Travels with Shep: Oxford & The Cotswolds

I have been to Oxford many times, and once again I was here to show visitors the city; in this case, my son-in-law's sister and nephew. We came by bus and set about to see some highlights, the first being Christ Church Cathedral.

The Meadow Building, undergoing essential repairs and restoration, like so many other buildings in the UK. I am surprised only because England has suffered terribly in the economic collapse of 2009-1010. Perhaps places like Oxford with its educational base are immune to restraints, as most tourist attractions appear to be, too.

I assume, without research, that the abundance of stone and historical scarcity of wood is part of the reason so much is built with stone. Stone masonry has been a significant occupation for hundreds of years, and renovation and restoration here and elsewhere ensures its continued necessity as a craft. Wood, especially English oak, is also highly valued. Except for some Tudor buildings, most wood seems to be reserved for interior work, even today.

Christ Church Cathedral is small but beautiful.

It is always fun to visit the Great Hall, and there is always something new to see or some new story to tell. I explained to Ryan and Robin the connections to Alice, Lewis Carroll, Harry Potter, and even Albert Einstein, and the connection to one of my DeWolfe ancestors, whose namesake is here.

The Great Hall.

Each time I visit the Cathedral, I photograph more details of the great stained glass windows; these examples are, of course, from the St Frideswide window by Edward Burne-Jones in 1858.

The vaulted ceiling is one of England's most beautiful; although small, and thus lacking the majesty found in major cathedrals, it is still inspiring to view.

The Thomas Becket window.

Outside, the well-known clock keeps correct time, as we proved when matched against our digital watches. It was 11:33.

What is the story behind the baroque columns on St Mary's? How dizzy must have the stone carver become!

I stole some shrubbery from St Mary's to get a different picture of the Radcliffe Camera (library) building.

The Bridge of Sighs.

The very narrow passageway from under the Bridge of Sighs to Turf Tavern, one of Oxford's oldest. My daughter-in-law, who worked in Oxford a few year's ago, pointed out to me that the Bear Tavern claims to be the oldest, but I have not "found" that pub yet.

The chalk boards told us more about this tavern: It was built in the moat outside the city wall, and its foundation and its use as a malt house & drinking tavern can be dated back to 1381, noted by a tax imposed by Richard II. It appears to have changed its name from the Spotted Cow as a reflection of its reputation as a venue for gambling; a TURF was where gamblers would come to meet their "turfmen" or "turf accountants."

Many famous people have enjoyed a pint (or more) here, including Chuck Berry, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, C. S. Lewis, Stephen Hawking, Bill Clinton, Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Hardy, Gordon Ramsey and Oscar Wilde. And that was just those who were here last Friday night.

I thought that Robin and Ryan should see at least one of the colleges and its campus, and I agree with guidebooks that recommend the accessible Magdalen College.

We have had fun with this page from the record of menus: students that week enjoyed poached egg on spaghetti, spam fritters with runner beans, cold roast beef with spinach and peas, and cold corned beef salad.

The little River Cherwell wanders through Magdalen College. We noticed that despite its murkiness, there were what looked like trout in the river.

There were also the usual punters, who are always fun to watch--and tease as they struggle to steer the punts.

There were also swans on the river; here a family paddled for quite a distance beside us as we wandered along Addison's Walk into the Fellows' Garden.

Young Ryan caught a glint of sun reflected from aluminum, so we found the sculpture created by Mark Wallinger in Bat Meadow in the Fellows' Garden. The sculpture is entitled Y and was unveiled 22 July 2008, St Mary Magdalen Day.

The Turner Prize winner Wallinger wrote of his sculpture:

"The bifurcating forks or tines of Y are like the branches of the College's ancestral tree or the antlers of the College deer. The repeated figure references divining rods, typically cut from the trees found in Bat Willow Meadow, and the structure echoes the Gothic tracery which is present within the architecture of the College."

Later, the doorman told us that the roots of the sculpture were as wide as the branches, to keep it from falling over. I have speculated that if so, the reason has everything to do with the nature of trees, not just anchoring. I think it is a wonderful metaphor, as a rural tree in a woods in the middle of a busy urban city. The roots of Magdalen College are deep, too.

Other trees, having died from old age, have been converted into seats in the woods. It makes me think about what will happen to me when I am too old and useless to be kept as a human being. A curmudgeonly footstool, anyone?

The English love flowers, and they grow especially beautiful roses. Gardeners were everywhere on the College grounds. I think this photo is quite good.

Oxford is famous for its grotesques and gargoyles. These I shot when noticed on several different buildings in the city.

Oxford is a city for youth, and college students are everywhere. I feel guilty taking pictures of strangers, but you need people pictures to bring life to the cityscapes.

Off to the Cotswolds . . .

The Cotswolds may well be the rose in the garden called Britain; almost everywhere there is beauty to be enjoyed. Today we drove to Bourton-on-the-Water.

Even in a rather plain church, as the one in Bourton-on-the-Water, there is a pretty, and unusual ceiling.

The prettiness of the churchyard is enhanced by its somewhat disheveled look, as old tombstones and monuments are askew and overgrown with flowers.

Many shops in this part of England try to "cash in" on the Alice stories by Lewis Carroll, who lived and taught in nearby Oxford for most of his life.

Solicitor I. R. Cannicott has a charming entrance to his law office on the High Street in Bourton-on-the-Water.

This was a very hot day, and Brits and tourists were here in droves, many with children they let wade in the shallow River Windrush. I spent a few hours sitting along its banks, chatting with other folks like me. (Meaning not young or wanting to shop!)

People take photos of everything. I liked this pram. A lady from a bus tour approached the old man next to me and chatted him up. Then she took his photo. He commented after that "she doesn't know me! How am I going to see the picture; she doesn't even know where I live!"

Typical Cotswold houses. They are built with the famous Cotswold yellow stone. Some of the houses in the village are 300 years old, a few dating back to Elizabethan times.

This Gloucestershire village is famous for its shopping, its food, and attractions such as its miniature village.

Later, after spending the afternoon in the village, we drove east to Deddington for supper, at our favourite pub, Pudding Face, the Pie Place.

A typical Deddington home.

Having been here for many months, it was time to try the local brewery's offering, which was very nice.

I passed on the bitter and have never developed a taste for cider.

But the food here is magnificent. I had hoped for the slow-roasted lamb, but it was gone, so I settled for a new meat pie, Spiced Lamb, with turmeric, mint, garlic and ginger. Oh my, it was scrumptious. I have not had better food than here in this wonderful pub.