Visiting Oxford For The First Time

Yesterday I made my way from London to Oxford for a little day trip. I hadn't actually planned on visiting, but when my dad told me that he was going up to Oxford to view an upcoming 20th Century Design auction at Mallams I decided that it was a good excuse to tag along. Despite it's proximity to London I'd never visited Oxford before - I didn't really know what to expect beyond gorgeous old buildings, built in that gorgeous "Oxford Stone" with it's distinctive colouring.

Our visit to Mallams was a very pleasant one - I actually shared it on Periscope, and you should give me a follow if you haven't already: OneLittleVice - and I think we perused the various lots for about an hour. I've grown up visiting auction houses and they each have their particular charms, and Mallams is no exception. The lots we went to see were part of tomorrow's 20th Century Design auction and I'l looking forward to checking up on how various pieces sell. It's always interesting to see which pieces exceed their guide prices - sometimes it can be by quite considerable amounts.

After we'd finished at the auction house we went on a long and rambling walk around Oxford. I got to see some particular gorgeous buildings - all parts of various Oxford colleges - and had an insight into what it might be like to live and work in the city. It's a particularly beautiful place, marred only by the unbelievable number of tourists who definitely impact on the quiet and peacefulness of otherwise sleepy-feeling alleys and squares. 

Eventually we stopped for a cup of tea in the garden behind Congregation House, which overlooks Radcliffe Square and the Bodleian Library. It was the perfect venue for enjoying the architecture as well as people watching, as the square was a hub of activity with visitors (such as we were ourselves) taking photos. We indulged in some of our own, and my dad even suggested taking a selfie! And I discovered that it's much harder to do with a DSLR than with my iPhone. Once we'd had our fill of tea we headed off towards Oxford's Natural History Museum.

Although much of Oxford's architecture is really quite stunning, the interior of the Natural History Museum is something else. It's a spectacular building, with the most unusual roof, that has a very unique atmosphere. It isn't a terribly large museum but it's most definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. Not only are there some lovely exhibit displays but there's one architectural touch which really stood out to me. The building features numerous stone pillars - both for decoration and support. Each of these stone pillars are made out of different British rocks, and beneath the pillars the name of the rock used is featured. In this way, the museum has incorporated the display of these indigineous British rocks into the very architecture of the building. It's a really insightful touch, and it's something I haven't seen anywhere else before. 

All in all, I had a wonderful afternoon and it was certainly worth making the trip. I'll definitely be visiting Oxford again, and in the mean time it's whet my appetite for travelling and I'm keen to get out of London more often to do some exploring. Have you visited Oxford before? Is there anything I need to see next time I visit?