Cotswold and Oxford Tours

was founded by Tabby Lucas, a Blue Badge Tourist Guide for the Heart of England and a specialist Green Badge Guide for the city of Oxford.  

Tabby is a true local,  she was born in Oxford and has family roots in the city, dating back over 100 years.

For the past 29 years, Tabby has lived with her family in a village on the edge of the Cotswold hills.

Her background is in nature conservation and education.

Tabby has been part of the team training new Green Badge Oxford guides.

Some comments about Tabby’s tours:

“We very much enjoyed meeting you and were very impressed with your vast knowledge of so many things. Since we were with you we have seen several trees and beautiful flowers and said to ourselves “Tabby would know what that was”. Your navigation of Oxford was amazing and appreciated.” (K & J from USA)

“Such a great tour. Highly recommended to Morse, Lewis Endeavour Oxford fans” (Julia from Oxford)

“Thank you for a very enjoyable tour of Oxford. I found the architectural details and the historical events and people fascinating. Also, the many locations which have appeared in movies and TV series were very interesting. I was very impressed by Tabby who was very knowledgeable and personable.”(Bill from Ottawa, Canada.)

“Tabby provided our group of six with two days of guided tours in the Western Cotswolds and a day tour of Oxford, and we can’t praise her too highly. Our guided walks were well planned and Tabby provided an ongoing commentary of all aspects of the walks from the rich history of the region to all the local fauna. In addition Tabby knows Oxford intimately and in the space of a few hours provided us with a real appreciation of the Colleges, University and City. A great experience.”(‘All the gang’ from Richmond, Virginia, USA and Harpenden UK)

“Thanks a lot for all the arrangements and knowledge you shared! So much details and the passion.” (Michelle from China)

“Thank you for the tour. The information given of the various locations, topics, and periods of history was great. Although the weather wasn’t the most cooperative the overall experience was grand. “(Gordon from  South Carolina, USA.)

“Tabby is really knowledgeable and considerate. She always wants to give us the best scenery and stories. I am very grateful to her” (Qu Qiao from China)

“Interesting and fun tour looking for Morse, Endeavour and Lewis sites. Really enjoyed myself and would recommend” (Jenny from Somerset)

“Have just been on a lovely tour around some special parts of Oxford with Tabby Lucas. She is very well informed and made it all most interesting and entertaining. She managed to tailor many aspects to our particular interests. The time passed too quickly. We look forward to doing another one with Tabby, she is so good.

Despite living near Oxford all my life, I’d never learned as much over my 23 years about Oxford city as I learned from one tour with Tabby. Her extent of knowledge is incredible and she really brought history to life during the tour by recounting stories and showing us specific events’ locations I would otherwise not have visited. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend Tabby as a guide to anyone of any age” (Ilona from Oxfordshire)

“This entertaining tour gave insights into the city of Oxford as a back drop to the  filming of scenes from the Morse/Lewis/Endeavour series. Tabby is hugely knowledgeable about the various episodes and her tour was very well planned and judged. Her delivery was very clear and she very capably guided us safely through the various busy lanes and roads” (Pippa from Oxfordshire)

“We had an amazing afternoon with Tabby. An overview of some best bits including some museums that I had been to before but missed key bits of, and some I never knew existed. I particularly enjoyed the history and architecture of the Oxford colleges which I had never been into before. Tabby led us at a nice pace, kept us engaged and dealt ably with the interests of the whole group. Naturally it was good to discover new spots for tea and cake too. Thanks very much” (Paul from Devon)

“Tabby really took our (varied) interests into account and came up with a tailored visit that kept us all happy. As an Oxford graduate, it was great to be reminded of places I knew and also to realise how much I’d missed. I went away awe-inspired by the beauty of Oxford all over again and determined to go back soon to find out more from Tabby’s wealth of knowledge.” (Sarah from London)

“A very enjoyable tour of the Oxford colleges. Although naturally very historical in content, Tabby gave this information in a manner which was very entertaining and engrossing. She is a lady who is very knowledgeable about her home city and she provided many anecdotes throughout the tour. I would highly recommend this guided excursion to anyone who is interested in discovering more about Oxford and its colleges.”  (Alice and Helen from Hamilton, Scotland)

“excellent: informative and amusing guided  tour of Oxford … I really enjoyed your carefully researched facts, and stories about the old town”  (Jo from Warwickshire)

“For those of you wanting a first-rate tour around Oxford, whether you are visiting for the first time or revisiting, this should be your first port of call. Tabby Lucas, our friendly walking tour guide, was so knowledgeable and helped to bring alive the amazing history of Oxford, whether it related to the wizarding world of Harry Potter or the academic world of the University.  As a long-term resident of Oxfordshire (30+ years) I cannot rate this tour highly enough! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and learnt many new things.”  (Gina from Oxfordshire)

Why choose a Blue Badge Tourist Guide?

The prestigious Blue Badge is the highest professional guiding qualification awarded by The Institute of Tourist Guiding.  A guide must undertake at least a year’s training, followed by rigorous examinations, before they can receive their badge.

Tabby is a member of:

The British Guild of  Tourist Guides

The national professional association for Blue Badge Tourist Guides working throughout the British Isles. Since its foundation in 1950, the Guild has been dedicated to raising and maintaining the highest professional standards of its membership. Guild members are covered under public liability insurance.

The Institute of Tourist Guiding

The national standard setting body for Professional tourist guides. Its role is to maintain high professional guiding standards through accrediting, examining and awarding guiding qualifications. .

The Oxford Guild of Tour Guides

The professional association of freelance guides who provide tours of Oxford and beyond