ABOUT THE TOUR
The “In Inkling Footsteps” tour is a short-term study abroad experience exploring the Oxford of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. We partner with educators to provide an immersive, unforgettable experience set in idyllic English locations. If you are a professor or school administrator interested in organizing a tour for your university, contact us for a quote. Planning a trip like this can be overwhelming, so let us help. We will fuss with tours, meals, housing, and other logistics as you explore the sites with your students.
LOCATIONS
The city of Oxford hosts the oldest English-speaking university in continual operation. It’s Medieval streets and gardens tell tales of its 900-year old history. It’s ancient lecture halls and public houses echo the philosophies of the world’s greatest minds. In Oxford during the 1930s and 40s, an informal literary discussion group called the Inklings produced two of the most celebrated Christian authors of the 20thCentury, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Our tour follows in their footsteps and includes the following experiences:
Addison’s Walk at Magdalen College
Addison’s Walk at Magdalen College marks the site where a renowned conversation with Tolkien led to Lewis’ conversion to Christianity. Readings from Lewis’ Surprised by Joy will enrich your walk around the dirt path of this Oxford deer park.
Merton College
Explore Tolkien’s Merton College while reflecting on his short story Leaf by Niggle and discussing his struggle to write The Lord of the Rings.
Oxford University Botanical Gardens
The Oxford University Botanical Gardens sets the backdrop to consider the trees of Middle Earth and Narnia.
Public House Crawl
This progressive dinner at multiple Public Houses frequented by Inklings includes a walk through Port Meadow along the Thames River. This activity incorporates discussions and lectures on the Inkling practice of reading aloud works-in-progress to each other.
The Bodleian Library in Oxford
The Bodleian Library in Oxford, site of Tolkien’s manuscripts and drawings.
Tour of the Kilns, C.S. Lewis’ residence
Tour The Kilns, C.S. Lewis’ residence, in Headington Quarry.
The graves of Lewis and Tolkien
A visit to the grave of Lewis at Holy Trinity Church provides a sobering site to discuss the horrors of World War I and its influence on the Inklings’ writing.
St. Mary’s (and tower climb)
After climbing the tower at St. Mary’s, listen to readings from Lewis’ sermon Weight of Glory in the location it was originally preached.
Day trip to Stonehenge and Bath
Day trip to Stonehenge and Bath (including entrance to The Roman Baths, Fashion Museum, Victorian Art Gallery)
Day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon
Day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon (including entrance to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Hall’s Croft) and attendance of a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Your tour can be custom fit around your schedule, preferences, and institutional expectations. Touring and travel logistics are overseen by experienced study abroad educators. A typical tour includes nine nights of housing, breakfast, sack lunch, and mass transit around Oxford.
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE
About Director Paul Radford, Ph.D.
Paul Radford is a Communication professor from Taylors, SC. His passion for producing immersive, learning experiences for university students has taken him to England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, Italy, and France. His academic research includes the exploration of the intersection of faith and storytelling, leading him constantly to the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien for instruction, discovery, and enjoyment. Paul cannot remember a time in his life when he did not revere Aslan, the heroic lion of Narnia. He later discovered that his “longing for the Shire” far preceded his introduction to Tolkien through Peter Jackson’s first Lord of the Rings film.
As a practicing theatre artist and Shakespeare-lover, Paul’s has directed productions of Othello, Hamlet, and The Tempest. His acting credits include Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Caliban in The Tempest, and Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night.
Paul’s wife Michelle is an accomplished fine artist, educator, and co-founder of Leaf Institute of Art & Vocation. His three children love to hear tales of adventure and fantasy read aloud at bedtime.