Oxford and the English Civil War
27 September 2026
10:30am-1:45pm
Ashmolean Museum Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
27 September 2026
Study Format:
In-person day/weekend
Fees:
£60.00
Explore life in the city during the War, examine the role of Oxford's former students and consider why Oxford was an attractive base for King Charles I and his army on this in-person walking tour.
Oxford was the Royalist Capital during the English Civil War from 1642-46. Not only was the king based here, but so were large numbers of soldiers, courtiers, refugees and hangers-on as well as locals and university men. It was a testing time for the overcrowded city, where disease became rife and which had three (not entirely successful) sieges visited upon it by the Parliamentarians. Colleges gave up their precious treasures to the King’s newly installed Royal Mint and the University’s buildings were requisitioned and fortifications dug.
A significant number of key figures in the political upheavals which led to the war had also been educated here. Archbishop Laud is buried in St John’s College together with one of the men present on the scaffold with King Charles I; on the Parliamentarian side. John Pym hailed from Broadgates (now Pembroke), Henry Ireton from Trinity and a remarkable number of the regicides recorded on the king’s arrest warrant had also passed through.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 BST on 23 September 2026.
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Accommodation
If you wish to stay with us before and/or after the event, please contact our Residential Centre for availability and discounted rates.
Call +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk
Our accommodation in Wellington Square has been rated as 4-Star Campus Accommodation under Visit England. All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished with tea/coffee making facilities, Freeview television, private bath/shower rooms and free WiFi. For more details see our accommodation information.
Programme details
10.20am
Registration in front of Ashmolean Museum (Beaumont Street)
10.30am
Begin walking tour around Oxford
12.30pm
Return to Rewley House
12.45pm
Lunch
1.45pm
End of day
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Event fee (includes 2-course lunch) | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Payment
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
Victoria Bentata Azaz
Victoria Bentata Azaz is a graduate of the University of Oxford (Modern Languages – Russian, LMH) and of Oxford Brookes University (MA in History 2022), writing a dissertation on the Inter Services Topographical Department based at Manchester College in WWII. She is a Green Badge Oxford Guide, a member of the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides and gives tours in French and Spanish. She has also written two books of walks Oxford City Walks and Oxford Hidden Walks
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.