Literature, Libraries & Museums

Oxford’s cultural heritage is as rich and varied as its books. Since medieval chronicles to modern fantasy, the city has inspired generations of writers and preserved world-class collections.

With Oxford History Tours, you can explore this heritage through set literary tours or by adding visits to Oxford’s libraries and museums into a customised itinerary.

📖 Literature

Our literary tours follow in the footsteps of Oxford’s writers exploring the origins of its literary traditions and authors including Lewis Carroll and JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Philip Pullman, and the origins of Oxford’s , we trace how Oxford’s streets, colleges, and traditions shaped works that changed the world’s imagination. These tours, adapted to your particular literary interests, are designed to immerse you in Oxford’s literary sites and legacies.

📚 Libraries

Oxford’s libraries, famously those of the the Bodleian with its historic reading rooms are treasures in their own right. Arranging visits can be a complex process. For this reason, library visits are not usually offered as set tours, but instead as part of a customised walk. If you’d like to add a library stop, we’ll handle the planning and weave it into your chosen theme, whether historical, literary, or architectural.

🏛 Museums

Oxford’s museums offer a wealth of connections to enrich your tour. Museum tours are not necessarily set itineraries and can be integrated into other themed walks:

• Civil War focus → Ashmolean Museum (Cromwell’s death mask, Charles I’d silver coin minted in Oxford from college silver).

• Religious history → History of Science Museum (science and the Oxford Movement).

• Fantasy and curiosity → Pitt Rivers Museum (objects that inspired writers).

• Nature and imagination → Oxford Botanic Garden (beloved by authors and scientists).

By linking collections to your chosen theme, create a tailored experience that deepens insight and your experience skilfully using Oxford’s sites to add context, and include hidden gems for a tour uniquely yours.