%crThe romance of Bath Place%c* and other Oxford, United Kingdom General Tips

Favorite Thing: This charming tiny cobbled lane off Holywell St caught my imagination as soon as I spotted it on my last visit to Oxford. I had no time to explore it so I just took a photo and looked for more information on the Internet. The street, lined with seventeenth century cottages built by Flemish weavers, is situated at the foot of the old city wall, now in the heart of Oxford. Its name comes from a communal well and bathhouse that are believed to have been there in ancient times. Though the street was then inhabited by the low classes, Jane Morris, the daughter of a stockman and born in one of the cottages was the inspiration to Dante Gabrielle Rosetti when he painted his picture of Proserpine, the Greek and Roman goddess, and indeed became the archetype of 'female beauty'. King Edward VII often visited acquaintances living there and in the 1920's the well-known writer Dorothy L. Sayers made Bath Place her home and described the life there in her books. A B&B in one of the cottages is rumoured to have been the venue of Richard Burton and Elisabeth Taylor's secret meetings when Burton was acting at the Oxford playhouse before they got married.
The cottages now house the Bath Place Hotel - what a romantic place to stay in.


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Favorite Thing: Walking around Oxford, it is worth paying attention to minute details and you may find some wonderful surprises. This beautiful sculpture of a cherub was pointed out to me by Barbara, or I would have missed it. It can be found on the wall of the Bodleian Library just opposite the entrance to Hertford College. I cannot be sure if it is the guardian angel, but if so, he/she has done his/her job extremely well - the Library has flourished for centuries! If you are visiting Oxford with children, they would be certain to notice many such details, provided of course that they don't walk around playing with their gameboys or mobiles. Take your binoculars with you - the gargoyles on many buildings are simply fantastic but placed too high to be clearly visible. If I ever get the chance of a leisurely walk around Oxford again, I am sure I could still be in for many such surprises.


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