Bucks &amp; Oxon

Have you really seen Oxford if not from a punt? It&#8217;s a quintessentially English tradition, so make sure you do it at least once – (no breton stripe top necessary but always appreciated). When the sun&#8217;s out make sure you&#8217;re in pole position and make a beeline for the Thames and its shallower sister the Cherwell for a day of messing about on the river. Hundreds of other people with the same idea, so you&#8217;ll need Muddy&#8217;s insider intel on where to punt, potter and park (if you know you know).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magdalen-bridge-boathouse">MAGDALEN BRIDGE BOATHOUSE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1.jpg" alt="punting-magdalen-bridge1" class="wp-image-113611" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1-667x500.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1-150x113.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/punting-magdalen-bridge1-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Magdalen Bridge Boathouse</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://www.oxfordpunting.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magdalen Bridge Boathouse</a> is under the Magdalen College Tower on the River Cherwell. Punts can be hired seven days a week, for £32 per hour. That’s not a set time though – stay out all day, if the punting mood strikes you! They’ll charge you by the quarter hour, until you moor back up. If you’re nervous about going overboard (yep, it does happen), you can choose to leave the pole in someone else’s hands and book a chauffeured version at £50 per 30 minutes. Then it’s a case of sitting back and enjoying a front-row view of the botanic gardens, the serene greenery of Christ Church Meadow, the wildflowers of <a href="https://www.st-hildas.ox.ac.uk/about-us/our-gardens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Hilda’s College</a>, and the timeless Magdalen School rose gardens. 



WHERE TO EAT NEARBY



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1440" height="1800" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n.jpg" alt="arbequina restaurant Oxford " class="wp-image-186521" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n.jpg 1440w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n-640x800.jpg 640w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n-320x400.jpg 320w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/350124166_1932749253759005_2742806055456633975_n-1229x1536.jpg 1229w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Arbequina</figcaption></figure>



Oxford Punting offers a picnic hamper with its chauffeured punts. You can literally pick a spot, pull up your punt, and enjoy a quintessentially English riverside picnic. Otherwise, turn left over Magdalen bridge and you’ll hit <a href="https://www.theportmahon.com/">Port Mahon</a> pub for basics done well, or wander up Cowley Road (or catch a bus if you’re feeling lazy) for something a bit more wow like <a href="https://arbequina.co.uk/">Arbequina</a>. Turn right on the bridge and you’ll hit <a href="https://www.thegrandcafe.co.uk/">The Grand Café</a>, the first coffee house in England according to Samuel Pepys’ 1650 diary and now a tourist haven. 



PARKING



Parking in Oxford is the stuff of nightmares, particularly on weekends, so we’d suggest Park and Ride or the train any day, but if you need four wheels, there’s paid parking at tiny&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory-record/88/st-clements-car-park">St Clements car park</a>, a few minutes’ from the boathouse.



MAKE A DAY OF IT



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1244" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May.jpg" alt="Magdalen College Oxfrod" class="wp-image-186524" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May.jpg 2000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May-800x498.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May-1000x622.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May-400x249.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/9May-1536x955.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Magdalen College, Oxford</figcaption></figure>



The boathouse’s namesake, <a href="https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/visiting-magdalen-college/">Magdalen College</a>, is open most days to visitors and is one of the most beautiful of the Oxford colleges, alongside Christchurch, St John’s and Worcester. Make sure you give yourself time for the picturesque Addison&#8217;s circular walk in the grounds. Tickets for college entry are £10 for adults, £9 children and under 7s go free. Alternatively, pick up a joint ticket for the college and the <a href="https://obga.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford Botanic Garden</a>, the oldest botanic garden in the UK and home to 5000 different plant species, for £15 for adults and £13 for concession tickets.  



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cherwell-boathouse">CHERWELL BOATHOUSE </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/04/Punting-Cherwell-Boathouse-©MuddyStilettos-.jpg" alt="punts in a row on a river in Oxford with blue skies" class="wp-image-66120" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/04/Punting-Cherwell-Boathouse-©MuddyStilettos-.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/04/Punting-Cherwell-Boathouse-©MuddyStilettos--150x113.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/04/Punting-Cherwell-Boathouse-©MuddyStilettos--300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/04/Punting-Cherwell-Boathouse-©MuddyStilettos--667x500.jpg 667w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cherwell Boathouse</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://cherwellboathouse.co.uk/punting/">Cherwell Boathouse</a>, further north on the river, also offers a chauffeured option but recommends punting yourself to get the full traditional experience. “Would you go ten-pin bowling and pay someone else to throw the ball for you?” is how they put it, and they have a point! Staff are happy to offer a quick tutorial before setting you adrift. £24 per hour, £26 on weekends, or a full day will set you back £120/£130. Book in advance on busy, sunny days or take your chance and just rock up.



