Tuesday 2 September, 10.30am: Historian Dick Richards will give a tour of the Commonwealth War Graves at Botley Cemetery in west Oxford. There are 740 war graves (from both world wars) at Botley; in this fascinating tour you will learn the history of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and about the actions and sacrifice of some of the casualties buried here. Tours are free (though a donation to CWGC is appreciated); book your tickets here.
Friday 5 September, 6pm: architectural historian William Whyte will give a talk on Oxford and the Victorian Church, exploring the profound impact of the Oxford Movement on the religious and architectural landscape of Victorian Oxford. The talk is part of the Victorian Society’s 2025 AGM weekend, and takes place in the O’Reilly Theatre at Keble College. Tickets only £5; find out more and book your place here.
Saturday 6 September, 10.30am-3.30pm: Oxford Archaeology invites you to an open day to view the archaeological excavations in the Old Quad at Hertford College in Oxford. This free drop-in event, suitable for all ages, will be an opportunity to meet the archaeologists, have a tour of the site, view a display of finds, and visit some of the college buildings, including the chapel. Entry via the main gate on Catte Street. Further information here.
Saturday 6 September, 2pm: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians continues with Beer, Sausages and Marmalade with Liz Woolley. Further information and booking here.
Wednesday 10 September, 2pm: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians continues with Pre-Raphaelite Adventures in Oxford with Mark Davies. Further information and booking here.
Wednesday 10 September, 1pm: Museum of Oxford lunchtime talk with historian and former fireman John Lowe speaking on Always Ready, Always Willing: The story of fire and firefighting in Oxford. John’s talk will chronicle firefighting efforts over the course of more than ten centuries, and explain how the Great Fire of London affected firefighting arrangements in Oxford. He will also describe the fatal fire that occurred opposite the Town Hall in 1870, resulting in the formation of the Oxford Volunteer Brigade. Further information and booking here.
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September: Oxford Open Doors, the annual celebration of the city’s heritage organised by the Oxford Preservation Trust. Dozens of events and sites not normally open to the public. All free. See https://www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/oxford-open-doors for further details.
Saturday 13 September, 10.30am: Historian Dick Richards will give a tour of the Commonwealth War Graves at Botley Cemetery in west Oxford. There are 740 war graves (from both world wars) at Botley; in this fascinating tour you will learn the history of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and about the actions and sacrifice of some of the casualties buried here. Tours are free (though a donation to CWGC is appreciated); book your tickets here.
Wednesday 17 September, 2pm: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians continues with The Lost Streets of St Ebbe’s with Maurice East. Further information and booking here.
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September, 11am-5pm: North Leigh Roman Villa open days. See the precious mosaic floor (one of the finest in the country) and find out about the villa’s history from the team of knowledgeable volunteers. Find out more here.
Sunday 21 September, 1:30-4:00pm: Oxford University’s Department of Primary Care Health Sciences is offering free tours of the former Radcliffe Infirmary outpatients’ department. Tours will explore the history of the building and include a chance to see archival photos, artifacts and documents, and to hear stories of those who used to work there. You’ll also find out how the building became the home of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, an important centre for academic research and training in primary health care. Free and open to all; register for a tour here.
Wednesday 24 September, 2pm: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians continues with Canal, Castle and Convicts with Mark Davies. Further information and booking here.
Saturday 27 September, 2pm: The Museum of Oxford’s series of city walks led by local historians continues with Oxford’s Queer History with Hannah Field. Further information and booking here.
Ongoing until Saturday 28 September: The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is hosting a display of watercolour paintings of Oxfordshire barn interiors by archaeologist and artist John Steane, MA FSA (1931-2024). More information here.
Ongoing until Tuesday 30 September: An exhibition about the history of Slade Camp at Oxford’s Westgate Library. Slade Camp was built as a WWII military training facility but in 1946, as Oxford faced a post-war housing crisis, the city council requisitioned it to provide accommodation for otherwise homeless families. Over the next 25 years hundreds of people made Slade Camp their home. Today, the site is covered in trees, but traces of its former use remain: crumbling foundations, an old electricity substation, and the roads which once connected the huts. With the help of former residents, this lost community is being remembered and recorded through oral histories, photographs, and the careful uncovering of its physical remnants. The exhibition is free and accessible during normal library opening hours.
