Things to Do in Oxford

THINGS TO DO IN OXFORD

You may well have some free time between your interviews when you have a chance to explore Oxford. Please remember to check the noticeboard regularly for any updates to the interview schedule. We will endeavour to contact you via your mobile if an interview is scheduled at short notice (within two hours), but it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you attend. Tours

 There are a number of walking tours, as well as evening ghost walks, available from guides outside the gates of Trinity College (directly left out of the Balliol main gate). Information about times and prices can be found at www.oxfordwalkingtours.com/index.php.  There is also a hop-on, hop-off open top bus tour that can be boarded on Broad Street (turn left out of the main gate). More information and ticket prices can be found at www.citysightseeingoxford.com.  A Tourist Information centre can be found directly opposite the college main gate. Places of Interest

 If you prefer to explore on your own, the map of Oxford in your welcome pack has many landmarks highlighted, including the Colleges and University buildings (such as the Bodleian and the Radcliffe Camera).  Other landmarks that you may be interested in are the University Church of St Mary the Virgin (in Radcliffe Square) and Carfax Tower (at the end of Cornmarket Street). Both offer some of the best views of the city.  If you fancy a bit of fresh air and break from the city centre, you might enjoy a quiet walk amongst the various trees and plants in Oxford University Parks (www.parks.ox.ac.uk). If you go with a group, there are also spaces where you can play informal games such as football or frisbee. The entrance on Parks Road is a 10 minute walk from Balliol. Alternatively, Christ Church Meadow (www.chch.ox.ac.uk/visiting-christ-church/meadow) is also a 10-15 minute walk from Balliol. Museums

 The Ashmolean Museum (OX1 2PH - www.ashmolean.org) is open Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm. Entrance is free of charge, but special exhibitions may have additional entry fees.  The Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OX1 3PW - www.oum.ox.ac.uk) is open every day from 10am-5pm. It holds the University’s collection of significant zoological and geological specimens, and admission is free.  The Pitt Rivers Museum (www.prm.ox.ac.uk) is located within the Natural History Museum, but is open Tues-Sun 10am-4.30pm and Mon 12-4.30pm. Its collection is made up of archaeological and ethnographic objects from all over the world, and admission is free.  The Museum of the History of Science (OX1 3AZ - www.mhs.ox.ac.uk) is open Tues-Fri 12-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 2-5pm. It houses a large collection of scientific instruments from antiquity to the modern day. Admission is free. Cinema, Theatre and Music

 Odeon cinemas can be found on Magdalen Street (OX1 3AE) and George Street (OX1 2BL), and a Curzon cinema can be found in the Westgate shopping centre.  The Oxford Playhouse (OX1 2LW - www.oxfordplayhouse.com/), New Theatre (OX1 2AG - www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre- oxford/) and The Sheldonian Theatre (OX1 3AZ - www.ox.ac.uk/sheldonian) will continue to be open during the interview period.  The Phoenix Picturehouse (OX1 6AE www.picturehouses.com/cinema/phoenix-picturehouse) is further away, but often has less mainstream listings, as well as seasonal or classic film programmes. Shopping

 The main shopping areas are on Cornmarket Street, the High Street and Queen’s Street, and in the Westgate and Clarendon Centres (OX1 1TR and OX1 3JE respectively).  The famous Blackwell’s Bookshop (OX1 3BQ - bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/stores/oxford-bookshop/) is on Broad Street, just down the road from Balliol.  Oxford’s Covered Market (OX1 3DZ - www.oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk) is in the centre of Oxford and is full of a variety of locally owned and run shops.  The Oxford Christmas Market (www.oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk/) runs annually on Broad Street, directly outside the college’s main gate. Food

 The Covered Market is home to a number of interesting places to eat, including Alpha Bar, Ben’s Cookies, and Sasi’s Thai.  Oxford’s ice cream chain G&D’s (www.gdcafe.com) can be found on St Aldate’s (OX1 1BT) and Little Clarendon Street (OX1 2HS).  Oxford has lots of great coffee shops. The Turl Street Kitchen, just across the road from College (OX1 3DH), and The Handle Bar (OX1 2EB) are particularly good.  A very different experience can be had at the Thirsty Meeples Board Games Café, (www.thirstymeeples.co.uk/ - OX1 2DF). For a small cover charge, you can play any game from their extensive library.