Over 24,000 visits were made as people followed the Oxford Open Doors Trail around the city.  It was heartening to see people of all ages exploring their city.  Many families with young children flocked to see the fire engines at Rewley Road allowing the firefighters to talk home safety with the parents. Young and old enjoyed the demonstrations of real tennis and the chance to learn more about this ancient sport at Merton’s Real Tennis Courts. There were good-natured queues to talk to the restorers about their work on the ceiling paintings at the Sheldonian Theatre and for sausages at the Bangers & Ash! Afternoon on the Ashmolean building site. Elsewhere people shared the beauty and serenity of the gardens and churches open. The vintage buses carried around 500 passengers for an enjoyable trip back in time.

Discovering something new outside the city centre was also popular. The Oxford College Barges Trust welcomed 100 visitors to the Corpus Christi Barge moored on Trust Land at Donnington Bridge. In East Oxford visitors admired the original projectionist equipment at the lavishly restored Art Deco former Regal Cinema as well as the wonderful gardens and church of SS Mary & John. Around 50 people visited an exhibition on Old Headington on the Friday and many enjoyed a guided walk around changing Summertown.

• Oxford Open Doors 2008 - Photographic Competition Winners
• What our visitors said

Oxford Open Doors was organised by Oxford Preservation Trust in partnership with the University of Oxford. This event is part of Heritage Open Days co-ordinated nationally by the Civic Trust in partnership with English Heritage.

Oxford Preservation Trust would like to thank all those who made Oxford Open Doors 2008 such a success:
our partner Oxford University, the very many supporters who made it happen, and the thousands of people who came and enjoyed themselves exploring their city.

Images: Greg Smolonski / Photovibe

© 2002-9, Oxford Preservation Trust