Uncomfortable Oxford Tours
Inside OxUnBoxed, Covered Market, Oxford, OX1 3DZ, GB
Rating: 4.8 ★ (41 ratings)
Details
Uncomfortable Oxford tours, based inside OxUnBoxed in the historic Covered Market, offer a unique and thought-provoking way to experience the city. Led by University of Oxford researchers, these walking tours delve into complex historical narratives often overlooked by traditional guides. You'll explore stories of empire, race, class, and gender, and examine how these themes have shaped Oxford and continue to influence the modern world. The tours aim to go beyond the picturesque facades and well-known landmarks to uncover the networks of power, privilege, and wealth that have formed the city over centuries. This is an opportunity to engage with the city's past on a deeper level and understand the multifaceted history that has contributed to the Oxford of today.
The original Uncomfortable Oxford tour serves as a fantastic introduction to the city, but a variety of themed walks are also available, including "Oxford and Empire," "Follow the Money," and "Uncomfortable Literature". These tours encourage active participation, with guides fostering discussions and inviting attendees to share their perspectives on the complex issues raised. Starting points for tours are often at iconic locations like Carfax Tower, with routes taking in significant sites such as the Bodleian Library, Oriel College, and All Souls College before concluding at a different city landmark. Beyond the walking tours, Uncomfortable Oxford also produces podcasts and blog articles, extending the conversation about the city's layered past to a wider audience. Find them at their Covered Market base to learn more.
Location
Opening Hours
Monday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Saturday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Sunday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Comments
The tour guide was super nice and interactive, and we were total 5 people in the tour.
As a student in the city, I wanted to learn more about the space, the city and the uncomfortable stories of the university.
As there is so much history to Oxford, it really just scratched the surface, but gave me more appetite to join other more specific tours in the future.
The tour focused on the tension between the city and the scholars (town and gown), Rhodes story, women in Oxford, Black students in Oxford, All souls college, how the university works, and a bit of history on the establishment of the town and the university.
It is definitely a plus to have an Oxford student as a tour guide, since it allows people that are only visiting the city to find more about the personal experience of studying at Oxford and the insides of the university in current times.
Instead of providing a balanced historical narrative, the tour guides seemed more interested in discussing and promoting their modern social and political ideologies.
While it is important to acknowledge all aspects of history, and I truly appreciate their effort to discuss injustice, the approach felt overwhelmingly one-sided and pesimistic.