What to do and see in Oxfordshire, England: The Best Hidden Gems Things to do

Think about those books, the ones that you'll always go back to, those moments in life where you think 'that's a bit like that chapter' or 'you're just like that character', those are the stories we love. We don't just want to leave those books on the shelf though, we take them down, hand them around, share them out and bring them to life. All over Oxford we find unusual spaces - these stories aren't set in theatres so we don't put them there. Castles, antique mirror tents, college gardens, bookshops and factories... we'll go wherever the stories take us, and so far we've taken over 500,000 people with us. From the thousands of children who've told classic stories in new ways through our education programme, to our professional actors and directors, you're always most likely to find us lost in a good book. 18 years, 54 shows, half a million audience members aged 5-95...we are Oxford's own Creation Theatre Company.

Brewery tours run Monday to Sunday, starting from the Visitors Centre, they last approximately 2 hours. The first 1½ hours are spent around the brewery where you'll see our original steam engine, learn about our history and how we make our range of delicious beers. Once outside the Brewery, don't forget to keep an eye out for our working Shire horses, which still deliver beer to our local pubs. In any event, the tour of the brewery includes a tour of the stables so you won’t miss out on seeing these amazing animals. Upon completion of the tour, it's back to our sampling bar in the Visitor Centre for a ½ hour beer tasting. It is essential to book a Brewery Tour by contacting us on the phone or email. Costs from £12.50 - £15.00

Our philosophy at Bothy Vineyard is to produce the highest quality wines from grapes cultivated in as environmentally-friendly a way as possible. We continue an ancient tradition of wine making in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire. The local micro-climate, warm sandy soils, long ripening season and mature vines produce wines of consistent depth and quality which have won many awards. Visit us to experience the freshness and character of English wine at its best.

Believed to date from 3000BC, this is one of the most famous stone circles in the British Isles, which consists of a stone circle (The King's Men,) a standing stone (The King Stone,) and a burial chamber (The Whispering knights.)

Come and see how Lord & Lady Bearsted made Upton House and Gardens the perfect country retreat for their family in the 1930s. You can also discover Lord Bearsted's famous art collection including works by Bosch, Stubbs and Canaletto. We have a stunning collection of porcelain too; so if you are visiting us for the first time you may wish to expect your visit to the house to last a minimum of an hour. Viewings of the house available by timed ticket from 11:00am with last entry to the house at 15:30 before closing at 16:00; the gardens, shop and cafe close at 17:00. Please bear in mind that the car park is 300 yards from the house.

The Pitt Rivers Museum is one of Oxford’s most popular attractions, famous for its period atmosphere and outstanding collections from many cultures around the world, past and present.

Buscot Park is the home of the Henderson family and the present Lord Faringdon with his eldest son James and his wife Lucinda. They look after the property on behalf of the National Trust as well as the family collection of pictures, furniture, ceramics and objects d'art, known as the Faringdon Collection, which is displayed in the house. Built between 1780 and 1783 for a local landowner, Edward Loveden Townsend, the estate was purchased in 1889 by Lord Faringdon's great-grandfather, Alexander Henderson, a financier of exceptional skill and ability, who in 1916 was created the 1st Lord Faringdon. He greatly enlarged the house, commissioned Harold Peto to design the famous Italianate water garden, and laid the foundations of the Faringdon Collection. Among his many purchases were Rembrandt's portrait of 'Pieter Six', Rossetti's portrait of 'Pandora', and Burne-Jones's famous series, 'The Legend of the Briar Rose'. Among his many purchases, his grandson and heir, Gavin Henderson, added considerably to the collection, acquiring important furniture designed by Robert Adam and Thomas Hope, and was instrumental in returning the house to its late eighteenth century appearance. The family, together with their fellow Trustees, continue to add to the collection, to freshen its display, and to enliven the gardens and grounds.

A moated fortified manor house, about 2 miles west of Banbury. Built in 1300 and then later added to in 1550, the Castle had strong links with the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War (1642-51). Still a family home, Broughton Castle is lived in by the Fiennes family. Beautiful formal garden and park. Public open days will resume from the beginning of April 2017 (2pm - 5pm Wednesdays and Sundays). We are open for group tours at any time of the year by appointment. We have a recently refurbished tea room offering light lunches and delicious afternoon teas,