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‘The Oxford Collection’ is an independently owned collection of two 5-star luxury hotels and three stunning restaurants, all in central Oxford and situated in historic landmark buildings.

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The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks.

DISCOVER Go To Website

The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks. 2

DISCOVER Go To Website

The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks. 3

DISCOVER Go To Website

The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks. 77

DISCOVER Go To Website

The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks. 4

DISCOVER Go To Website

The independently owned Old Bank, centrally located on Oxford’s famous High, is a breath-taking statement in design. The 5 star hotel has 43 luxury bedrooms, many with unrivalled views of the city’s most famous landmarks.5

DISCOVER Go To Website
0038 - 2014 - Old Parsonage Hotel - Oxford - High res - Cocktails Library Summer Spring - Web Hero
Mar 26, 2024 Literature

Tales From Our Libraries: Book Review

As one chapter closes, another one opens.

 

It’s the end of March and the Oxford Literary Festival has just wrapped up its nine days of talks and workshops for 2024. A truly world-class event that’s been wooing the great and good of the literary world for 27 years now, it’s prompted us to begin our own series of sorts – a regular book review.

 

After all, we have an appetising selection of titles within our walls. Quirky and eccentric stories about Oxford and its University, suspense thrillers, children’s classics, tomes on culture and cuisine… They all find a spot on the well-endowed library shelves at Old Parsonage and Old Bank, making lingering impossible to resist.

0018 - 2017 - Old Bank Hotel - Oxford - High Res - Library Bookshelf Sunlight - Web Feature

Philip Blackwell of Ultimate Library (and the Oxford institution itself, the Blackwells family) is responsible for curating and refreshing our libraries, both of which are exclusively for hotel guests. “I’m like a child in a sweet shop,” he admits. “It’s incredibly satisfying to be able to pique peoples’ curiosity and allow them to discover more about Oxford. Every aspect of the city, from its history and architecture to the river and museums are in the pages here.”

 

“The library and terrace at Old Parsonage are beautifully designed and cosy, somewhere you can get away from it all. The books are an important part of making guests feel at home.”

 

Oxford is a great seat of learning and has a tremendous history of discovery and literature, so that’s reflected too through the likes of fiction by CS Lewis, Philip Pullman, Colin Dexter and Mick Herron, as is Jeremy’s (The Oxford Collection’s owner) passion for art, food and drink. Ultimately, says Philip, “we want to inspire guests to go out and see new parts of the city and enrich their knowledge, but also to entertain. You can curl up with a book here, whatever the weather, and it’ll take you somewhere completely different.”

Book of the month

The Sandpit by Nicholas Shakespeare

 

“This is a gripping thriller that’ll help you create a greater sense of Oxford as it delves into the dark underbelly of the city’s society. The Evening Standard describes it as “An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carré”.

 

The novel follows John Dyer, a journalist who becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and danger when he enrolls his son in a prestigious local prep school, loosely based on the Dragon School in Oxford. As Dyer investigates the mysterious death of an Iranian nuclear scientist, he uncovers a sinister plot involving high-ranking officials and powerful business interests.

 

Shakespeare’s writing is brilliantly observed and evocative, capturing the privileged yet treacherous world of Oxford’s upper echelons. The characters are complex and flawed, and the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways.”

 

Review by Philip Blackwell, Ultimate Library

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