Rhodes House – University Parks loop from Kidlington

Bike touring routes & trails

Rhodes House – University Parks loop from Kidlington

Easy

riders

Rhodes House – University Parks loop from Kidlington

01:19

22.4km

100m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: November 2, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 12.4 km for 103 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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12.4 km

Punting from Magdalen Bridge

Highlight • River

Punting has been a quintessential Oxford experience since Victorian times. What better way to while away glorious summer days punting with friends along the River Cherwell? But be prepared for a steep learning curve on learning to punt. Please note that according to a tradition dating back from before 1880 - and in contrast to the other place - in Oxford the proper way to punt is from inside the boat rather than from on top of the box and to propel the punt with the box end facing forwards.

The punting station just below Magdalen Bridge dates back to 1911 and is currently one of three places in Oxford where punts, rowing boats and pedalos are available for hire. You can punt north towards Parson's Pleasure or south towards Folly Bridge on the River Isis (as the Thames is known locally). The southern route will bring you to where mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson set out on boating trip with the young Alice Liddell in 1862, and told her the stories that became "Alice in Wonderland". The northern route is perhaps a more tranquil option and will eventually bring you to further refreshments found at the Cherwell Boathouse and Victoria Arms along the river Cherwell.

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12.7 km

Danby Gateway, Oxford Botanic Garden

Highlight • Monument

Oxford Botanic Garden was founded in 1621 as the first botanic garden in the UK. It is part of the University of Oxford and contains over 5,000 different plant species. This makes it one of the most diverse yet compact collections of plants in the world and includes representatives from over 90% of the higher plant families. The Botanic Garden has been a rich source of inspiration. In the 1860s, this is where Charles Lutwidge Dodgson took the Liddell sisters, inspiring the stories that became Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. See if you can find the grinning Cheshire Cat, tucked away in the Literary Woodland in the Walled Garden. Equally, the author JRR Tolkien spent much time here, in particular in the company of the late great Austrian pine tree (Pinus nigra), whose twisting branches is said have resembled the 'ents' in his 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Perhaps most poignantly, in Philip Pullman's brilliant 'His Dark Materials' trilogy, the protagonists Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry meet between their respective parallel worlds on a bench in the back of the garden. At the end of the novels, they promise to sit on the bench for an hour at noon on Midsummer's day every year to feel each other's presence. Just behind their bench, you will find a stainless steel sculpture by the sculptor Julian Warren, depicting the ‘daemons’ of the novels.

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14.1 km

Rhodes House

Highlight • Monument

On We are cycling British Cycle Quest

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14.3 km

Pitt Rivers Museum

Highlight • Historical Site

With a maze of glass cabinets containing peculiar items and stacked dinosaur bones, the Pitt Rivers Museum is a fascinating treasure trove of historical items. The museum displays the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford. Indeed, many of the staff at the museum teach at the university.

Archaeologist Augustus Pitt Rivers founded the museum in 1884, donating 22,000 of his finds. Today, the collection has grown to over 500,000 items including a striking 37 foot (11 metre) totem pole.

The museum is open 12pm - 4.30pm on Mondays and 10am - 4.30pm Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance is free. You can find more information, here: prm.ox.ac.uk

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