Crime & Safety
Rousham Gardens loved by Monty Don among UK’s best
Introducing its new list, Country Living said: “Britain’s gardens are made for summer visiting.
“This is the season when herbaceous borders are at their richest, roses are in full flourish, kitchen gardens are heavy with promise and planting inspiration abounds.
“Here, we’ve chosen some of the loveliest to visit, from well-known showpieces to places with more understated charm, including one by everyone’s favourite gardener Monty Don. Get, set, grow…”
Rousham Gardens was praised for its ability to propel visitors “into a green world”.
There is plenty to see here as visitors can take in the “masterpiece” that is William Kent’s work and visit the three walled gardens.
Monty Don recommends a visit to Rousham Gardens
Country Living highlights Rousham Gardens as being “recommended by Monty Don”, the popular TV gardener.
The magazine says: “Rousham is a sublime work of art and yet, despite being widely acknowledged as one of the truly great gardens of the world, it remains surprisingly unknown.
“Designed by William Kent in the 18th century, the Rousham that we see now has been largely held in amber since then.
“It appears, superficially at least, as though it has been untouched by time.
“The garden is where ladies with pannier skirts once sat and where men in tricorne hats and brocaded waistcoats trod.
“There are said to be a thousand circuits that you can take round the garden.
Take a look at Monty Don’s life and love of gardening
“Walk down a narrow path, slipping in between the trees, and you descend into a green world.
“Green light spatters through the trees onto ivy, herb Robert, holly and tightly cropped laurel.
“Each of these paths and rides through the trees culminates in a statue or building.
“So as you drift round, you do so from building to building, designed to replicate the experience of the Grand Tour that young British aristocrats were making at the time.
“As well as William Kent’s masterpiece, there are three walled gardens.
“The smallest is centred around a beautiful dovecote, its complicated box parterre filled with roses and foxgloves, a frothy dessert after the rich feast of Kent’s garden.”
How to visit Rousham Gardens
If you’re looking to visit Rousham Gardens, it’s open every day and can be found at Rousham House, Rousham, Bicester, OX25 4QU.
Visitors can buy their tickets on arrival (£10 each) and spend the day looking around the gardens, which are open from 10am and close at dusk with the final entry being at 4.30pm.
Children must be over 15 to visit and dogs are not allowed in the gardens, explains the website.
Visitors have shared their experiences at the gardens on Tripadvisor, where the house and gardens have a 4.6 rating out of five from 190 reviews.
There is no tearoom at the house or in the gardens, so some visitors have advised others to pack a picnic.
This person said: “Monty Don considers this the finest garden in England and we can only agree with his assessment.
“The formal gardens were lovely to walk around on a beautiful summer day and the less formal walks down to the river were a revelation with splendid views in all directions.
“The gardens are unobtrusively well cared for and with a generous sprinkling of seats and benches to rest on throughout the gardens.
“Everywhere felt very peaceful. It sounds harsh perhaps but the absence of dogs, children and tea room are a definite plus in preserving the tranquility of this special place.
“The self serve ticket machine was easy to operate but is contactless only and rejected my card so I recommend taking an alternative card just in case.
“You can also pay by cash but the machine only accepts £1 coins so that may be impractical.”
Another commented: “We visited the gardens and absolutely loved them.
“Could have spent hours in the walled gardens in particular.
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“The lack of a tea room was a bonus!
“This meant that the gardens were peaceful and you were able to see everything without the tea room crush.
“Wonderful to stroll around and, if it hadn’t been raining, we would have gone back again the next day.
“Definitely will visit again when in the area.”
Have you been to Rousham Gardens? Tell us your favourite sights in the comments below.
The former footballer, who lives in Oxfordshire, was recognised with a star on Friday (June 12) for his role in elevating the profile of soccer in the United States and his lasting influence on sport, entertainment and global culture.
Sir David thanked his “incredible family” and “beautiful children”, while reflecting on how “mind-blowing” the achievement is.
The 51-year-old said: “I must admit that this is all rather surreal. I’ve experienced some amazing moments in my career, but to be here in Los Angeles receiving a star on the world-famous Walk of Fame is truly incredible.
