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Blenheim Palace, Woodstock

Companionship careOxfordshire

Days out in Oxfordshire for an older parent

Ten places in Oxfordshire that make a good day out for an older parent, from Blenheim Palace to Burford. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

Blenheim Palace. Photo: Blenheim Palace, CC BY 4.0

Ten days out across seven towns

The best places to take an older parent in Oxfordshire

Five of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for one describes a step-free route, and four confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock

Photo: Blenheim Palace, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Woodstock

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is the vast baroque home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Winston Churchill, set in parkland landscaped by Capability Brown. Visitors can see the state rooms, the Churchill exhibition, formal gardens and the lake.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired from the Access Desk, a lift reaches the state rooms and the Orangery restaurant, accessible toilets are in several places and companions of Blue Badge holders go in free.

Time to allow
A full day
Cost
Paid entry, companions of Blue Badge holders free

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Woodstock

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Oxford

Ashmolean Museum

The Ashmolean is Oxford University's museum of art and archaeology and one of the oldest public museums in the world, with collections from ancient Egypt to modern art, including paintings by Turner and Pissarro. Admission to the permanent galleries is free.

Entry is free, wheelchairs can be borrowed at the front door without booking, lifts serve the floors and there are accessible toilets on the lower ground floor and floor four.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry, some exhibitions charged

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Oxford

Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford

Photo: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Oxford

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History is a Victorian Gothic building with a glass roof over a great court of dinosaur skeletons, the Oxford Dodo and minerals. The Pitt Rivers Museum of anthropology is reached through the back of the same building.

Entry is free and a lift from the lower ground floor reaches every floor of the building, so a carer can plan a gentle visit to both museums under one roof.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Oxford

University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxford

Photo: Honcques Laus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Oxford

University of Oxford Botanic Garden

The Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in Britain, founded in 1621 beside the River Cherwell opposite Magdalen College. Its walled garden, glasshouses and riverside borders hold thousands of plants from around the world.

The garden is compact and mostly on the level beside the river, so a carer can plan a slow walk with benches and the warmth of the glasshouses.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Oxford

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford

Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Animals · Burford

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

Cotswold Wildlife Park is set in the grounds of a Victorian manor near Burford, with rhinos, giraffes, lions, penguins and reptiles among gardens and parkland. There is a restaurant, a narrow gauge railway in the season and walled gardens by the house.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired from the Gift Shop, and it is worth phoning ahead to reserve one as they get booked up in holidays.

Time to allow
A full day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Burford

Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley

Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Wheatley

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens is eight acres of ornamental gardens near Wheatley, once a famous school of horticulture for women, with herbaceous borders, a formal knot garden and a riverside walk. There is a garden shop, a gallery and a tea shop.

The ornamental gardens are mainly flat, wheelchairs are available on site, all buildings are accessible and there is a disabled toilet in the main car park toilet block.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Wheatley

Banbury Museum, Banbury

Photo: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Banbury

Banbury Museum

Banbury Museum sits beside the Oxford Canal in the centre of Banbury, telling the story of the town, the canal and the famous cross and cakes. It has a canalside café and a shop selling local crafts.

Entry to the main galleries is free and Gwen's Canalside Café is inside, so the visit can be kept short with a view of the boats.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Banbury

Abingdon County Hall Museum, Abingdon

Photo: Decan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Abingdon

Abingdon County Hall Museum

Abingdon's museum is housed in the 17th century County Hall standing on open arches in the market place, and tells the history of the town and the area. There are also visits to the roof, which has views over the town and the Thames.

It stands in the market place with cafés all around and the Thames a short walk away, so a carer can combine a short visit with lunch.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Abingdon

Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot

Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Heritage railway · Didcot

Didcot Railway Centre

Didcot Railway Centre is a Great Western Railway museum beside Didcot Parkway station, with a 1930s engine shed full of steam locomotives, restored stations and carriages. On steam days visitors can ride short trains along the demonstration lines.

