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Ashmolean Museum, Oxfordshire

 

The Ashmolean Museum, founded in 1683 is the oldest museum in Britain. It has a huge collection of objects, with coins and art particularly well represented. Talks take place every Tuesday and Friday at 1.15pm on various subjects. A Highlight Tour takes place every Saturday morning at 11am. Highlights include the Alfred Jewel, associated with Alfred the Great which is one of the most famous objects to survive from Anglo Saxon England. The Jewel was found in 1693 at North Petherton in Somerset, only four miles from Athelney where Alfred took refuge from the Vikings in 878.

The Ashmolean also has a collection of items relating to Charles I and the English Civil War. This is appropriate, since Oxford was the royalist headquarters throughout the Civil War. Objects include Civil War period coins, the iron protective hat worn by chief prosecutor John Bradshaw during the trial of Charles I, and the chair Charles sat on during the trial.

 

 

Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays 10am - 6pm. The museum will close at 5pm on October 15th, November 26th, December 10th and 18th. Opening hours can change. Ring for details, or see the web site.

Closed 24th - 26th December.

 

 

 

Directions: The Museum is in Beaumont Street, Oxford. Parking is extremely limited in Oxford and it is advisable to use the Park and Ride facilities on the city's ring road. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on the Ashmolean Museum

Address: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH

Access: There are nine disabled parking spaces within easy reach of the Museum. There is a lift to all floors, and a wheelchair is available. There are four steps down to the Antiquities gallery.

Contact:

telephone: 01865 278000

web: http://www.ashmolean.org/

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