Oxfordshire self-catering attractions
This section offers information about Oxfordshire's most important visitor attractions and historical sites. There's also details of top restaurants and pubs in the region with opening times and admission prices. Links are also provided where possible.Outdoor activities
Cotswold Wildlife and Gardens is situated in Burford and consists of 200 acres of picturesque woodland and gardens. It is also home to a variety of animals and features a tropical house, bat sanctuary and an adventure playground for kids. A narrow-gauge railway also runs through its grounds. Tickets are between £8 and £11. A variety of boat excursions are run along the 47mile stretch of the River Thames. Centres such as Hobbs of Henley offer 60 minute sightseeing trips between Marsh and Hambleden Locks - tickets are £7.50 for adults.
There are also a number of trails that run through the countryside that are well-suited to cyclists, such as the Phoenix Trail and the Didcot to Upton Railway Path (Cycle Route 44). Gentle Cycling offers bike tours of the region and caters for beginners and the advanced.
Food and drinkGood pubs include The Three Horseshoes in Whitney, which is a Grade II listed building and features a traditional interior of flagstone floors and low, beamed ceilings. Separate lunch and evening menus are served and there's a pub garden for families and groups. The delightful Old Thatched Inn is also worth visiting and dates back to the mid 17th century. It features a distinctive thatched roof and a classic, country pub interior. The conservatory area allows diners to enjoy their highly original menu and a selection of local ales such as Hook Norton Best are also served.
Mulberry Restaurant in Moreton-in-Marsh is a former 16th century coaching inn that fuses modern furnishings with classical features, such as oak beams and stone walls. The cuisine, which has earned the restaurant two AA rosettes, is Modern British in style with signs of French influences - children over 8 are welcome and parking is available. The Hare Restaurant in Hungerford is also noteworthy and specialises in contemporary European fare. This one-time pub has three dining rooms, all of which have an informal, relaxed feel. The menus are kept short but feature imaginative dishes like roast quail with risotto. Main courses start at around £16.
History and CultureThe North Leigh Roman Villa is an important historical site and has an elaborate mosaic, tiled floor - admission is free. Chastleton House is also memorable and is one of Europe's finest surviving examples of a Jacobean House. Located in Moreton-in-Marsh, the house is furnished with a large number of rare and priceless objects and there's also a large Elizabethan garden. Tickets are £7.50 for adults. Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill should also be visited and features over 2000 acres of well-kept gardens.
