring it to life.
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Live Magic at The Oaks
The Wizards of Ox invite you to an intimate afternoon of refined close-up magic. Personal, playful and seemingly impossible, each performance brings mystery within inches of your eyes.
Experience the art of mystery with a Member of The Magic Circle, performing alongside a rising star of the Young Magicians Club.
Magic shows are complimentary when joining a scheduled group performance. Private shows are available for £100 and require prior arrangement to ensure availability.
Bird Watching in our Woodlands
Our woodlands extending to Shotover Country Park is a haven for birdwatchers, with its ancient woodland and heathland attracting a rich variety of species. Red kites soar overhead with their distinctive forked tails, while tawny owls call from the canopy at dusk. Look out too for great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches and yellowhammers alongside familiar favourites like robins and goldfinches.
The Last Bus of Lewis's England
A quiet tribute to C.S. Lewis’s journey of faith & imagination.
In his autobiography, Lewis traced his spiritual awakening to the top deck of a double-decker bus climbing Headington Hill in 1929. In the years that followed, he travelled between home and Magdalen College while writing the works that would shape a generation.
Introduced in 1956, the Routemaster was the last great double-decker of Lewis’s lifetime. RM924 now rests at Cedar Hollow Oxford, overlooking the very landscape that helped shape his imagination.