South East England
Date ideas in Oxford
Updated
Oxford is made for wandering: honey-coloured colleges, hidden lanes, two rivers and meadows that reach right into the middle of town. The big university museums are free, so there's always somewhere dry when it rains, and in summer you can take to the water in a punt. These are our picks, from an easy afternoon in town to a day out at Blenheim.
Our picks in Oxford
Punting on the Cherwell
Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, High Street, or the Cherwell Boathouse, North Oxford
Address: Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, High Street, Oxford OX1 4AU- Activity
- Outdoors
- Mid-price
- Best in Spring, Summer
- Romantic
Hire a punt and take turns pushing each other along the Cherwell, past the Botanic Garden and Christ Church Meadow or up through the parks to the north.
Why it's a good date: Wobbly, funny and very Oxford, and it's fine to be terrible at it. Bring a picnic and a bottle, and if neither of you fancies the pole, book a chauffeured punt instead.
Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Radcliffe Square and the University Church tower
Radcliffe Square and the High Street
Address: University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BJ- Culture
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
Stand in Radcliffe Square under the great dome of the Radcliffe Camera, then climb the tower of the University Church next door for a view over the spires.
Why it's a good date: The best view in Oxford for the price of a coffee, looking straight down on the Radcliffe Camera and across the colleges. The steps are narrow, so take it slowly.
Photo: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
A tour of the Bodleian
Broad Street, by the Sheldonian Theatre
Address: Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
Join a guided tour of the Bodleian Library, starting in the fan-vaulted Divinity School and, on the longer tours, going up into Duke Humfrey's medieval reading room.
Why it's a good date: You get to see rooms that most visitors never do, with plenty of stories along the way. Tours sell out, so book ahead.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Ashmolean
Beaumont Street, city centre
Address: Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Browse Britain's oldest public museum, free to get in, from Egyptian mummies to paintings by Turner and Pissarro, then have a drink at the rooftop restaurant.
Why it's a good date: Free, beautiful and big enough to get pleasantly lost in. Pick a gallery each and show each other your favourite thing.
Photo: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0 (resized)
Pitt Rivers and the Museum of Natural History
Parks Road
Address: South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PP- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Walk under the iron and glass roof of the Museum of Natural History, past the dinosaurs and the dodo, and through to the crammed, dimly lit cases of the Pitt Rivers.
Why it's a good date: Two free museums in one visit, and the Pitt Rivers is gloriously odd: there's something strange in every drawer. A perfect rain plan.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Christ Church Meadow
St Aldate's or Rose Lane, city centre
Address: St Aldate's, Oxford OX1 1DP- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Walk the loop round Christ Church Meadow, down Poplar Walk to the Thames, along the river and back by the Cherwell, with the college towers above the trees.
Why it's a good date: Countryside two minutes from the High Street, often with longhorn cattle grazing in the middle. Watch the rowers on the river, and finish at the Botanic Garden next door.
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Port Meadow and the Trout
From Walton Well Road, Jericho, to Godstow Road, Wolvercote
Address: The Trout Inn, 195 Godstow Road, Wolvercote, Oxford OX2 8PN- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Cosy
Walk across Port Meadow, open common land where horses and cattle roam, and up the Thames Path to the Trout Inn at Wolvercote for a drink by the weir.
Why it's a good date: Big skies and wide water barely a mile from the centre, with a riverside pub as the reward. Go for sunset on a summer evening, when the meadow glows.
Photo: AstacopsisGouldi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
University of Oxford Botanic Garden
Rose Lane, by Magdalen Bridge
Address: Rose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZ- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
Wander Britain's oldest botanic garden, from the walled beds to the glasshouses full of carnivorous plants and water lilies, under Magdalen's tower.
Why it's a good date: Quiet and lovely in any season, and the glasshouses are a warm escape in winter. Watch the punts from the riverside wall.
The Covered Market
Market Street, between the High and Cornmarket
Address: Market Street, Oxford OX1 3DZ- Café
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round the old market hall off the High Street, with its butchers, bakers, cake shops and little cafés.
Why it's a good date: Cheap, cheerful and dry, with lunch for two that costs very little. Pick something sweet each and share.
Photo: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)
Turf Tavern
Bath Place, off Holywell Street, by the Bridge of Sighs
Address: 4-5 Bath Place, Oxford OX1 3SU- Bar
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
Find your way down the narrow alleys off Holywell Street to the old pub tucked behind the college walls, with low beams and beer gardens on three sides.
Why it's a good date: Half the fun is finding it. Cosy inside in winter, and the courtyards are lovely on a summer evening.
Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Gees
Banbury Road, North Oxford
Address: 61A Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PE- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Have dinner in a Victorian glasshouse on the Banbury Road, once a greengrocer's and florist's, now a restaurant cooking Mediterranean food.
Why it's a good date: Candles, plants and glass all round: it feels like an occasion. Book for a summer evening while it's still light, or a winter night when it glows.
The Phoenix Picturehouse
Walton Street, Jericho
Address: 57 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AE- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Catch a film at the little independent cinema in Jericho that has been showing pictures since before the First World War.
Why it's a good date: Small, friendly and full of character, with Jericho's pubs and restaurants right outside for after.
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Oxford Playhouse
Beaumont Street, opposite the Ashmolean
Address: 11-12 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Culture
See a play, a comedy or a dance show at the theatre on Beaumont Street, from touring productions to student shows.
Why it's a good date: A proper night out in a friendly, not-too-big theatre. Make it a full evening with the Ashmolean's rooftop beforehand if it's open late.
Photo: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Blenheim Palace
Woodstock, eight miles north of Oxford
Address: Woodstock OX20 1PP- Trip
- A treat
- Culture
- Out of town
Take the bus out to Woodstock for the vast baroque palace where Winston Churchill was born, and walk the lake and parkland afterwards.
Why it's a good date: A whole day out with a palace, formal gardens and miles of park. Have lunch in Woodstock, and save time for the walk to the Grand Bridge.
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Dates in Oxford: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Oxford?
The Ashmolean and the Pitt Rivers with the Museum of Natural History are free and indoors. A tour of the Bodleian, a film at the Phoenix, a show at the Playhouse or grazing round the Covered Market will keep you dry too.
Are there free date ideas in Oxford?
Plenty. The Ashmolean, the Pitt Rivers and the Museum of Natural History are free, and so are walks round Christ Church Meadow and across Port Meadow.
When can you go punting in Oxford?
Mostly from spring to early autumn, when the boathouses hire out punts by the hour. Magdalen Bridge Boathouse is right in town, and the Cherwell Boathouse in North Oxford is quieter.
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