READ MORE: TV star Adam Henson talks retirement, Jeremy Clarkson and Cotswolds
“I’ve always been a dreamer, but I could never have imagined that an honour like this would come to a working-class English soccer player like me.
“I grew up in the East End of London, a long way from Hollywood. As a young boy, I loved soccer more than anything, and it was all I ever wanted to do. I always loved America, though, and its TV shows.”
Before Sir David’s speech, Hollywood star Tom Cruise praised his 20-year career – in which he became the first English player to win league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States and France.
Sir David, who resides in the Cotswolds, said: “I was obsessed with action heroes, so to stand here in front of my friend Tom Cruise – the greatest movie star of our time – is quite frankly mind-blowing.”
“The fact that mine and Victoria’s first movie date was Jerry Maguire is a pretty mad full-circle moment,” Sir David added, referring to Cruise’s starring role in the hit 1996 romantic comedy.
READ MORE: Michelin Guide restaurant opens new food spot in Cotswolds
He continued: “I want to thank my incredible family, my parents and my sisters, who always supported my dreams.
“Victoria, my amazing wife of almost 30 years, without whom none of this would be possible or enjoyable, and my beautiful children, who are the reason that I get out of bed in the morning.”
He grew emotional as he concluded his speech and said his “greatest achievement” was to make his children proud and he hoped they would “bring my grandchildren here one day and tell them about a boy who dreamed big”.
Lady Victoria Beckham also spoke at the event and joked that she thought the star was for her starring role in the 1997 cult classic Spice World.
The Spice Girls singer, nicknamed Posh Spice, described the occasion as “so special” and hailed her husband’s “kindness, loyalty and commitment to the people that he loves”.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson threatens to quit farming after shocking incident
“David, I am so proud of everything you have achieved so far, but even more proud of the husband, father and person that you have always been,” she added.
Sir David has supported a number of charity causes, including as a goodwill ambassador for humanitarian aid organisation UNICEF since 2005.
Last year, he received a knighthood for his services to sport and charity.
The couple, nicknamed Posh and Becks, were accompanied by their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper for the ceremony at 6819 Hollywood Boulevard.
Their eldest son, Brooklyn, was not present amid an ongoing family feud when he accused his parents of “trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding” in a social media post in January.
The incident first occurred after 4am this morning (Saturday, June 13) when a fire broke out at Banbury Pizza House takeaway on Calthorpe Street.
Firefighters remain at the scene at the time of writing, with the road closed off and a resulting power cut in the aftermath of the flames.
READ MORE: Cotswolds schoolboy, 15, dies as family pays moving tribute
A spokesperson for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Four fire crews plus two specialist vehicles have dealt with a fire in a takeaway in Calthorpe Street, Banbury since 4.22am this morning.
“The fire was brought under control quickly by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus; however, challenges with utilities required support from National Grid, Gas and water attendance.
“Currently, a power cut is affecting a number of local properties due to emergency works to make the area safe.
“Any affected residents or businesses should contact National Grid via 105, especially any vulnerable residents.
“Fire crews remain on scene and are likely to remain until mid-morning. A road closure remains in place as at 8am.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has launched OUH World Cup Squad 2026 to highlight the wide range of nationalities and backgrounds within its workforce.
Running alongside the men’s football World Cup from June 11 to July 19, the campaign features staff from across the trust, including those not directly employed by OUH.
The trust is encouraging staff to share stories about their roles, backgrounds, and the countries and cultures they are connected to.
Throughout the tournament, OUH will showcase staff profiles with connections to many of the 48 teams in the tournament.
Profiles cover a range of roles, including clinical staff, administrative teams, and support services.
They will be shared on the trust’s Facebook and Instagram channels.
While the tournament provides a global stage, the focus is on people and the shared values that bring colleagues together.
The trust said in an online statement: “Marking the men’s football World Cup (11 June to 19 July), OUH World Cup Squad 2026 uses the global tournament as a backdrop to highlight what matters all year round: the people who make up the Trust.
“The campaign reflects a simple idea: Many nations. One team.”
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