Things to Do
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C S Lewis on our Doorstep
Just beyond our gates lies C.S. Lewis’s nine-acre garden, now open to the public as a tranquil nature reserve. By prior arrangement, you can also visit The Kilns, Lewis’s former home — where The Chronicles of Narnia were brought to life.​​
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Don’t miss Holy Trinity Church, just a five-minute stroll from The Oaks — Lewis’s beloved place of worship, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and home to the enchanting Narnia Window.​
Shotover Park
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The Oaks lies right on the edge of Shotover Country Park — a magnificent 289-acre woodland mosaic of winding valleys, secret glades, and open meadows. Perched on the southern slopes of Shotover Hill, it’s a haven for walking, running, or cycling through ever-changing landscapes and wildlife-rich habitats.
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Afternoon Tea along the River Cherwell
A sumptuous afternoon tea is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxed outing exploring the beauty of Oxford as seen from the river.
Travelling past Christ Church meadows and the university college boathouses, then passing the tranquil water meadows surrounding Oxford including a visit to Rose Island - Lewis Carroll's favoured destination - the picture perfect backdrop to a lazy afternoon tea.
Oxford Museum Tour
Oxford is home to Britain's oldest museum - the Ashmolean. Here are a list of must-visit museums in Oxford:
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Ashmolean Museum, Art & Archeology
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Museum of Natural History, home of (the remains of) the Oxford dodo
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Museum of the History of Science, in Britain's oldest purpose-built museum building
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Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, St Aldate's
Walking tour of Oxford
If you prefer a human guided tour of the city, there are plenty of fantastic tours to pick from. The ancient university town of Oxford is only a 30 minute cycle from us making Cedar Hollow @ The Oaks a great place to stay if you want to mix your country break with some culture, history and stunning architecture.​
Stroll along cobbled streets, explore world-class museums and colleges, or follow in the footsteps of England’s greatest authors.
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Ride on the Oxford Miniature Railway
The City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers manage their own miniature railway tracks with miniature steam trains that the public can ride.
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A super fun day out with the kids. There are two tracks on their railway. The elevated track is built to cater for 3½" and 5" gauges and the ground level track is for 7¼" gauge.
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Oxford Bus Museum
In "Surprised by Joy", CS Lewis credits the top deck of a bus as the very place where his spiritual awakening began. The story he recalls is from 1929 aboard an early Regent I, one of Oxford’s first motor double-deckers.
Through the 1940s and ’50s, travelling by the newer AEC Regent III between Carfax and Risinghurst, he produced the works that made him a household name: The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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The Oxford Bus Museum holds the very Regent III that would serve Lewis's commute - one he very likely rode - and also preserves an example of the Regent I - the very type on which his conversion took place.
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