Oxfordshire
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
Archaeology & History Sites in Oxfordshire
Rollright Stones
The magnificent Rollright Stones are a complex of prehistoric monuments near Long Compton village. The oldest is the Whispering Knights, a collapsed dolmen that was once part of an Early Neolithic chambered tomb. More impressive is the Kings Men, a Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age stone circle measuring 33 metres in diameter. The solitary King Stone stands not far away. Managed by the Rollright Trust for English Heritage, the Stones also have a rich folklore and are a sacred site for modern Pagans.

Uffington White Horse
The Uffington White Horse is a geoglyph, or an area of grassland where the turf is stripped back to reveal the chalk beneath, in this case crafted into the shape of a colossal horse. At 111 metres (or 360 feet) long the horse can be seen from quite some distance. It is thought to have been first created at the end of the Late Bronze or early Iron Age, but it remains a masterpiece of prehistoric art. The horse is about 170 metres north east of an Iron Age hill fort.

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Museums & Art Galleries in Oxfordshire
Abingdon County Hall Museum
Situated within an ornate Baroque building constructed between 1678 and 1682, Abingdon County Hall Museum contains a range of permanent and temporary exhibits on local history. Built by a protégé of Christopher Wren, the structure was designed as a town hall and courtroom before being converted into a museum in 1919. Its archaeological and historical collections range from the prehistoric to the modern and include a replica of the famous Viking Age “Abingdon Sword.” Owned by Abingdon Town Council, entry is free.

Ashmolean Museum
Established in 1683 and with an international reputation, the Ashmolean Museum is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology. Having started life as the private collection of Elias Ashmole, who then donated it to the university, it was the world’s second university museum to open. The present building was erected in the 1840s and renovated in the 2000s. Its collections are diverse, comprising material from ancient Egypt to early medieval England, and contain many famous objects, like the Alfred Jewel and Oliver Cromwell’s death mask.
