With its dreaming spires and historic buildings, it's no surprise that the film industry have gone crazy for Oxford. It provides the most beautiful backdrop and my heart melts a little each time I see it on the big screen.
So, what major tv/films have been filmed here?
Detective Dramas
Oxford seems to be an absolute hot-spot for detective dramas, with the likes of Inspector Morse, Lewis & Endeavour all being filmed here.
Why not follow in their footsteps? Many of Morse's favourite pubs are spread across the city; The Eagle and Child, The White Horse, The Kings Arms and The Bear have all featured in episodes, so an Oxford pub-crawl wouldn't go amiss.
The stunning Ashmolean museum was also featured in both Lewis and Morse.
More recently, the ITV crime drama 'Unforgotten' used Oxford as a backdrop to its police investigation.
Downton Abbey
Although not filmed in the city itself, Oxfordshire is home to many of the Downton Abbey film locations; Yew Tree Farm, the village, the village pub and Mrs Crawley's house scenes are now popular sites for visitors. Bampton Village has developed a new-found fame and many companies now offer tours out of the city, to follow in the Grantham's and Crawley's footsteps.
Harry Potter
For Potterheads, Oxford is a dreamworld. Standing at the top of St Mary's tower, it's easy to feel like you're looking down on Hogwarts. With multiple film locations spread across the city, from Christ Church Hall which provided the inspiration for the Great Hall in Harry Potter to the Divinity School, now most famous as the Hogwarts Infirmary, the city oozes magic.
Now MY mini-documentary : 'Why Study at Oxford?' is also filmed admists the dreaming spires!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LdTkgFIvjM
Top Tips
Lots of Oxford tour companies, offer specific tv/film tours, this can be general or specific depending on what you want to see.