WHERE TO EAT NEARBY



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1440" height="885" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/469286965_18480925849022016_2496541554604556419_n.jpg" alt="CHERWELL BOATHOUSE PUDDING" class="wp-image-186519" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/469286965_18480925849022016_2496541554604556419_n.jpg 1440w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/469286965_18480925849022016_2496541554604556419_n-800x492.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/469286965_18480925849022016_2496541554604556419_n-1000x615.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/469286965_18480925849022016_2496541554604556419_n-400x246.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cherwell Boat House</figcaption></figure>



For light bites the Cherwell Boathouse Tea Hut is open Tuesday – Sunday and is your go-to for snacky café food – sandwiches, salads, ice creams, coffee, and Pimm’s. Or you can choose to step off your punt and straight onto a table at the&nbsp;<a href="https://cherwellboathouse.co.uk/">Cherwell Boathouse</a>. Does it get any easier than that? This family-run restaurant is open for lunch and dinner (closed Tuesdays), and offers refined riverside dining, including rump of lamp, crispy skin pork belly, and caramelised fillet of turbot. A five minute walk away is one of Oxford’s loveliest restaurants, Gee’s, set in a Victorian glasshouse with small bar and outdoor area. You’re very close to the trendy district of Jericho with cafes, restaurants and pubs aplenty, or a leisurely 30 minutes up-river and you’re in the Oxfordshire countryside, in the village of Old Marston. Glide up to&nbsp;<a href="https://butcombe.com/the-victoria-arms-oxfordshire/">The Victoria Arms</a>&nbsp;where they have moorings for your punt, and serve food and drinks overlooking the river.&nbsp;



PARKING



The Boathouse has a small carpark, but it fills quickly on busy days. Free three-hour parking can be found on nearby Chadlington and Bardwell Roads; if you arrive after 4pm, or on Sundays, there are no restrictions. Try to avoid lunchtime on Saturday, which can clash with pick-up time at the nearby Dragon School.&nbsp;&nbsp;



MAKE A DAY OF IT



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum.jpg" alt="Oxford-Natural-History-Museum" class="wp-image-149559" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Oxford University Natural History Museum</figcaption></figure>



You’re a couple of minutes from Jericho, a pretty stretch of Oxford that is home to a proliferation of indie shops, students galore, Worcester College (take a tour or just pop your head in) and – at the end of the road – access to Port Meadow, Oxford’s best kept tourist secret. You can wander across 300 acres of grazing land bang in the city (and mentioned back in the Doomsday Book) and stop off for lunch at <a href="http://the-perch.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Perch</a> or a little further on <a href="https://www.troutinn.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Trout</a>, both picture-perfect pubs with the spires in the distance. Alternatively, you’re in walking distance of big-hitter pleasure givers like <a href="https://www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University Natural History Museum</a> (free entry with University Parks behind for a wander or sit on the JR Tolkien memorial bench), The Pitt Rivers Museum, The Ashmolean, New Theatre Oxford, and the Christopher Wren-designed Sheldonian Theatre 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salters-steamers">SALTERS STEAMERS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1700" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-scaled.jpg" alt="PUNTING SALTERS STEAMERS" class="wp-image-186520" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-800x531.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-1000x664.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/PUNTING-SALTERS-STEAMERS-2048x1360.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Salters Steamers</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://salterssteamers.co.uk/punting-boat-hire-oxford/">Salters Steamers</a>&nbsp;is the only company located on The Isis, by Folly Bridge, and is perhaps better suited for people who’ve punted before, due to its stronger currents and heavier river traffic. Prices are £25 per hour, £60 for the half day and £100 for a full day, or £25 £75, £125 on weekends. Glide under bridges and alongside meadows and nature reserves, and spot the river wildlife, including herons, kingfishers, ducks, geese, swans and deer.



WHERE TO EAT NEARBY



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Head-of-the-River-177.jpg" alt="Head of the River Oxford" class="wp-image-182388" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Head-of-the-River-177.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Head-of-the-River-177-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Head-of-the-River-177-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Head of the River</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://www.headoftheriveroxford.co.uk/">The Head of the River</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;is just moments away, and offers a tasty range of modern pub favourites, from beer-battered fish and chips and juicy rib-eye steak, to lamb skewers an smoked sausage ragu. Overlooking the River Isis and Folly Bridge, you can’t beat the stunning views either. You’re minutes away from the centre of the city here, so other options abound – head to the top of the Westgate for easy-group pleasers such as Sticks &amp; Sushi, Dirty Bones, Six By Nico and Mowgli. Five star hotel Quod has a brasserie to tempt on the High Street, whilst The Store hotel on Cornmarket has the perfect roof terrace for sundowners.&nbsp;



PARKING



Westgate Shopping Centre car park is your friend here, just a 10 min walk away, or you can Park &amp; Ride from the Redbridge roundabout, which will take around 6 mins.  



MAKE A DAY OF IT



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg.jpg" alt="Christ Church meadow" class="wp-image-150366" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Christ-Church-Meadow-jpg-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Christ Church Meadow</figcaption></figure>



The <a href="https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/visit/meadow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christ Church Meadow</a>  is owned by the college but is a free space for all to enjoy – including some grazing Longhorn cattle! Enter via the War Memorial Garden, near St Aldate’s church, and instantly transport yourself from the bustle of the city to the tranquillity of the historic flood meadow. A circular walk hugs the riverbank, from the River Cherwell to the Isis. From here, head into Christchurch College – it’s a beauty to behold and your kids will love the Great Hall, transformed into Harry Potter’s grand dining room. Tickets are £28 adults, £18 children aged 6-17, 5 and under £8. Christchurch Picture Gallery, in the grounds of the meadow, is little known even to locals but is awash with masters, whilst <a href="https://modernartoxford.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Modern Art Oxford</a> and <a href="https://modernartoxford.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Story Museum</a> are both in Pembroke Street, just around the corner from The Westgate and well worth your diversion. For indie shops, I’d also recommend zipping into the <a href="https://oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk/">Covered Market</a> at the top of the high street – over 50 independents in a market that’s been trading since 1770.

Punting: what to do on and off the water

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