Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG
It’s often said that this library holds a copy of every book ever published in the English language. Certainly there are more than 11 million books here, although not all of them accessible particularly easily, stored in vaults and stacks. No matter how many books this library is home to – it’s certainly one of the greatest in the world. You can check out the grand courtyard for free, and the Divinity Schools – Oxford’s first purpose built lecture theatre with incredible English gothic architecture – for £1; otherwise there’s a range of tours, as well as exhibitions and temporary displays from the extensive archives. The famous Radcliffe Camera – the round building that appears in the background of every Oxford-based film – is part of the Bodleian, but alas there’s no public access to the inside of it. Note that some tours are not suitable for under-11s, and there are a lot of stairs! Recommended entrance is in Catte Street.
