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Our new programme of activities for autumn and winter 2024 is available in the July newsletter for Members and is listed in greater detail in our Events Calendar on this website. This includes coach outings, informal coffee mornings and the first lectures of our winter lecture series in October to December.

Day Visits by coach from Oxford for Members

For more information, see Visits.

Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire – 8 August

An atmospheric moated medieval manor house given to the National Trust in 1980. The history of the house includes tales of how the priests’ holes sheltered Catholic priests in the 15^th century. 

The bridge over the moat leads via a gatehouse to a pretty courtyard and into the great hall. 

In the gardens there are medieval fishponds, a lakeside walk, a walled garden and an orchard.

Beaulieu Abbey, Gardens and Motor Museum – 24 September

The 800 year old Abbey was founded by King John in the 13th Century before being destroyed on the orders of King Henry VIII in 1538. It is now a conserved ruin in a peaceful setting which visitors can enjoy. 

The world famous motor museum contains 285 vehicles, and there is a veteran London open-topped bus and a monorail to take you around the grounds.

There is something to suit everyone in this day out!

Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex – 16 October

The garden is a horticultural work of art, formed through centuries of landscape design, with influences of Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton. The vast collection of trees and large shrubs are planted around 4 lakes to create vistas that enhance the feeling of grandeur. The garden was purchased in 1954 by the National Trust but the house passed into private ownership. It took many years to restore the grounds to their former glory.

Sheffield Wood has a mosaic of different habitats: conifer woods, broadleaf woods, coppice hornbeam, open rides and glades, all vital for wildlife.

Winter Lectures

In our winter series, between October and March, there will be 4 lectures at Magdalen College Auditorium, and 2 lectures available to members via Zoom. Non-members are welcome at our lectures at Magdalen Auditorium.  For more details, see Lectures. 

22 October at Magdalen Auditorium: Sharing stories of caring for our National Trust gardens and plant collections with Pam Smith, Senior National Consultant for Gardens and Parklands at the National Trust

NB  This is a change to the lecture published in our Newsletter.  Professor Whyte will now be talking to us in March.

19 November at Magdalen Auditorium: Histories of Childhood: uncovering new heritage narratives with historians of modern British history, Dr Gillian Lamb and Professor Siân Pooley

9 – 15 December via Zoom link: Saving Country Houses with speaker Ben Cowell, Director General of Historic Houses

Coffee mornings and a lunch

Our informal coffee mornings continue on the last Tuesday of most months from 10.30am to 11.45am at a Café in central Oxford. This is a chance for members and those interested in joining Oxford Centre to make friends and exchange experiences and news. See Events Calendar for details of venues. 

Winter lunch

In January 2024, over 30 members enjoyed lunch at Brown’s Restaurant in Oxford, a welcome chance to meet up after the Christmas and New Year Festivities were over. We plan to arrange another lunch in New Year 2025.

Summer visit to Worcester

It was a fine day for the Oxford Centre’s visit to Worcester on 18 June. Our time was divided between National Trust properties Greyfriars House and Garden and The Commandery with informative guided tours at both. Greyfriars is a medieval timbered merchant’s house, which was saved from demolition in the 1930s and lovingly restored, often with recycled materials, by siblings Elsie and Matley Moore, and handed to the Trust in 1966. The Commandery is most famous for being the Royalist Headquarters during the deciding battle of the English Civil War – the Battle of Worcester 1651 – and includes much memorabilia from this period. Built on the site of an early medieval chapel, The Commandery has also been a monastic hospital, family home, school for the blind, and the location of the Littlebury Printworks, before becoming today’s museum revealing significant stories of the city’s history. A very interesting day enjoyed by all!

The Last Walks?

The last two walks of the season were very different! Our visit to Nuffield Place in May was on a very wet day, with only four of us present. We were due to walk through the woods and along part of the Ridgeway path near Nuffield village, after a briefing about the history of Lady Nuffield’s restored garden. However, the House Manager, Steven, took pity on us and invited us to an indoor tour of the House in the dry, which we enjoyed very much. It was still raining when we had our very interesting guided garden tour with volunteer Gill from under umbrellas! We abandoned any idea of walking beyond the café across the road.

Our June walk was on White Horse Hill near Uffington, when we were much luckier with the weather, as after early rain it cleared and we had sunshine for exploring up the hill with National Trust Ranger Andy who told us fascinating facts about the history, geology, flora and fauna. We were able to go close to the white chalk lines of the horse on the hillside, finding out how they would be cleaned and rechalked at the end of June. At the highest point of Uffington Castle we could see 360 degrees to the horizon in seven counties!

Unfortunately, these were the last walks for our Walking Group, as we regret that Jonathan Anelay has stepped back as the Organiser and Leader after three years of very interesting and enjoyable walks at or near National Trust properties around Oxfordshire. Members of the Walking Group are very grateful to Jonathan for his detailed planning and expert leadership of the walks.  We are looking for a new Leader/Organiser for our walks!