Well, not really Narnia, but to the very spot in England where Narnia was born in the mind of C.S. Lewis, author of "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" and the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. His name is Ron Brind who was a childhood pal of Lewis's stepson Douglas Gresham and a frequent visitor to Lewis's former Oxfordshire home in the 1950's. This wonderful tour takes place in Oxfordshire, England, and visits places of interest including Lewis's former home 'The Kilns' and the beautiful Holy Trinity Church, Oxford, which was Lewis's final resting place. The tour duration which is approximately 3 hours and commences from outside the Randolph Hotel in Beaumont Street, Oxford, which is noted for its connections with Colin Dexter, who wrote the very famous Inspector Morse novels, and frequents the Randolph. En-route you will see the remains of the old 'City Wall', Magdalen College from Longwall Street where Lewis was elected a Fellow in 1925, Magdalen Bridge, where the famous Oxford May Day celebrations take place, and Magdalen College School, which was attended by Doug. You will be taken through Headington to see one of the former homes of J R R Tolkien and to The Kilns, Lewis's former home which was purchased jointly in October 1930 by Mrs Moore, Jack and Major Lewis. A short stroll away is the lake that yielded the Punt from the murky depths, owned by Lewis. How did the Punt get there? Find this out on the tour! In leaving the Kilns, the tour passes a local watering hole used by Jack and Warnie and travels to Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, where the vicar Mr Tom Honey will, subject to commitments, allow you to see inside this beautiful building. Outside in the Churchyard you will see the grave of C S Lewis and Mrs Janie King Moore, mother of the writer's close friend Paddy Moore. You will also see the entrance to the Mayfair Suite at the former Wingfield Hospital, today the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, where Jack and Joy's marriage was blessed in a bedside ceremony in December 1956 because her death was thought to be imminent. The penultimate stop will be Oxford Crematorium to see the memorial plaque to Joy Davidman in cloister 2 and if you wish knowledge of exactly where Joy's ashes were scattered. The tour finishes at the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford's magnificent St Giles thoroughfare. This famous watering hole was regularly used by Lewis and his circle of intellectual and literary friends known as 'The Inklings'. It is here that you will be presented with a personalised Certificate recording your visit to 'The Kilns' - a memento of your tour and a reminder that the Lewis legacy lives on. So even though he can't take you as far as Narnia, he can take you to the very places where Narnia was conceived and born. |