Thursday 2 October, 10.30am: Historian Dick Richards will give a tour of the Commonwealth War Graves at Botley Cemetery in west Oxford. There are 740 war graves (from both world wars) at Botley; in this fascinating tour you will learn the history of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and about the actions and sacrifice of some of the casualties buried here. Tours are free (though a donation to CWGC is appreciated); book your tickets here.
Saturday 4 October: Christ Church, Oxford, will host a special 500th anniversary conference A Saint, a Cardinal, a College: From St Frideswide to Thomas Wolsey. The event will bring together a panel of experts to explore the origins, creation and intellectual landscape of Thomas Wolsey’s Cardinal College, from the priory of Augustinian canons founded c. 1120 and dedicated to St Frideswide, to Canterbury College and Wolsey’s collegiate foundation. Tickets only £15, concessions available; find out more and book your place here.
Friday 10 October, 6-8pm: The art historian and gallery owner Philip Mould, widely known as a co-presenter of the BBC’s award-winning Fake or Fortune?, is giving a fundraising lecture on behalf of VCH Oxfordshire on , in the stunning surroundings of Ditchley Park (near Enstone). Titled Discovering Churchill, the lecture will explore the rediscovery of a lost painting by Winston Churchill, and its wider significance. This is also a rare opportunity to see the inside of one of Oxfordshire’s finest 18th-century country houses – now home to the Ditchley Foundation – and to help support VCH Oxfordshire in the process. Tickets (£50) available here (the price includes a drinks reception at Ditchley Park).
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October: The Marcham Society celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a special two-day event, Marcham Uncovered. Visitors can find out about the archaeology, local history, and natural history of the area, and take part in guided tours, astronomy viewings through telescopes, workshops and quizzes. Find out more here.
Ongoing until 31 October: The Burford Tolsey Museum has two exhibitions open throughout the summer, Burford during World War II, commemorating 80 years since the end of the War, and Helen Bryce: an artist’s lasting contribution to Burford. Entry to the museum and the exhibitions is free, seven days a week, 2pm-5pm.
Thursday 6 November, 10.30am: Historian Dick Richards will give a tour of the Commonwealth War Graves at Botley Cemetery in west Oxford. There are 740 war graves (from both world wars) at Botley; in this fascinating tour you will learn the history of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and about the actions and sacrifice of some of the casualties buried here. Tours are free (though a donation to CWGC is appreciated); book your tickets here.
Tuesday 18 November: The Oxfordshire Gardens Trust is running a research workshop at which delegates will learn how to start researching and recording the history of landscapes. The workshop will take place at Banbury Museum & Gallery, with a visit to nearby People’s Park. Tickets only £15; find out more here and book your place here.
Ongoing until 18 November: From Conflict to Peace: Celebrating VE & VJ Day at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) in Woodstock. The exhibition explores what happened as the Second World War ended in Europe and the Pacific, from stories of Oxfordshire people and county regiments serving in the final stages of the conflict, to celebrations in the county itself. For more information and to share a story with the museum, click here.
Ongoing until January 2026: The Museum of Oxford celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 with an exhibition entitled Our Oxford, 50 years, 50 stories. The display brings together fifty new stories about the heritage of the city, from a wide range of individuals and communities. Free entry.
Ongoing: The Museum of Oxford continues its popular series of free gallery tours, Stories of Oxford, led by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. From football to fairgrounds, marmalade to Morris Motors, patron saints to pubs, barges, bones, and all types of quirky customs, there’s something to interest everyone. Further information and booking here.
Saturdays, ongoing: tours of Oxford’s magnificent Town Hall take place twice a month on Saturdays at 11am. These are a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and to learn about the building’s fascinating history. Find out more here.
If you know of any relevant events which could be advertised on this page, please send details to: membership@olha.org.uk
Back to the main events page.