Oxford in six stops

Punt your way back through history in one of the world’s most famous university cities, says Lizzie Frainier

1 Oxford is a city suited to summer. Locals fill the parks, the honey-hued stone buildings look perfect against blue skies and 24 June marks the start of Oxford Festival of the Arts, a fortnightlong 2 celebration of culture. artsfestivaloxford.org Dip an oar into boat life and spend an afternoon on the water. Hire a traditional craft from Magdalen Bridge Boathouse and float down the River Cherwell. Order a picnic hamper filled with sandwiches and cakes while a punter does 3 all the hard work. oxfordpunting.co.uk

If Oxford is known for anything, it’s the university. Most of the 38 colleges are open to the public for a small fee and they’re well worth a visit. Christ Church’s porters still wear bowler hats, while its architecture has featured in Harry Potter films. New College has cloisters and gargoyles brimming4 with history. chch.ox.ac.uk new.ox.ac.uk Founded in 1683, The Ashmolean is Britain’s oldest public museum. Inside you’ll find objects dating back to 8,000BC, as well as Guy Fawkes’s lantern and diverse art ranging from the pre-Raphaelites to modern Chinese paintings. Round it off with sundowners on the rooftop terrace for views over the city’s spires. ashmolean.org 5

Gee’s Victorian glasshouse comes into its own on summer evenings. Feast on Mediterranean dishes like burrata, chickpea and radicchio salad and pizzettas topped with wild mushrooms and rosemary. Amalfi lemon tart and blackberry sorbet 6goes down all too easily. gees-restaurant.co.uk

Stay in the centre of it all at Old Bank Hotel, which has handmade beds and marble bathrooms throughout. Most of the city’s attractions are within easy walking distance but to ensure you really fit in, make use of the hotel’s complimentary bikes. oldbank-hotel.co.uk