Oxfordshire
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Review: The Crown and Thistle Hotel, Abingdon
Overview: The Crown and Thistle dates from around 1605, and is a Grade II listed property comprising of three individual buildings clustered around a cobblestone courtyard. It is thought that the hotel takes its name from the uniting of the English and Scottish Crowns under King James VI of Scotland and King James I of…
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Narrowboating to Oxford
It was just coming light as we drew back the bedroom curtains of our narrowboat which we’d moored the previous evening just below Eynsham Lock. I prepared breakfast on board whilst the engine was being started and then we began to gather our belongings together as our narrowboat adventure was nearing its end. We slipped…
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Narrowboating on the Thames to Eynsham
The day started with an autumnal mist over the river, but gladly the sun soon broke through. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast on board our narrowboat we walked back to Sandford lock to take a photo of the pub where we’d tucked into dinner the night before (The King’s Arms). It was 9.50 a.m. by…
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Boating on the Thames to Sandford Lock
Drawing back the curtains from our mooring on the Thames, we were greeted by clear blue skies and after a leisurely breakfast on board we decided to take a stroll around Clifton Hampden as it was too dark to see much the night before. Both the village and the Barley Mow pub (where we had…
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Narrowboating from Oxford to Abingdon
We’d enjoyed a peaceful first night’s sleep tucked up in our comfy beds on board Cunningham, our 65ft narrowboat on hire from Drifters Waterways Holidays, Anglo Welsh base in Eynsham. Up first was David, my husband who performed the daily engine checks which had been demonstrated to us during the previous afternoon’s handover. He then turned…
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Narrowboating on the Thames
I’ve spent many a happy hour strolling along canal towpaths and riverbanks enjoying watching narrowboats pass by. I’ve even seen 3 of the 7 ‘Wonders of the Waterways’ yet had never been on a British narrow-boating holiday, that is until now. Our adventure started one bright and sunny October morning when we drove to the…
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Review: Afternoon Tea at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the family home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough, as it has been for all the Dukes in the past 300 years. It is the only non-royal house in England to hold the title of a palace. Location: Blenheim Palace is located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire 8…
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A Walk Around Oxford
We planned a day in Oxford and arrived into the city’s rail station mid morning. Oxford is located mid-way between London and Birmingham both approximately 60 miles (96 km) away and with trains from London Paddington taking from only 52 minutes it makes an ideal day out from the capital. It was a bright, pleasant…
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A day in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon is a market town in Oxfordshire nestled on the banks of the River Thames. I was long overdue a return visit as the previous occasion was more than 25 years ago when I attended a wedding in the town. Although Abingdon does not have a railway station the nearest one is located only three…
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