The Woodstock Town Walk starts at the stocks in Park Street, opposite the church near the town centre. At about 1.1 miles, or 1.7 kilometres, it offers a compact introduction to the town. Along the way, buildings and exhibitions show Woodstock’s history from different perspectives.
Discover Woodstock’s history in the town
The Woodstock Wall Hangings depict the town’s history over a period of 1,000 years. Two listed buildings also offer different historical points of reference: Woodstock Town Hall was built in 1766 and is Grade II listed. The Church of St Mary’s Magdalene dates from the reign of Henry I. The Town Walk can therefore be combined with a look at the town’s different historical layers.
Woodstock lies on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds. In the town itself, you can encounter the historical features described above; nearby Blenheim offers another focal point. Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you would like to combine town history and countryside during your stay, these offer two different themes to guide your visit.
Blenheim: countryside, gardens and walks
Blenheim’s parkland covers a further 2,000 acres. Capability Brown shaped it into a naturalistic English landscape. Blenheim Estate, near Woodstock, is also recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Walking routes on the Estate range from the Lakeside Walk to a seven-kilometre loop through High Park. Choose between the Lakeside Walk and the seven-kilometre loop through High Park to suit the distance you have available to walk; check the Estate’s access conditions before your visit.
The Walled Garden also has its own historical significance: it is the oldest surviving part of the original gardens. The garden route includes the Temple of Flora, a Grade II listed 18th-century limestone building. The route continues through the Rose Garden to the Cascades. There, visitors can walk onto the bridge and enjoy the view across the water. This allows you to consider horticulture, architecture and landscape as different aspects of a visit.
Things to do and planning your visit
Family attractions in the Walled Garden include the Marlborough Maze, the Butterfly House and Adventure Play. Adventure Play features climbing areas, bridges, stepping stones, hidden chambers, zip wires, slides and water play. Individual attractions and access conditions may change, so check them before your visit.
Woodstock’s events calendar also offers a regular fixture: The Night of a Thousand Candles is the town’s Christmas lights event and takes place every year on the last Saturday in November. Check the arrangements for the relevant year before travelling. The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is free; check the latest visitor information before your visit.
Getting to Woodstock
Woodstock has no railway station. If you travel by train, you must first go to Oxford and continue from there by bus. The S3, 7 and 500 bus services run frequently from Oxford and stop in Woodstock near the Marlborough Arms. Timetables and services can change, so it is worth checking the latest times before you set off. You can take your journey into account when choosing accommodation and planning your days of sightseeing, without relying on a specific timetable.
Discover more destinations: Hethe, Chipping Norton, South Stoke, Clanfield, Steventon, Wallingford, Bampton, Murcott.
For the wider travel guide: Oxfordshire.
