Woodstock (Oxfordshire)

Woodstock is an attractive small town north of Oxford, England. It is the nearest town to the popular stately home Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill's birthplace, and is therefore popular with travellers looking for food and accommodation.

Get in

By bus

Stagecoach Gold runs a frequent service, bus 7 or S3, from Oxford city centre. Bus 7 leaves from Magdalen Street (stop C3), and bus S3 can be taken from George Street (stop B2). The journey is about half an hour long, and costs £3.20 one way (£4.80 return) (Sept 2017).

By car

Woodstock is about 15 minutes' drive north of Oxford on the A44. Traffic can be heavy, particularly in summer and at weekends, and there are limited parking opportunities.

Get around

Woodstock is small enough to be explored on foot.

See

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, OX20 1PP (bus: Stagecoach Gold S3 bus from Oxford (about 30 minutes); car: A44 from Oxford, signposted from Junction 9 of the M40 and from the A34), 51.841944°, -1.361389°, +44 1993 811091, customerservice@blenheimpalace.com. A stately home open to the public. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country on account of its sheer size and opulence, and its strong associations with Sir Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime prime minister (who is buried in the nearby village of Bladon). The Palace is a . £22 for adults (upgradable free of charge to an annual pass); concessions available
Chaucer's House, Park Lane, 51.847791°, -1.357627°. Former home of Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367 – 1434), son of the author Geoffrey Chaucer and Speaker of the English House of Commons. The house is now a private residence and can only be viewed from the outside.
Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Park Street, OX20 1UG, 51.847296°, -1.357147°. Every Sunday 8AM – Holy Communion; first Sunday of the month 10:30AM – coffee and cake followed by 11AM family service; every Sunday except first of the month 11AM – sung Eucharist with Children's Church. Rebuilt in the 19th century, the church has a Norman doorway, early English windows and a musical clock which plays tunes on the hour.
Oxfordshire Museum and Coffee Shop, Fletchers House, Park Street, OX20 1SN, 51.847811°, -1.357249°, +44 1993 811456, oxon.museum@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su 2PM-5PM; last admission 4:45PM (closed on bank holidays). Free
St Martin's Church, Church St., Bladon, 51.830245°, -1.349582°. A Victorian period reconstruction of 1894 on the site of an earlier church rebuilt in 1801. Sir Winston Churchill was buried in the churchyard in January 1965 at the head of the grave of Lady Randolph Churchill, his mother. Churchill's father, Lord Randolph Churchill, is buried alongside.
Combe Mill, Combe OX29 8ET, 51.832°, -1.397°, +44 1993 358694. May-Oct W & first Su of month 10:30AM-4:30PM. Large sawmill serving the Blenheim estate, dual-powered: by the water wheel whenever possible, otherwise by the beam engine. Adult £5, child & conc £4, more on "steam days" 2021-06-21

Do

Farmers' Market, in front of the Town Hall, Market Square, Woodstock, OX20 1SL. one Saturday each month, 8AM-1PM.

Buy

Eat

Chef Imperial, 22 High St, OX20 1TF, 51.846984°, -1.354669°, +44 1993 813591. Fresh and tasty Chinese food from various parts of China. Good vegetarian options as well.
The Star Inn, 22 Market Pl, 51.847740°, -1.356385°, +44 1993 811373. Good British food and ales 2016-10-03
The Killingworth Castle, Glympton Rd, Wootton OX20 1EJ, 51.88°, -1.365°, +44 1993 811401. Cosy village pub with rooms, the food gets great reviews. Dog friendly. B&B double £150 2021-11-18

Drink

Sleep

The Blenheim Guesthouse and Tea Rooms, 17 Park St (in Woodstock, turn into the town centre towards the Oxfordshire Museum, then continue past the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene until the road is at its narrowest point – the hotel is on the left, a few yards from the Blenheim Palace Woodstock Gate), 51.847645°, -1.358154°, +44 1993 813814, theblenheim@aol.com. Lovely guesthouse with tearooms at the end of Park Street. Blenheim Palace is located just around the corner. Nemesis, one of the episodes of the TV series Miss Marple based on the novels of Agatha Christie, was filmed in the tearooms in the 1980s.
The Feathers, Market St OX20 1SX, 51.847676°, -1.354599°, +44 1993 812291, reception@feathers.co.uk. Child-friendly charming hotel. On 1 June 2012, they held the Guinness World Record for having the most varieties of gin commercially available – 161; "our latest count is 174 and growing". B&B double £100 2020-07-15
Macdonald Bear Hotel, Park St, 51.847453°, -1.356500°, +44 1993 811124. Occupies a 13th-century coaching inn.
The Duke Of Marlborough, Woodleys (2 miles north of Woodstock on A44 and bus route.), 51.868856°, -1.378088°, +44 1993 644028. Comfortable rooms behind the pub, although lacking in power-sockets. Good food and drink, friendly service. 2016-10-03