This centre is the national centre for wheelchair sports and is the home of the National Wheelchair…read moreChampionships. It also has a fantastic training swimming pool, a great well stocked and always busy gym. Badminton courts, football and athletics are some of the other activites you can access there. As a family we use many of the facilities. One moan is that when it is busy the cafe is never open and I feel they miss out on some good custom.

Lovey home and excellent docents who were very knowledgeable about the history of the manor home…read more Many movies and TV shows were filmed here including The Queen, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, Pride & Prejudice and many more. The cafe has excellent food and pastries including vegan and gluten free options and the grounds have many walks, you could do about 5 miles if you take all of the walks.

The setting for the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice this National Trust-owned Palladian…read moremansion is worth a visit. Brought back into a state of repair by the National Trust the house is full of wonderfully ornate plasterwork. The Octagon Room is unusual in a house of this nature and one could really imagine elegant parties taking place here. The extensive grounds give plenty of space to walk, explore and play and the waymarked routes and children's trail make it ideal for families. The licensed restaurant has a children's menu and offer's reasonable value.

Ohhh, the Thirsty Meeples!…read more An absolutely OUTSTANDING board game cafe. My experience may be colored by the fact that it's the first one I ever went to and I was super enchanted by the idea...but nevertheless, we had an absolutely incredible time on all our visits. Their cocktails are amazing (try the Brazilian Monk for a decadent dessert drink) and they have snacks and coffee, too. Really impressive collection of board games for all skills, ages, and interests. Staff are fun and friendly and make great recommendations. If you're looking for a great way to spend the night with pals in Oxford, look no further. I miss this place.

We love boardgames, so Thirsty Meeples seemed a natural choice for myself and a couple of…read moreboard-gaming friends. Proper treasure for geeks, the place offers a vast selection of games to choose from! Moreover, the staff is extremely helpful and offers you games to play depending on your preferences. It's especially cool that they are happy to explain the rules! Lovely food and drinks and relaxed atmosphere. Make sure you book - the place is always busy!

This small county museum is a real gem. The permanent collections address only the history and…read morenatural history of Buckinghamshire. The small complex of buildings in which it is housed is itself worth further investigation as it is located in the last remaining area that exudes the atmosphere of Aylesbury when it was a small but vibrant market town. Staff are very helpful and approachable (not only the attendants but curators too) If you visit, don't miss the Lenborough hoard and, for a provincial museum, the remarkable collection of modern studio ceramics (The only bit of the collection that extends its interest beyond Buckinghamshire) . Although if you have a real interest in ceramics a visit to the reserve collection at Halton might be on the cards! The museum also houses the archive of the Bucks Archaeological Society available for research on Wednesday. Special exhibitions are staged regularly and it is with anticipation that I await the Elizabeth Frink exhibition scheduled for February. Finally, the small café is the ideal place to relax for a coffee away from the plethora of coffee houses close by.

Baesd in Aylesbury town centre, it is conveniently located. There isn't any on site parking, so you…read morehave to park in one of the town's public car parks and walk through. It is not very well sign posted, so do take directions with you when you go. We took our 2 and 3 year old girls along during the holographics exhibition, and it was very good. They have plenty of things to see there, and laso run free exhibitions regularly. Our girls aren't the best behaved or quietest people in the world, but we didn't get a bad response from the staff or other visitors, despite the youngest being completely terrified of the holograms and screaming the place down. The museum was clean and airy, and well set out, and it wasn't too busy either which is nice. Don't expect it to be a whole day worth of activity, but it will keep them entertained for a couple of hours. The museum is next door to the Roald Dahl museum (not free unfortunately) which is great for kids between 5 and 11 years old ish, I wouldn't bother if they're any younger really as they won't get it.

Affectionately known as the 'MOLT', this is a great little lecture theatre. It's more comfortable…read morethan most cinemas in Oxford and hosts a wide range of events from university and college talks, lectures and ceremonies, to plays, concerst and conferences. The seating is tiered and padded and the stage is modern with a good sound system. You can enter from the front or back, which is great if you need to sneak out in the middle or arrive late, and it's joined to the Mary Ogilvie Art Gallery, where you can browse interesting exhibitions while sipping on wine or discussing the event you have just attended. The building was constructed in 1992 and has won awards. It seats aroudn 150 people.

