Cloud 9: Oxford May 3, 2012

Continuing south, I headed into downtown Oxford.

I can't really say what I think about Oxford. It feels a bit cold - maybe because of all the stone, which I ought to like but somehow don't. Maybe it would look warmer and softer on a sunny day. The people don't strike me as particularly warm and charming either. But there is something interesting about the place. There are, of course, university students all over. Young boys in white shirts and ties. Bicycles galore. Croquet!

I was curious about the stone used in this area and looked it up on the net:

Medieval builders liked to use a stone with the jazzy name of Oxford Rag. It was created when the sea covering this part of the country was rich in coral reefs. The shells and corals fused into this loose-textured stone, which was used in rubble lumps. You can see it in St Michael's Church tower in Cornmarket Street. By the 15th century, Oxford Rag had been overtaken in popularity by limestone from quarries at Headington. It was used for New College (1396), what would become Christ Church (1520s) and, in time, every major building in the city, as well as quite a few minor ones.

By the 18th century, Oxford had come to realise that Headington stone weathered badly, and stone from Taynton, on the other side of Burford, and Clipsham, in Rutland, was used instead. From the Regency period it became practicable to bring in stone from further afield, Bath stone from Box being popular.

Alice in Wonderland

After my ancestors' house, one of the main things I wanted to visit in Oxford, believe it not, was the Alice store on St Aldates Street. I went straight there and had fun buying stickers, tea towels, erasers, etc.

According to the store's website: "Alice's Shop is the authentic Alice in Wonderland Shop because it is part of the original story. Situated across the road from Alice's childhood home, the Oxford University college of Christ Church, Alice's Shop was Alice's sweet shop 150 years ago. Lewis Carroll wrote the shop into the Alice adventures in Through the Looking-Glass and the illustrator, Sir John Tenniel, sketched two illustrations of the shop for the original book. An entire episode in the story takes place in the shop."

Christ Church Meadow

Across the road from the store happened to be Christ Church Meadow. I was lured by the greenery.

Text at bottom of picture reads: "The famous Alice books were written by a Christ Church maths lecturer, Charles Dodgson, whose pen name was Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass, were originally tales told to Alice Liddell, daughter or the Dean of Christ Church. Many locations in Alice's adventures are based on parts of the college."

I liked to see the word pilgimage here (on the ground), relating it to my trip thanks to a friend who put a name to its purpose.

'Dogs are not allowed'... except they are if they're on a leash.

Christ Church produced thirteen British prime ministers, more than the other colleges.

Apparently it's a two mile walk through meadows and along riverbanks. In the summertime Longhorn cattle graze here!

The Meadow Building, I believe.

University Botanic Garden

Across from Magdalen College and founded in 1621, this garden was created to grow plants for the research of medicine. There are over 7000 species.

I'd walked across Christ Church Meadow to the garden.

Wish tree.

Magdalen Bridge! I hadn't expected to see it right here.

I wonder if this is the Magdalen College bell tower, viewed from the garden? If so, the school choir sings from the top of it at 6:00 am every May Day. That would have been something to experience, and I probably could have, but maybe I wasn't aware of it, or didn't want to get up that early.