Saxon Tower, St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford

Oxford, that sweet city with her dreaming spires as Matthew Arnold wrote, is also a town of towers. Even though I have spent quite a lot of time in Oxford cumulatively, as far as I can recall, I had ever climbed the 97 steps of the Saxon Tower, St Michael at the North Gate. There are many places that I have never been, despite living in the vicinity, because I think that I could visit them at any time, and the Saxon Tower was no exception. Or maybe I have been up the tower before, and doubtless I will be reminded of it by a friend if that is the case. As there was a pocket of time before I needed to catch the train, I paid £3.50 to go up the tower and view the city. The ascent is not particularly arduous, but may feel a little cramped in places. The view is very good, as I hope the photograph below attests.