Into the Wardrobe

actually, here's a few photos with commentary of my stay at the Kilns in 2004 in case you're interested. I was just new to my digital camera and wish I had known better how to use it-- didn't get that many photos on the trip.

Forgot to mention the trip to the Kilns. I was one of those poor fools that misread the website and thought that you had to book if you wanted a guided tour. I took that as meaning that you could walk through the home anyways without a guide.

Ended up taking pictures outside of the house and around the gardens to use with my lectures in class. I don't think that the residents at the time were too keen on my photography though...

We used to have to shoo Japanese tourists with their cameras out of our garden, when we lived next door to a hotel. Perhaps they thought the lack of a front gate allowed them to wander onto the premises, or they couldn't tell that the side-street between us indicated a different property? I recall one Saturday morning hearing voices outside my bedroom window!

I was just in England last month, and my husband and I took a day to visit Oxford. The email address to contact the head resident at the Kilns is thekilns@cslewis.org. Her name is Teresa (at least, I believe Teresa will still be there through the summer), and she's wonderful. Very warm and kind and helpful. The tour of the house takes around an hour or so (and keep in mind, they ask for a 10 pound donation). And you can ask Teresa for directions to Lewis's church where is also buried - it's only a mile or so away.

From there we took the bus into town, walked up to the Eagle and Child for lunch, and then walked down High Street and toured Magdalen College. It costs a few pounds and they give you a little brochure to take you around the grounds. We walked along Addison's Walk and if we had had time, might have even rented a boat to take down the Cherwell (which is the canal that runs along Addison's Walk).

We had also wanted to take a tour of the Bodleian Library, but we didn't have the time (it closes around 5 or 6pm).