196/365 Jack Burgoyne’s literary tours: Part 1 — Oxford

Jeremy’s father was a librarian. He loved to read and he loved it when other people loved to read. When I visited the Burgoynes in 1976 Jack told me that he’d take me anywhere in the UK as long as I could relate it to a book.

I chose two places and Jack picked a third.

The first two places were during the same trip. Oxford and Watership Down (with Stonehenge and Woodhenge thrown in because they were close).

Of course I wanted to visit Oxford to see the local haunts of JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis. We walked the grounds of Magdalen College and around the city of Oxford, possibly stopping at The Eagle and Child. Then we headed out of town to Headington where CS Lewis lived. Besides stopping by his house for a quick photo we visited the church where he worshiped and where he is buried. We were lucky to meet the caretaker who knew Lewis and showed us the exact pew where Lewis sat. He told us that Lewis often arrived late and left early to avoid talking to people. He told us that he couldn’t figure out why Americans were so fascinated with this man.