Sunday 5 April : Bloxham Museum will be open for the 2026 season (until 24 October) on weekend afternoons and Bank Holiday Monday afternoons, 2:30pm to 5:00pm. This year’s special exhibition is Bloxham in 50 Objects, featuring a range of rare and everyday items which illustrate the village’s history, from ancient to modern. Find out more here.
Monday 6 April: Join historian Maurice East for an Easter walking tour, From Green Road to Captain Bob’s house. Participants will discover the remains of the Headington workhouse, lost shops, a forgotten pub, and the house of an 80s TV legend. The walk will finish at Headington Hill Hall, once the residence of Robert Maxwell. Find out more and book your place here.
Wednesday 8 April, 1pm: The Museum of Oxford’s popular series of lunchtime talks continues with historian Sean Callery speaking on Oxford, city of writers and wordplay: puns, printing and personas. Oxford is a city built on words, from its centuries as a haven for word-loving academics, to its role as a publishing centre, and as home to famous authors and characters. This talk offers stories from the history of the city and its people (real and imagined), and celebrates the many forms of wordplay that can be found on its streets and walls. Further information and booking here.
Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 April: Hill End, west of Oxford, was established in the 1920s as a pioneering outdoor school by the philanthropic ffennell family. As part of its centenary celebrations the site is hosting two special history-themed family days. Find out what activities you can enjoy here.
Saturday 18 April, 7:30pm: Paul Whitton of Longworth & District History Society will give a special talk, A Tale of Three Chaucers: Their Oxfordshire Connections, at St Margaret’s Church, Church Road, Hinton Waldrist, SN7 8SA. Many of us know about Geoffrey Chaucer, his son Thomas, and granddaughter Alyce, but perhaps not about their importance to Oxfordshire. This illustrated talk will explore this family’s interesting connections with Oxford, Woodstock, Abingdon and Buckland. All welcome; no need to book.
Ongoing until 29 April 2026: The spirit of the place, an exhibition focusing on the lives of the staff and servants at Magdalen College, Oxford, from its foundation to the present day. On display in the Old Library every Wednesday from 2pm to 4:30pm (except for during the Christmas closure period). Private group visits at other times can be arranged by contacting the college librarians.
Saturday 2 May: a march and rally in Oxford featuring a new commemorative banner, as part of the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and Oxfordshire’s involvement in one of the most significant events in labour history. Find out more here.
Saturday 9 May: annual Levellers’ Day in Burford, including commemoration of the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and Oxfordshire’s involvement in one of the most significant events in labour history. Find out more here.
Saturday 9 May, 11am to 3am: Stratton Audley Local History Society celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a special open day in St Mary & St Edburga Church, Church Street, Stratton Audley. Members of the society have archived material collected over the last 20 years and this will be a great opportunity to browse or look in more depth at photographs, maps and original documents relating to the history of the village, its buildings and its people. Free and open to all; no need to book.
Saturday 16 May: a new play, The General Strike in Oxford by Peter Cann, performed at the Museum of Oxford as part of the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and Oxfordshire’s involvement in one of the most significant events in labour history. Find out more here.
Saturday 16 May, 10:30am: As part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC)’s War Graves Week, free tours of Botley Cemetery in Oxford. The cemetery contains 156 burials from the First World War and 516 from the Second World War. A knowledge guide will explain the history of the cemetery, outline the work of the CWGC, and reveal the stories of some of the servicemen for whom Botley is the final resting place. Further information and booking here.
Wednesday 20 May, 2:00pm: As part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC)’s War Graves Week, free tours of Botley Cemetery in Oxford. The cemetery contains 156 burials from the First World War and 516 from the Second World War. A knowledge guide will explain the history of the cemetery, outline the work of the CWGC, and reveal the stories of some of the servicemen for whom Botley is the final resting place. Further information and booking here.
Sunday 24 May, 2:00pm: As part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC)’s War Graves Week, free tours of Botley Cemetery in Oxford. The cemetery contains 156 burials from the First World War and 516 from the Second World War. A knowledge guide will explain the history of the cemetery, outline the work of the CWGC, and reveal the stories of some of the servicemen for whom Botley is the final resting place. Further information and booking here.
Ongoing throughout 2026: The year-long Warneford 200 – Mental Health Through the Ages project, marking 200 years of mental health care at the Warneford Hospital in Oxford, launched in January. The Warneford, which opened in July 1826, is the oldest psychiatric hospital still in clinical use in the UK. The Warneford 200 projects reflects on its long and complex history, recognising the experiences of patients, families, and staff whose stories have shaped the evolution of mental health care. Events running throughout 2026 include a short film, a traveling exhibition (currently at the Museum of Oxford until Saturday 21 March), an on-line exhibition, a theatre production, workshops, public lectures, and a garden installation, at locations all over Oxfordshire. Read more on the project website.
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
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