From the Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland to Lord of the Rings and His Dark Materials, what is it about Oxford that has inspired several fantasy fiction classics? On this walking tour, we’ll attempt to answer that question while I show you where the famous wordsmiths behind these titles lived, worked and played, and some of their favourite haunts. I’ll share stories about how Oxford itself nurtured the minds of these fantasy literature giants and, as you walk, you’ll be amazed at the sheer breadth of talent and imagination that’s concentrated in one city. Starting in front of Carfax Tower, you’ll wander through the city centre and along the Board Walk, along the way you’ll hear about Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration behind Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. I’ll show you the locations where JK Rowling’s Harry Potter was filmed, with the University of Oxford adapted to become Hogwarts. We’ll step into the world of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, where you’ll follow in the footsteps of Will and Lyra and make your way around Radcliffe Square to the Bodleian Library. After wandering through different parts of the university our tour reaches an end in front of the Eagle and Child pub, a popular hangout for the Inklings, an informal literary club in the early to mid-1900s. On this wonder-filled tour of Oxford, you can look forward to: • Standing in Pembroke Square outside the college where JRR Tolkien wrote The Hobbit • Browsing through Alice’s Shop where the real-life Alice in Wonderland bought her barley sugar • Spotting Christ Church’s eight stained-glass windows featuring characters from Wonderland • Hearing what TS Eliot thought of the university city • Strolling through the passageway outside of University Church of St Mary the Virgin which served as the inspiration for Narnia • Seeing Tolkien’s two towers • Taking in Clarendon Square and the Divinity School library where Harry Potter practiced his witchcraft and wizardry and seeing the oak tree where Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret • Finding out about other authors with a special connection to the city including Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner and Susan Mary Cooper • Stopping at the pub where CS Lewis met JRR Tolkien twice a week for decades Whether you’re a fan of fantasy fiction, classic literature, a newcomer to Oxford, or just plain curious, this tour offers a fascinating glimpse into another world – that of the imagination! Allow 90-minutes for this walk. There are plenty of cafes and pubs along the way, not to mention convenient bookstores to stock up on all those tantalising works of fantasy fiction you’ll have just heard about! Arcadia - Wonders by [Kevin MacLeod](http://incompetech.com/) is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)