The centre is reached directly from Didcot Parkway station, so a carer can plan the trip by train and check steam days and access before setting off.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Didcot

Burford, Burford

Photo: David Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Market town · Burford

Burford

Burford is a Cotswold market town with a long High Street of honey-coloured stone houses running down the hill to a medieval bridge over the River Windrush. It has tea rooms, antique shops and a large wool church.

The High Street is steep, so a carer can park near the bottom by the river and the church and keep to the flatter lower end.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Burford

Regular groups and events in Oxfordshire

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Oxfordshire.

  • Music · OxfordOxford Coffee ConcertsA chamber music series running on most Sunday mornings of the year in Oxford's eighteenth century concert room, with coffee included. A carer can book seats in advance, arrange a drop-off nearby and keep the outing to a single late morning hour.Details
  • MusicSinging for the BrainAlzheimer's Society singing sessions held at venues around Oxfordshire for people with memory problems and those who support them. A carer can attend alongside, handle the travel and join in, which takes the pressure off the person singing.Details
  • Photography · OxfordOxford Photographic SocietyA long-running camera club with talks, competitions and print work for members of all levels. A carer can drive the person to meetings, help carry kit and set the tripod up so the photography stays the person's own.Details
  • PaintingOxfordshire Artweeks open studiosA county-wide open studios season when artists across Oxfordshire show work in homes, studios and village halls. A carer can pick two or three venues close together, check for parking and steps, and keep the visit short.Details
  • ReadingOxfordshire Home Library ServiceA free county council service in which volunteers choose and deliver library books, large print and audiobooks to people who cannot get to a branch. A carer can set up the referral, note the person's tastes and read aloud from the delivered books.Details
  • Sports · OxfordOxford United walking footballWalking football sessions run by the club's community trust for older players, with no running and no contact. A carer can handle transport, bring water and stay on the sideline for the session.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Oxfordshire

At a glance

The ten places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Blenheim PalaceWoodstocka full dayPaid entryPartlyYesAsk
Ashmolean MuseumOxfordhalf a dayFreeYesYesAsk
Oxford University Museum of Natural HistoryOxfordan hour or twoFreePartlyYesAsk
University of Oxford Botanic GardenOxfordan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Cotswold Wildlife Park and GardensBurforda full dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Waterperry GardensWheatleyhalf a dayPaid entryAskYesAsk
Banbury MuseumBanburyan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Abingdon County Hall MuseumAbingdonan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Didcot Railway CentreDidcothalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
BurfordBurfordhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Oxfordshire

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

Henley on ThamesThameBicesterFaringdonChipping Norton12345678910
  1. 1Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
  2. 2Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
  3. 3Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford
  4. 4University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxford
  5. 5Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford
  6. 6Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley
  7. 7Banbury Museum, Banbury
  8. 8Abingdon County Hall Museum, Abingdon
  9. 9Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot
  10. 10Burford, Burford

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Oxfordshire

Carers in Oxfordshire charge £19 to £24 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Oxfordshire has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Oxfordshire

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Oxford University Museum of Natural History in Oxford, University of Oxford Botanic Garden in Oxford, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Burford, Waterperry Gardens in Wheatley, Banbury Museum in Banbury, Abingdon County Hall Museum in Abingdon, Didcot Railway Centre in Didcot and Burford in Burford. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Ashmolean Museum describes a step-free route. Blenheim Palace, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Waterperry Gardens have an accessible toilet. Blenheim Palace, Ashmolean Museum, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens and Waterperry Gardens lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Banbury Museum, Abingdon County Hall Museum and Burford. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 43 of the carers with a rate near Oxfordshire drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Oxfordshire shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Oxfordshire

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Oxfordshire

Days out in the areas around Oxfordshire

Companionship care by town in Oxfordshire

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Oxfordshire

See carers near Oxfordshire who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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