Even if you are visiting Oxford for a short period of time, you should really try to see the…read moreSheldonian Theatre. The Theatre was built in the 1600's by Christopher Wren and has been in active use ever since by the university, amateur players and conference organizers. If you can see a show here, you will be amazed by the interior of the building. Extraordinarily precise baroque architecture and perfect acoustics. A great venue for musicals. If you can see a musical here, i would recommend it. One word of advice: the seats aren't particularly comfortable (sometimes hard wooden benches), so if you can smuggle a cushion in, good for you!

A 70 foot span, no Gothic vaulting or columns to hold it up - the ceiling of the Sheldonian Theatre…read morein Oxford. This was in 1663 and a real poser for Sir Christopher Wren - all before pocket calculators and Google. How did he do it?? Well, come and see for yourself, climb up to the Cupola and stand on the very ceiling - you might not want to thud across it, knowing it's 340 years old and just a big bunch of space for 60 feet below. If you're interested, Wren actually achieved the 70 foot feat by creating a matrix of trussses, which rotate and interlock with each other, a bit like weaving - yes woven wooden beams and that was a first! Just hope it'll last! At least long enough for your safe visit. You can be reassured that when inspected, the surveyors considered it likely to '...remain in such good Repair and Condition, for one hundred or two hundred Years yet to come' (1720). Mmmmm. (It has been checked more recently, by the way.) Up in the Cupola itself, wonderful views of Oxford across all points of the compass. And all this, without even mentioning the imposing Theatre hall itself. Look at the other side of the ceiling, from bottom up and view the magnificent painting by Robert Streaker, created from 1668-1669. Look out for Rapine, with her 'fiery eyes, grinning Teeth, sharp Twangs, her Hands imbrewed in Blood, holding a Bloody Dagger in one hand, in the other a Burning Flambeau..' She's nice, but maybe think twice about asking her on a date. The Theatre is the ceremonial hall of the University and is named after Gilbert Sheldon, Warden of All Saints College and later Archbishop of Canterbury, who paid for its building between 1664-9. It was the first major design (did I forget to mention that before?) of Sir Christopher Wren, Professor of Astronomy (1632-1723). It is now used for lectures and concerts. Well worth the £3.00 entrance fee. (Parachutes extra.)

The Abingdon Museum is quite a quaint place - upstairs in a strange building opposite the market…read moresquare. There are permanent exhibits about the history of Abingdon (do you know about the bun throwing?) and the MG factory. More interesting are the changing - showcasing everything from different aspects of local history to arts and crafts both historical and modern. The museum isn't large, but they make space for a small cafe where you can get snacks and hot drinks, plus information on local tourist attractions. There are toys and games for kiddies, too, and they obviously play host to school groups on a regular basis. During the summer months you can go up to the roof (the museum is free, but there's a small charge for access to the roof) for an unparalleled view of Abingdon. Oh, and it's where they keep the wireless router for the town - so if you're out and about and want internet access then it's probably the best place to be.

Based in England's grandest free-standing town hall with an open ground floor, Abingdon Museum…read morehouses permanent collections as well as temporary exhibitions. The roof gives a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, and is also the venue for Abingdon's traditional 'Bun Throwing' ceremonies to mark Royal occasions. One of our Abingdon team's top 5 cultural venues.

The gist: Art gallery with a range of exhibitions, talks, events, workshops and films…read more Who's it for? Mainly the local community, although it's well worth visiting if you're a tourist as well. What's so great about it? Variety, and it's free (donation recommended)! If you don't like the art they're displaying, it changes every couple of months. Will the kids like it? They cater for children. 2-4pm at weekends with exhibitions, there's a 'modern art trolley' with activity sheets. They also have family guides, family days and artist-led workshops for children. See the website for more details. I'm just hungrycan I eat there? Yep, like all the best places there's a cafe. What's the catch? Well, modern art's not for everyone

Amazing contemporary art, great atmosphere and a good time altogether. I had gone there for a…read moreprivate party and the basement was done up so well with the lights, music and everything.