Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, about eight miles north of Oxford, is one of England's grandest stately homes and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The palace is a baroque masterpiece set in vast landscaped grounds designed by Capability Brown. You could easily spend a full day here between the house, gardens and parkland.
Bicester Village is about fifteen miles north and draws shoppers to its outlet stores selling discounted designer brands. If luxury shopping at reduced prices appeals, it is worth the short trip.
The Cotswolds are within easy reach to the west. Villages like Burford, Bibury and Chipping Norton have the golden limestone cottages, rolling hills and country pubs that define this famously picturesque region.
Dorchester-on-Thames is a quiet village about ten miles south with a magnificent abbey church that dates back to Norman times. The village sits at the confluence of the Thame and the Thames and makes for a pleasant afternoon walk.
Rousham House and Garden near Bicester has one of the finest eighteenth-century English landscape gardens in the country, virtually unchanged since William Kent designed it in the 1730s. The garden is open daily but there is no cafe and no children under fifteen, which keeps it wonderfully peaceful.