Oxford’s Perfect Late Summer City Break. As summer edges into its final weeks, plenty of us are still looking for a last minute escape closer to home, and with warm weather forecast to run well into September, there is still time for a proper UK city break. Oxford is hard to beat for it, offering a rich mix of history, culture and those long, golden summer evenings that make a weekend away feel like much more than a weekend away. Images courtesy of The Store.
Here is our pick of how to spend a late summer visit to the city, and where to rest your head afterwards.
WHAT TO DO
Cool down with a punting trip. One of Oxford’s best known summer activities, punting offers a slower, gentler way to see the city’s rivers and green spaces, and a welcome bit of respite from the heat. Take the pole yourself, or sit back and let a chauffeured punt do the work while you drift into the city centre.
Explore The Ashmolean Museum
Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s Museum of Art and Archaeology, and Britain’s first public museum. Its collection spans millennia and runs to more than 1.2 million objects.
Throughout August, families can drop in to Family Fridays, a series of free workshops inspired by treasures from the collection, with a new activity each week, from designing miniature homes to experimenting with different materials. From August through to October, guided tours run every Friday and Saturday for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the museum’s history and collections.
Open Air Theatre At Oxford Castle
Round off the weekend with a performance at the Oxford Shakespeare Festival, running at Oxford Castle and Prison until 22 August 2026. Now in its 16th year, the festival turns the historic Castleyard into an atmospheric open air theatre, productions staged beneath the evening sky against a backdrop of ancient stone walls.
The castle’s programme runs well beyond the festival too. The Standard Guided Tour takes visitors up St George’s Tower and down into the 900 year old crypt with a costumed guide, while the family friendly Spectre Ghost Tour is a theatrical evening walk through the city’s darker corners.
Pastries At Proof Social Bakehouse
Created by the team behind Oxford based social enterprise Tap Social Movement, Proof Social Bakehouse turns out a changing selection of pastries, among them cherry and almond croissants, tiramisu doughnuts and cheese and chutney Danish pastries. Proof also provides paid training and employment for people during and after prison sentences, making it a popular local bakery with real purpose behind the counter.
HOW TO GET THERE
Oxford is easy to reach by public transport. Direct trains run from London Paddington and London Marylebone in around 45 minutes, and from Birmingham in just over an hour, with fares starting from approximately £28 for an adult return from London and £50 from Birmingham. The Oxford Tube also runs a 24 hour coach service between Oxford and central London, and by car the city is easily reached via the M40.
WHERE TO STAY
The Store
For an overnight or weekend stay, The Store is a good place to relax, discover and unwind. Set within a landmark former department store on Broad Street, it brings together Oxford heritage, contemporary design, destination dining, rooftop views and restorative wellness all under one roof.
Spend the day exploring the city, then return for house cocktails made with The Store’s exclusive spirits, created in collaboration with Hawkridge Distillers, served in the downstairs bar and on the roof terrace, open Thursday to Sunday. With floor to ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace, the rooftop is one of Oxford’s most striking spots for a sundowner and a few plates from the Terrace Summer menu. Treadwell Restaurant serves a la carte and seasonal set menu dining, while the all day Sips and Scavengers menu runs throughout the hotel.
The spa offers a quieter counterpoint, with three treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, thermal relaxation area, experience shower and a 24 hour gym, with treatments by Oskia, Verden and Votary. With dining, drinks, wellness and panoramic views all in one building, The Store makes for a complete Oxford escape.
About The Store, Oxford
Set within the walls of the former Boswells department store, The Store reimagines an Oxford institution as a seven floor, 101 room hotel where heritage meets contemporary style. Opened in May 2024 in partnership with hospitality experts Reef Origin and EQ Group, the hotel brings together two historical buildings sensitively restored by Urban R, Reef Origin’s team of architects and designers, a striking fusion of history and chic modern interiors defining a new era for Oxford.
Destination restaurant Treadwell serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an intimate, urban setting, offering a fresh take on British classics with seasonal ingredients and a classic Sunday roast. The rooftop bar frames unrivalled views of the city through floor to ceiling glass, with an outdoor terrace for cocktails at golden hour, while the ground floor bar is open daily for coffees by Oxford based Newground Coffee, alongside a Sips and Scavenger Bites menu for casual, street side dining. The spa by Oskia offers extensive treatments, a steam room, sauna, thermal relaxation area and a sleek gym by Nohrd.
The Store
1–5 Broad Street
Oxford OX13AG
01865 950666
hello@thestoreoxford.com
www.facebook.com/thestoreoxford
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Checkout our previous feature on The Store in Travel Life
Click here to read more about our stay at The Store.
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Good To Know
* Nearest train station: Oxford, 0.6 miles, a 10 minute walk.
* Entering Oxford with a car? Please check it is CAZ compliant. You may need to pay a daily fee. You can check here.
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More From Oxford Life
For more on making the most of the city this summer, see our features on the Bodleian Libraries’ summer programme.
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