Ongoing until 31 January: The latest free exhibition at the Vale & Downland Museum is Wantage Tramway – The Story of a Bucolic Roadside Steam Tramway. The display tells the remarkable story of the a roadside line that began as an ambitious local dream in the 1870s, became the world’s first steam-powered tramway, and served the community for over seventy years, carrying goods including coal and flour, wartime supplies, and market-day passengers. Further information here.
Wednesday 11 February, 12:30pm: Oxford Preservation trust (OPT) tour of the Painted Room on Cornmarket in Oxford. This is one of the city’s hidden gems, with remarkable Elizabethan wall paintings and connections to William Shakespeare and John Betjeman. Booking here.
Wednesday 11 February, 1:00pm: The Museum of Oxford’s popular series of lunchtime talks continues with historian Dan Poole speaking on Charlie Hutchison: The life of a Black-British anti-fascist from Oxfordshire. Charlie Hutchison was born in Eynsham and raised in foster care. As a young man he was involved in politics and trade unions, and fought against the British Union of Fascists at the 1936 Battle of Cable Street. Later that year he enlisted as a volunteer with the anti-fascist forces in the Spanish Civil War. He returned to the UK in 1939 and served in the Second World War in Britain, mainland Europe, and the Middle East. Further information and booking here.
Saturday 21 February, 2:30pm: Oxford Preservation trust (OPT) tour of the Medieval Merchant’s House on East St Helen Street in Abingdon. This is the oldest house in the town, with a restored gallery window dating from c. 1430. Booking here.
Thursday 26 February, 5:00pm: Historian Kathryne Crossley will give a talk entitled ‘Would you class yourselves with railwaymen and bus people?’: Trade unionism at Oxford colleges in the interwar period at Magdalen College, Oxford. The talk is held in conjunction with the college’s current exhibition The spirit of the place: Magdalen College and its staff from foundation to the present day (see below). Dr Crossley’s talk will explore trade union activity at Oxford colleges from 1919 to 1939, including at Magdalen, where Horace Stanley Richardson led an attempt to unionise all Oxford college staff and servants. There will be light refreshments and an opportunity to view the exhibition after the talk. Free, but booking essential.
Wednesday 4 March, 12:30pm: Oxford Preservation trust (OPT) tour of the Painted Room on Cornmarket in Oxford. This is one of the city’s hidden gems, with remarkable Elizabethan wall paintings and connections to William Shakespeare and John Betjeman. Booking here.
Thursday 12 to Monday 30 March: 24 Men of Grandpont and Cold Harbour 1939-45, an exhibition to commemorate the men from South Oxford who died in the Second World War at the Westgate Library, Oxford. Gives a fascinating insight into the war and how it affected one small suburban community. Visitors can learn about what Oxford – and South Oxford – were like in this period, about women’s roles, and about wartime evacuees, and discover the stories of the local men who went to fight, their families and neighbours. Free and no need to book; further information here.
Saturday 14 March, 2:30pm: Oxford Preservation trust (OPT) tour of the Medieval Merchant’s House on East St Helen Street in Abingdon. This is the oldest house in the town, with a restored gallery window dating from c. 1430. Booking here.
Saturday 21 March: Launch of a new exhibition, Oxfordshire’s Military History in Fifty Objects, at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) in Woodstock. Combining old favourites from the archives with some of the most recent donations to the museum’s collections, the display will illustrate milestones in the history of the two county regiments – the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars – as well as the impact that conflicts have had on the people of Oxfordshire. Find out more here.
Ongoing until 26 March: 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 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.
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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