I enjoy having strong opinions when it comes to hard itinerary decisions and rating various European destinations. And I enjoy reassessing. Twenty years ago I visited Oxford and Cambridge and got it lodged in my mind that Cambridge was much better to visit than Oxford. Since then, in my lectures, I’ve made the point that, “If you have less than a month to tour Britain, don’t do both great university towns. Do one or the other and save up time for something entirely different (like North Wales or the Cumbrian Lake District). And…Cambridge is better than Oxford.” I’ve spent the last three days enjoying both towns and comparing each — and I need to change my assessment. Here’s how I wrote it up for the next edition of my England guidebook:
England is home to two world-renowned universities: Oxford and Cambridge. Seeing one is enough. And the big question for many is which one? Cambridge is easier and more charming — with its lovely gardens along the River Cam. Oxford is more substantial with lots more to see and do. If you’re choosing between them, consider this: Cambridge feels like a lazy, easygoing small town; Oxford has more urban energy and more stately buildings than its rival. Cambridge is not really on the way to anywhere (and weak in hotels), making it better as a side-trip from London than as a stopover. Oxford can keep you busy sightseeing for a longer time and has plenty of good hotels — so it’s worth a longer stop. Both are convenient to London (with an hour’s train ride). And Oxford is in a much more interesting neighborhood as it sits near the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Blenheim Palace. If you can’t choose, do both (there’s a great bus connection).
The universities of Oxford and Cambridge each consist of many venerable colleges sprinkled through town. And most have a fine central courtyard (called a “court” in Cambridge and a “quad” in Oxford). This is a particularly beautiful quad at Oxford’s Magdalen College.
Oxford and Cambridge each use the “collegiate system” where the colleges are mixed throughout the town; there’s no sense of an intact campus like you’d expect at many American universities. To explain the fascinating mix of town and gown, each city’s tourist board offers fine guided tours (2 hours, £10).
If you haven’t read a lot of novels, visiting Oxford and Cambridge can be frustrating. Each city is bursting with literary references and treats its hometown authors like pop stars — such as C.S. Lewis, E.M. Forster, Lewis Carroll, or J.R.R. Tolkien. If you haven’t read their stuff, you won’t feel a lot of the excitement. Both college towns have also been featured in hit movies. This dining hall at Oxford’s Christ Church College is a huge hit with “Harry Potter” fans since it was the inspiration for Hogwarts’ Great Hall in the films.
Many of your fans from PBS might also feel like they “know” Oxford a bit better from watching the Inspector Morse series over the years. Although I’m sure that Oxford isn’t as violent a town as it appears in those mysteries!
Glad to hear you have crossed over from the dark side. After watching endless Inspector Morse and Lewis and Endeavor, British TV series, we had an emotional urge to visit Oxford. Finally, in the spring of 2012 on a bus tour we arrived in Oxford at exam time. Students wore their exam gowns adding to the atmosphere. It lived up to all our expectations. The only draw back is that we were there only a few hours.
Hear yee, Hear yee:
If we Americans insisted on longer vacations like our European counterparts we could have more vivid experiences without having to make difficult choices like Oxford vs. Cambridge.
Happy Travels,
Jeff
Yay! So glad to read you have changed your mind about Oxford! Years ago I used your guidebook to go to Cambridge and enjoyed it so much but wanted you to make recommendations about Oxford. 2 years ago On a trip to London and Oxford, I had a friend who had studied there give me ideas about what to do – Ashmolean Museum and Blenheim Palace were two of our favorites! Also, we had tea at the Richmond Hotel where Morse & Inspector Lewis stop for drinks in the British shows.
Judy B
Atlanta
Our favorite is Cambridge — even though my wife devours all the Inspector Morse shows — , probably because our daughter spent six months in Cambridge for her semester abroad. When we visited her there, we did the easy trip into London, and one night got last minute tickets to see “Miss Saigon.”
Another great university (England’s third oldest) is Durham, which is in the beautiful medieval town of the same name. Like Oxford and Cambridge, it has a collegiate system, the oldest being University College, which is located in the 11th Century Durham Castle. It’s a hike from London (three hours by train), but well worth a visit.