My husband and I have taken a self-catering cottage about five miles from Oxford (regular bus service to and from) for a week in mid-late September. We know we want to spend a couple of days in Oxford proper and the rest visiting gardens and historic houses and generally interesting places in the Cotswolds.

Does anyone know of a book or travel guide that is still in print that would be helpful or interesting?

And what are the pleasures we should not miss? Favorite restaurants, pubs or tea rooms? We are older folk (76 and 58) and our interests tend toward art, gardens, history, that kind of thing. We will have a car but we don't want to drive more than an hour to a destination--unless it's a humdinger.

I haven't been in Oxford since I was 18 and spending a year at an English public school. I am guessing it has changed some since 1970.

We are interested in all you have to say, the "don't miss" and the "avoid at all costs" alike.

Thanks! Ellen

First: in the Cotswolds 76 and 58 don't constitute "older". Indeed whippersnappers like the 58 yo usually get the greeting "it's so nice to see some young people round here"

"the "don't miss" and the "avoid at all costs" alike."

Neither really exist here. Apart from Blenheim, which ought to be razed into the ground. I'm unaware of a conventional guidebook I'd trust, and we're close to being the mediocre food capital of Europe (by which I mean mediocre: not bad).

The books I rely on are:
- in Pevsner's Buildings of England series, the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire 1 volumes. They cover most of Oxford and the Cotswolds with a degree of expertise, knowledge and intelligence that shames the rag that sponsors this site (it's only a couple of years ago that one of the teenage scribblers they apparently pay talked about "Oxford, London")
- above all: the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire volumes of the Victoria County History. At £50-£60 per volume, and two dozen vols between the two counties, the complete set can cost as much as a crate of decent claret. But if you don't have access to a proper library, slightly early editions are fully available online by clicking "view this online" at the volume you choose from the menu at http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac....e/Publications.

Restaurant food really is mediocre, and I don't think I'd trust a single review - but I've never been served a bad or overpriced meal round here since the early 1970s (did you ever eat at the Luna Caprese, the Elizabeth, the Sorbonne or the Cantina di Capri in 1970? If so you'll be delighted to hear they're all gone, and there's almost nothing that bad any more. Except for the spectacularly awful Chinese in the centre of Woodstock). Jamie's Italian in George St, Oxford, and Sojo (astonishingly: mostly Shanghainese) in Hythe Bridge St, Oxford are proper city restaurants that serve roughly what you'd take for granted in Milan and Hong Kong, unpretentiously, friendlily and reasonably priced. The Kingham Plough (in Kingham) is in the same league: the kind of food-centred pub you'd run yourself if you had the management skills. Wondrously: none will ever make it into any list of the world's top 50 restaurants. Oxford's other Shanghainese, in what used to be the Elizabeth, really isn't up to what you'd expect to find in the crappest Shanghai diner as far as the food's concerned: but the view over Christ Church cathedral at lunchtime or on a summer evening is one of Europe's finest.

Personally, I can't abide tearooms. But Huffkin's in Burford and Witney serves edible food as well as sugary muck. And they source decent ham, and bake serious bread, for the sandwiches and have really, really nice staff.

Oxford's not changed much since 1970 (it's only 40 years, for crying out loud), except that:
- the Ashmolean's gone from being a wonderful but gloomy museum to being an even more wonderful, light-suffused museum
- colleges are stricter about barring visitors at inconvenient times, in some cases charging them, and in the case of the most visited, herding tourists so they're less of a nuisance. Coach parties no longer photograph the young gentlemen in their rooms as they're staggering up at 8.30 am. Since, to be honest, Ch Ch, Magdalen and New College are just bigger (and less in need of money) than real colleges, it's worth browsing http://www.ox.ac.uk/visitors_friends...ges/index.html to see when you can get into more characteristic ones like Oriel and All Souls free
- the University Museum has been spectacularly refurbished: the Pitt-Rivers slightly less so
- Parking in the centre's really tricky
- There are dozens of wonderful examples of new buldings infilled into medieval/Tudor quads. Just about every college has got a couple
- But sadly, George's cafe in the covered market is no more. It's now called Georgina's and - as you might predict - serves girls' food instead of proper breakfasts.
Otherwise: not a lot really.

