A Discovery of Witches Private Tour of Oxford

Oxford Covered Market is home of the Brown Cafe. This highly praised café is the inspiration for the café where Matthew invites Diana for breakfast in the book of A Discovery of Witches. Seen in the A Discovery of Witches TV series, this café will be our first stop, where you can get a quick bite to eat and drink before heading off on the rest of the tour.

Radcliffe Camera is one of the most iconic buildings in Oxford. Part of the Bodleian Library, this building is sadly only accessible to staff and students of Oxford University. However, it does not stop us from enjoying this architectural marvel that is seen throughout series 1 of A Discovery of Witches and is somewhere that both Diana and Matthew would be intimately acquainted.

The Bodleian Library is one of the most amazing places to visit in Oxford, seen in both A Discovery of Witches and Harry Potter it’s a library whose magic is all its own.

Mentioned numerous times throughout the All Souls Trilogy, and seen in A Discovery of Witches, visiting the library is full of all the quaint charm and scholarly stiffness that you would expect from the book and TV series. Sadly we cannot access the Selden End of the Library, which is seen in A Discovery of Witches but this should not deter visitors as the rest of the Library is still a sight to behold!

New College, or The College of St Mary of Winchester in Oxford to use its original name, is Diana’s college and is mentioned widely throughout the book and TV series of A Discovery of Witches.

This beautiful college is one of the largest in Oxford, and whilst here we will explore both the buildings and grounds which Diana would be familiar with including the college’s cloisters, chapel (which offers unique features including a painted window designed by Sir Joshua Renolds) and the great hall.

The Turf Tavern is one of the lunch options for this tour and is a short walk from New College, The King’s Arms and The White Horse. This pub, dating back to the 17th century, claims to be an “education in intoxication” and is a favourite of students and tourists alike. It’s said that Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Blair, CS Lewis, Stephen Hawking and Margaret Thatcher have all drunk here, and it’s at this pub where Bill Clinton famously “did not inhale”!

All three pubs (The Turf Tavern, The King’s Arms and The White Horse) can be visited on the day, and are either mentioned or seen in the book and TV series. Customers are welcome to choose between the pubs depending on their own tastes and preferences on the day.

The King’s Arms is one of the lunch options for this tour and is a short walk from New College, The Turf Tavern, and The White Horse. Mentioned in the opening chapter of A Discovery of Witches as where Diana and Sean would drink during their “graduate student days”, this pink pub is a delight to behold and a hot spot with students and their lecturers.

All three pubs (The Turf Tavern, The King’s Arms and The White Horse) can be visited on the day, and are either mentioned or seen in the book and TV series. Customers are welcome to choose between the pubs depending on their own tastes and preferences on the day.

The White Horse is one of the lunch options for this tour and a traditional British boozer that dates back to the 16th century. This listed building offers home-made food, including fish and chips, and traditional pies that will warm the blood of even the coldest Vampire. Seen several times in the TV series of A Discovery of Witches, and renowned for its classic British ales, it is also a filming location favourite for the TV series Morse, Endeavour and Lewis.

All three pubs (The Turf Tavern, The King’s Arms and The White Horse) can be visited on the day, and are either mentioned or seen in the book and TV series. Customers are welcome to choose between the pubs depending on their own tastes and preferences on the day.

Located opposite the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre, Blackwell’s is a bookshop not to be missed. This Aladdin’s cave of learning offers every type of book that an Oxford University student, staff member, or visiting lecturer might wish for. Mentioned as the place where Diana goes for her lunch, we will give you time to explore Blackwell’s and purchase as many books as take your fancy!

Exeter College is one of the filming locations for series one of A Discovery of Witches. This beautiful college is where Matthew and Diana can be seen walking together, with the college’s chapel behind them. Whilst here we can spend time recreating the scene so that you have an extra special photo to take home with you, as well as discussing the famous alumni of the college who include the literary giants J. R. R. Tolkien, Alan Bennett, and Philip Pullman.

All Souls College is where Matthew has his rooms. Sadly most of the college is off-limits to visitors, but this won’t stop us from enjoying the publically accessible quadrangle or “quad” where your guide will tell you about this unique college, its history and why it has no students!

The Oxford University College Boathouse is where Diana keeps her racing skull and where Matthew starts to crave her in the TV version of A Discovery of Witches. From here we can see the New College Boathouse where Diana keeps her scull in the books and it is from here that Clairmont watches Diana in chapter 4 of the book.

Whilst outside the boathouse we will discuss the importance of the River Isis, its name and why it changes to become the River Thames further downstream, and why rowing is so important to Oxford’s University and of course Diana Bishop.

Our final destination before heading back to the meeting point is The Isis Farmhouse. This beautiful pub is a 10-minute walk from the closest parking, so please bring sensible footwear and clothing.

It is here that Matthew meets Diana in the fourth chapter of A Discovery of Witches and discusses the number of creatures that are present in Oxford since the discovery of Ashmole 782. On a spring/summers day, we can sit by the river and enjoy one final drink in Oxford, in the autumn/winter we can sit inside the beautiful farmhouse and warm ourselves by the fire before heading back.

N.B. If the 10-minute walk to the Isis Farmhouse will be too much for you please let us know at the time of booking, and we will allow extra time at each of the other locations in Oxford instead.