This city walking tour of Victorian Oxford will introduce you to a different side of Oxford’s urban history. See the ‘city of dreaming spires’ from the perspective of ordinary townspeople, who found themselves with leisure time – and the money to spend on it – for the first time.

You will learn about both the rash and the rational sides of Oxford’s Victorian entertainment, visiting sites including the Pembroke Street Public Baths, where you could be attended by a “first-class shampooer and teacher of swimming”, and the YMCA on George Street which promised to guide young men away from the “temptations of city life”.

As part of the tour, you will see: The Town Hall and Public Library, the Wilberforce Temperance hotel (where alcohol was banned), The Jolly Farmers Pub, the New Theatre – plus more historic Oxford locations!

Join the Rash or Rational? Victorian Leisure and Entertainment walking tour to see Oxford through the eyes of an expert and discover a different side to this famous city’s history.

Please note that this tour was previously run under the name ‘Leisure and Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian Oxford’.

Tickets cost £15 and are available to purchase online (booking fee applies) or at the Museum shop.

£15