Lastly: outside Oxford itself, "must see's" are an alien concept. The Cotswolds just aren't that spectacular. "Must do's" come down to one thing: walk. The reason 78's not old round here is that that's what most of do. If that's relevant, we've all got loads of ideas.

I disagree with flanneruk about one thing and agree about another.
I think Blenheim is well worth seeing (Read about Sarah Churchill first and you will appreciate it more.)
I agree about walking - do a lot of it to really enjoy the area.
I have nothing against tearooms but the best ones were the ones I just walked into on the spur of the moment.
I think that just wandering around is one of the best ways to see the Cotswolds.

You both are wonderful. I have visited Blenheim twice, most recently in 1975. Like my classmates at Princess Helena College in Herts., I was addicted to "The First Churchills". As Dan has never been, we will of course go.

This sounds perfect for us. I will need an entire day at the Ashmolean. The old Scottish beau back in 1969-70 was at Magdalen, so I may try to see if anything looks familiar.

And thanks for the titles and websites.

I hear you both: sturdy shoes. As we have a self-catering arrangement we fortunately will not be over-dependent on restaurants, but your advice is enormously helpful.

As friend from way back when would have said, I'm rather "chuffed" at the prospect of being a whippersnapper!

E.

I have no idea if this is still in print, but we checked out Cotswolds and the Vale of Berkeley by Christopher Knowles from our local library and found it to be really useful. We did a driving tour through the northern Cotswolds using his recommended route. He also includes a number of walking trail suggestions.

I just checked www.abebooks.com, and they have several copies for less than $5.

Lee Ann

I forgot to mention we had lunch at the Eagle and Child in Oxford. This is where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Inklings met to read their works-in-progress to each other. Good food and ale.

In Chipping Campden, we had a very nice tea at the Bantam Tea Rooms.

Lee Ann

Lee Ann, thank you! We always like the literary moments--and needless to say, Lewis and Tolkien are dear to my heart. Also thank you for the Knowles title, to say nothing of the thoughtfulness of checking on the availability of used copies. E.

You're welcome!

Lee Ann

Loch Fyne in Oxford (its a chain) makes for a good fish restaurant. The other meal places around little trendy street (little Clarendon Street is what the city fathers insist on calling it) are generally good if a bit boho.

Les Quatres Saisons is the big draw to the North. Wealthy friends tell me it is very good.

The Trout is another special place to try for position but no idea about quality at the moment.

I've been dining at Pierre Victoire's in Little Clarendon Street for over ten years and while it's not going to win any Michelin stars, it offers a varied menu and consistently good food. The Ashmolean used to have a decent cafe but haven't been since the renovations so have no idea as to whether the cafe still exists. Another good choice is the News Cafe on Ship Street especially for breakfast and lunch. If you're fond of cookies, try Ben's Cookies in the Covered Market. They'll spoil you for sure.

To save you pointless searching: "Les Quatre Saisions" in North Oxford closed at least 20 years ago.

It was run by a young Frenchman of great culinary promise but spectacular and arrogant ignorance about English cheese, who took himself 10 miles SE of the city where he set up Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons - since then, just about the most consistently reliable source of outstanding (and outstandingly expensive) haute cuisine in Britain more or less ever since. Mortgages essential.

In the process, he and his wife fell out. She set up a bakery chain called Maison Blanc, whose Oxford mothership at the southern end of Woodstock Rd provides stunningly sculpted seasonal cakes and tartes. He dabbled in franchising, one relic of which is Le Petit Blanc (I lost track of what role, if any, he has in the current operation), in Oxford's Walton St, which is often reliable for French basics. Neither would be worth going out of the way for in London, though.

The Ashmolean Cafe is now a sort of rooftop restaurant (though the views are disappointing, but nothing stopping you going and looking for yourself). It's fine for a modestly priced cup of tea: it's got a thoughtful, ambitious and going on for pricey real food menu, which is rarely criticised for the cooking but has attracted flak for service confusions going on chaos) during the museum's spectacularly crowded recent reopening.

If you can find a copy of Jan Morris's book, "Oxford" you might want to read it before you go. It's not a travel guide, but a lyrical homage to the city.

I love all this advice, I haven't been there for about 15 years and really want to go back and spend time there.

We are going in Sept/October to the area.
Am looking forward to good info.

Sorry I miss directed you
Search Results Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
www.manoir.com
Church Road
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX44 7PD
01844 278 881

As Flanner says to the SE