[1] With your back to the YHA turn left and walk towards the City Centre. Pass Oxford Station and the Edward Said business school. Cross over Rewley Road and continue, crossing a bridge over the Duke's Cut to reach a road junction at Worcester Street. Cross over and walk straight ahead to the right of Job Centre Plus into George Street. Just past Jobcentre Plus turn left into the bus station and cross the zebra crossing. Continue round to the end of the bus bays then turn right under the arch, just before the Old School. Walk straight across Gloucester Green to the far end and turn left into Gloucester Street.
[2] At the end turn right into Beaumont Street. Pass the Playhouse, then the Ashmolean Museum and cross over straight ahead by the Randolph Hotel.
(A) The Ashmolean Museum is the world's first university museum. Its first building was built in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities Elias Ashmole gave Oxford University in 1677. Objects of curiosity include Guy Fawkes lantern and a sword given to the Pope by Henry VII.
Go past the Martyrs' Memorial and turn left by the "Magdalen Street East" sign. Walk down St Giles passing St Johns College to reach "The Lamb & Flag". Turn right down Lamb and Flag Passage by the pub through to Museum Street and Parks Road.
(B) The Martyrs' Memorial is a monument in the form of an "Eleanor Cross" commemorating the 16th-century "Oxford Martyrs" Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, who were burned for heresy nearby in 1555 on the orders of the catholic Queen Mary. The monument was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1838.
(C) The Lamb & Flag opened in 1695. It is owned by St John's College and the profits fund DPhil student scholarships. Thomas Hardy is said to have written much of his novel "Jude the Obscure" in the pub and it frequently featured in the TV drama series "Morse".
At Parks Road turn right and continue on the pavement to reach the crossroads at the Kings Arms. Cross over and walk slightly to the left into Catte Street. The Bodleian Library is on the right, with the Sheldonian Theatre next to it, then the Museum of the History of Science. The Bodleian New Library is behind you. On your left is the Bridge of Sighs.
(D) The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest in Europe. It has over 11 million items and acts as a reference library. First opened to scholars in 1602, it incorporates an earlier library erected by the University in the fifteenth century to house books donated by Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester. Since 1602 it has expanded, slowly at first but with increasing momentum over the last 150 years, to keep pace with the ever-growing accumulation of books and papers, but the core of the old buildings has remained intact. These buildings are still used by students and scholars from all over the world. In 1861 the library expanded and took over the Radcliffe Camera. In 1931 the Bodleian New Library was built. It is being rebuilt and will be renamed the Weston Library.
(E) The Sheldonian Theatre was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer. It is used for music concerts, lectures and university ceremonies, but not for drama.
The Bridge of sighs, more properly Hertford Bridge, joins two parts of Hertford college. It bears no resemblance to the one in Venice, looking more like the Rialto.
[3] You emerge into Radcliffe Square, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe. Continue past the Radcliffe Camera, All Souls College and St Mary's Church to reach High Street.
(F) The Radcliffe Camera was designed by James Gibbs and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library. Until 1810, the Library housed books covering a wide range of subjects, but under Dr George Williams it narrowed its focus to the sciences. Eventually the Library's collection of books was moved to the newly constructed Radcliffe Science Library (yet another part of the Bodleian) and the building now serves as a reading room for the Bodleian.
Cross High Street by the pedestrian crossing then go right and then almost immediately left into the narrow alley of Magpie Lane. At the end turn right and then left through the iron gates to the right of Merton College Chapel. Follow the path through to another gate into Christ Church Meadow.
Please note that the gates shut at 19:00 in summer and at dusk in winter.
(G) Christ Church is one of the largest constituent colleges at the University of Oxford. Founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1524. It is also a Cathedral Church of the diocese of Oxford. Christ Church has produced 13 British Prime Ministers. It was the setting for Brideshead Revisited, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Harry Potter.
Turn right and follow the wide gravel drive past Christ Church College to the War Memorial Garden. At the end turn left on to St Aldate's. Continue to walk along the pavement passing one set of traffic lights to reach St Aldate's Police Station and Folly Bridge.
St Aldate's Police Station was where Inspector Morse was based, and there is a plaque recording this.
[4] Just past Folly Bridge, cross the road using the pedestrian crossing and take the path directly opposite. Note the highly decorated house on your right.
(H) Folly Bridge is the site of the old "Oxen Ford" . The bridge itself has been through several changes. It reached its final form in 1827. The Head of the River Pub is the converted Salter's boatyard building. Punt hire and boat trips are available. North Hinksey House (otherwise known as Caudwell's Castle) was built in 1849 by Joseph Caudwell, who was later transported. The house was later lived in by Robert William Theodore Gunther, a most interesting man, who founded the Museum of the History of Science.
Follow the towpath along the riverbank over several footbridges, past signs for Thames Path and Jubilee Terrace and the monument to Edgar George Wilson, who died while rescuing two boys, then past Osney Lock to reach the Botley Road. Turn right and cross the pedestrian crossing to walk back to YHA.
Do not walk along the Thames Path if there is local flooding.