Sunday 27 September: Local historian Liz Woolley will lead two guided walks around South Oxford. The history of this part of Oxford goes back to Saxon times, when south of what is now Folly Bridge was open marshy meadowland, bisected by a huge causeway or grand pont of forty arches, the site of the original oxen ford which gave the city its name. Later the area was home to Oxford’s first railway station, waterworks, and football ground, and was a hive of industrial and commercial activity. There are two walks to choose from: 2:00-3:45pm, Folly Bridge and Grandpont; 4:00-5:45pm, New Hinksey. Tickets £7; book your place(s) by contacting liz@lizwoolley.co.uk, 01865 242760.
Throughout the summer and autumn 2026: Oxford Preservation trust (OPT) is running monthly tours of the Elizabethan Painted Room in Oxford. Further information, dates and booking here.
Saturday 3 October, 10:30am: Botley Cemetery in Oxford contains 156 burials from the First World War and 516 from the Second World War. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) offers excellent free tours. Dick Richards, a knowledgeable guide who has done extensive research on the cemetery and on those buried there, will explain the history of the site, 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.
Saturday 3 October, 11am-1pm: A new walking tour of Oxford, led by local historian Maurice East, Finding the Sounds of the City: A walking tour exploring the music venues of Oxford city and Jericho, part of the Museum of Oxford’s ongoing Sounds of the City exhibition and events programme. Find out more and book your ticket here.
Sunday 4 October, 11am-12.30pm: A new walking tour of Oxford, led by local historian Maurice East, Finding the Sounds of the City: A walking tour exploring the music venues of St Clements and Cowley Road, part of the Museum of Oxford’s ongoing Sounds of the City exhibition and events programme. Find out more and book your ticket here.
Saturday 10 October, 11am-1pm: A new walking tour of Oxford, led by local historian Maurice East, Finding the Sounds of the City: A walking tour exploring the music venues of Oxford city and Jericho, part of the Museum of Oxford’s ongoing Sounds of the City exhibition and events programme. Find out more and book your ticket here.
Sunday 11 October, 11am-12.30pm: A new walking tour of Oxford, led by local historian Maurice East, Finding the Sounds of the City: A walking tour exploring the music venues of St Clements and Cowley Road, part of the Museum of Oxford’s ongoing Sounds of the City exhibition and events programme. Find out more and book your ticket here.
Sunday 11 October, 2pm to 5pm: Wheatley Windmill is an 18th-century tower mill of an unusual octagonal shape. The mill was lovingly restored by volunteers between 1976 and 2010, and in June 2012 flour was milled there for the first time in nearly a hundred years. The Wheatley Windmill Restoration Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and there will be free tours of the mill (donations gratefully received); refreshments; and a chance to buy a bag of Wheatley flour. Find out more here.
Sunday 18 October, 10:30am – 4:30pm: Combe Mill, near Long Hanborough, will have be in steam for the last time this year. As well as working machinery powered by the mill’s steam-driven beam engine, visitors can enjoy the blacksmith’s forge, demonstrations of wood crafts, an autumn market, and Charlbury Morris in full swing. Find out more here.
Thursday 22 October, 3:30-5:30pm: The Rumble Museum at Cheney School in East Oxford is holding a Victorian Festival. Attractions will include performances, stalls, activities and workshops, all with a Victorian theme, and aimed at all ages. There will be a blacksmith’s forge, Walking Forest suffragettes, penny farthings and Victorian magic shows. Several local museums and organisations will be there, and creative activities and stalls will be run by Cheney Museum Council students. Free and open to all. Contact Rumble Museum director Lorna Robinson for further information.
Saturday 24 October, 2pm: AGM and annual lecture of the Oxfordshire Record Society (ORS) at the Bodleian Library, featuring contributors to the forthcoming second edition of the Historical Atlas of Oxfordshire. They will be talking on mapping Oxfordshire, the county in the First World War, and Oxfordshire hospitals and health provision. Free and open to all; book your place here.
Saturday 24 October, 10am-4pm: The Oxfordshire Family History Society (OFHS) hosts its annual Family History Fair at The Cherwell School, Oxford. The fair is free and open to all; find out more here.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 10am -4pm: Cumnor & District History Society will host an exhibition Amy Robsart, Elizabethan Cumnor, Oxford and beyond at Cumnor Old School, High Street, Cumnor, OX2 9PE. Amy Robsart was married to Robert Dudley (later the Earl of Leicester), a favourite of Elizabeth I. In 1560 she died in mysterious circumstances at her home, Cumnor Place; the episode was fictionalised by Sir Walter Scott in his 1821 novel Kenilworth. Come and find out about the truth – and the fiction – at this exhibition. Admission free; all welcome.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 10:30am: Guided walking tours of Burford, departing from the Tolsey Museum. The tours will provide an engaging introduction to Burford’s history, architecture, and notable landmarks. Free, but places limited, so advance booking essential.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 12-4pm: The Burford Tolsey Archive in Swan Lane, Burford, will be open to the general public. Visitors are warmly invited to explore the archive, learn more about the collections, and meet members of the Tolsey team. Free and open to all; no booking required.(Note that the nearby Burford Tolsey Museum at 126 High Street is open as usual, 2-5pm.)
Sunday 25 October, 9am-2pm: Oxford Antique Bottle Collectors’ Fair at Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington. There will be dozens of stalls selling antique bottles, pot lids, flagons, enamel signs, showcards, tins, and postcards – many from Oxfordshire – plus refreshments, an auction, and a raffle. Entry at 9am, £5.00; at 9:30am, £2.50; after 10:30am, free.
Saturday 7 November, 10:30am: Botley Cemetery in Oxford contains 156 burials from the First World War and 516 from the Second World War. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) offers excellent free tours. Dick Richards, a knowledgeable guide who has done extensive research on the cemetery and on those buried there, will explain the history of the site, 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.
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 travelling 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, and a new trail around the hospital grounds, the Warneford Walk, which explores the history, buildings and stories of the site. Read more on the project website.
Ongoing until March 2027: The new special exhibition opened at the Museum of Oxford in July 2026, Sounds of the City. From indie rock to electronica, folk to reggae, and classical to punk, Oxford was home to a vibrant grassroots music scene in the 1990s. The spirit of this multi-genre scene has had an enduring impact on both local and worldwide stages. Marking 30 years since Oxford was crowned BBC Radio 1 Sound City in 1997, the exhibition highlights iconic bands, gigs, venues, festivals, and record labels that all energetically shaped Oxford’s unique sound. A programme of events will run alongside the exhibition throughout the summer and autumn of 2026 and into 2027, with live music performances, lunchtime talks, walking tours, film screenings, and museum lates. Find out more here.
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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