Oxford, the city that sparked the imagination of Philip Pullman for his much-loved His Dark Materials series, is yours to explore with this 75-minute self-guided audio tour. You'll traverse the real-life locations that inspired Lyra's world, from ancient college quadrangles to atmospheric lanes, blurring the lines between the Oxford you see and the Oxford as envisioned by Pullman.
Your journey begins at Exeter College on Broad Street, the tangible inspiration for Jordan College in the novels. From there, your route will guide you through the bustling Covered Market, across the iconic Radcliffe Square, past the renowned Bodleian Library, and beneath the picture-perfect Hertford Bridge - a location where scenes of Lyra and Roger escaping Gyptian children were filmed.
As you meander along, you'll have the opportunity to visit the History of Science Museum, home to the actual alethiometer prop from the BBC adaptation. You can also delve into Blackwell's bookshop and discover a Gothic doorway adorned with a naphtha lantern that seems to have leapt straight from the pages of Pullman's novels.
The tour concludes at the Oxford Botanic Garden, where sculptures of Lyra and Will's daemons grace a bench. This bench holds significance as it's where the two main characters pledge to return each year in their separate realities. Your guide for this adventure is Paul Coyne, an Oxonian born and bred with an extensive understanding of the city's streets, colleges, and hidden gems.
