Photos: Julian Herzog (Website), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Julian Herzog (Website), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Turf Tavern down the narrowest alley
Your local guide
Nathaniel Webb
View profile
Highlights
- A passage too narrow for cars
- A mediaeval street pattern intact
- Low doorways nobody has to be told about
- One of the city's oldest pubs
- A route easy to miss entirely
About this tour
This session follows the narrow alley leading to the Turf Tavern, one of the city's oldest pubs, reachable only on foot and easy to walk straight past if you do not know it is there. It covers the alley's mediaeval street pattern and the low, cramped courtyard the pub sits in. It is a short session built around one genuinely hidden route rather than a well-signposted sight.
We start at the mouth of the alley and move slowly down it, since the narrow width makes the camera work part of the appeal. Questions about the pub's age and its famous patrons over the years come up steadily. I finish in the courtyard with a note on the quietest evenings to visit.
It suits evening viewers who enjoy a bit of genuine discovery in their session. It also suits anyone who has already done the main college route and wants something a little different.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Oxford before heading out.
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Alley approach 15 min
The camera moves down a passage barely wide enough for two people, and I explain how this route has stayed essentially unchanged since mediaeval times, hemmed in by college walls on both sides.
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Tavern courtyard 15 min
Emerging into the small courtyard, you see the low mediaeval building itself, and I point out the low doorways that mean most visitors duck automatically without being told to.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Oxford: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Sunday roast and Summertown, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Oxford, showing you Alley approach and Tavern courtyard live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Is this suitable if I do not drink?
Yes. Say so when you book and the guide will focus on the atmosphere and venues rather than the drinks list.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call at the start of the alley, since the pub itself is reachable only on foot down a passage too narrow for anything else.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 27 Nov · 8 seats left From 18,00 €
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