Long writing from a quiet corner of Oxford
Local notes on heritage, walks, food, country pubs and the unhurried art of travelling well in England. New pieces appear roughly twice a month.
- Heritage · 14 September 2025
The treacle well at Binsey: a short history of a strange word
How a mediaeval Oxford spring, a Saxon saint and Lewis Carroll all share one well in a churchyard most visitors never find.
- Walks · 2 October 2025
A walking guide to Port Meadow: from Jericho to Binsey and back
A gentle two-hour loop across England's oldest unploughed pasture — what to look for, what to wear, and where to stop for lunch.
- Itineraries · 21 October 2025
Oxford in a day, slowly: an unhurried itinerary for first-time visitors
Forget the seventeen-college dash. A calm, walkable day that pairs the famous colleges with quiet corners most tourists miss.
- Day Trips · 8 November 2025
A Cotswolds day trip from Oxford: villages, gardens and a long lunch
A loop through Burford, Bibury and the Slaughters that turns a busy morning into an unhurried English afternoon.
- Practical · 29 November 2025
Arriving in Oxford from overseas: how to begin a trip well
Airports, trains and the quiet art of the door-to-door transfer — a calm guide to landing in England without losing the first day of your trip.
In the notebook
Pieces we are working on or thinking about. If any of these sound useful, do tell us.
- Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Binsey poplars. Literary heritage walk along the Thames.
- Where to eat in Jericho: an Oxford neighbourhood guide. Independent restaurants and cafés.
- Blenheim Palace beyond the guided tour. Quieter corners of the estate.
- A weekend in the Chilterns from Oxford. Beech woods, red kites and country inns.
- Oxford's hidden gardens: ten college quads worth the visit. Botanical and architectural detail.