Oxford & the city

It is no ordinary door, but has character. All wood, a carved lion at its centre, and gold flute-playing fauns by the side. This door (and a nearby lamppost) is what inspired writer CS Lewis to create the characters for his book, ‘Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’. It is, thus, affectionately called the ‘Narnia Door’.

I am in Oxford, the famous city in Oxfordshire, known for being home to literary greats, and the country’s oldest seat of learning. The city is an underrated gem, offering something for everyone. You can walk in the footsteps of literary giants, go punting down a river, sip a pint at old thatched-roof pubs, and see some art at modern museums.

Fact file

• The best time to visit is October and November, before winter hits and autumn is in full swing .
• Oxfordshire is a two-hour train ride from London.
• Definitely try a Sunday roast, a specialty in this part of the UK.
• There are many free walking tours in Oxford City. Taxis are available, but it is advisable to book in advance.

My maiden visit to this city has to begin with my favourite, Harry Potter. A walking tour of Oxford brings me to two places that were featured in the movies. The Gothic vaulted ceiling of the Bodleian Library’s Divinity School was used as Hogwarts’ Infirmary in the first movie. At the nearby Christ Church College, the staircase was used to film the entrance scene in the first movie, and its Tudor Great Dining Hall was used as an inspiration for the Hogwarts Dining Hall.

The most photographed building here is the Rad Cam or Radcliffe Camera, which began as a reading room for scholars, and is now only open to students. The best view of the Rad Cam is from the nearby St Mary’s Church tower, after climbing 127 steps to the top. The tower is one of the many peaks, like the Carfax Tower, which afford a glimpse of the skyline. It is from these viewpoints that I learn why Oxford is sometimes called the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’.

Expectedly, for a city that’s provided inspiration for books and movies, there are stories to be found everywhere. The neo-Gothic Bridge of Sighs at Hertford College is believed to have once been the passageway for condemned prisoners, offering them a last glimpse of the world before their execution. At Christ Church College, there once lived a maths tutor, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He became friendly with the family of the Dean, Henry Liddell. One day, he told the Liddell daughters a story about a girl and her adventures; the story would eventually become ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’.

My adventures take place in the wonderland that is the Oxford Botanic Garden, founded in 1621. It is the oldest in Great Britain and home to some rare species, a collection of the euphorbia plant. Right outside is the fragrant and lush Rose Garden.

A stop for coffee at Grand Cafe on the main street introduces me to what was the first coffee house in the city and the oldest in England (circa 1650). I find a better option for food, and souvenirs at the Covered Market. It’s another old place (circa 1700s) with many food options, and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ sculptures hanging from the rafters.

Perhaps the most unique way to explore Oxford is by pub-hopping. At The Eagle and Child, I walk in the footsteps of literary greats like JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, who would meet under the aegis of Inklings. The Bear Inn is the oldest pub here, and in possession of a collection of 2,000 ties from across the world.

Ties aren’t the only collections in Oxford. The Norrington Room at the century-old Blackwell’s bookshop holds the Guinness book record for the single largest room selling books. There are Egyptian mummies at the Ashmolean Museum, Einstein’s blackboard and the first Penicillin cultures at the History of Science Museum.

The most fascinating collection is that of fairy doors and miniature doors at the sides of buildings to mimic those of 10 Downing Street. Because, at Oxford, even doors tell a story.

— The writer is based in Goa