Julian came to speak to us about hidden Oxford, focusing on the underground. He talked us through the various bits of underground Oxford that have been uncovered over the years, but which for the most part remain out of sight for us.

For example when they opened up the Mill Race at Osney, apparent quite a lot of bits of Osney Abbey were found in the river. The Painted Room in Cornmarket is a lovely sight, and is opened only rarely (Oxford Open Doors in September is one opportunity for the public to see it).

St Peter in the East church has a hidden shrine, even though there is no evidence that it was ever used as a pilgrim church. To find it you need to go into the turret, then to a vaulted cellar. Then follow the steps to the crypt, and you will come across the shrine.

When the old Clarendon Hotel was being dug out for the Clarendon shopping centre, a subvault from a Normal manor house was found.

Merton College has some former stables, which archaeology suggests was formerly a merchants house.

Just up the road from our meeting place (the Randolph Hotel) in Beaumont Street, a chamber from Beaumont Palace survived underground until the 1800s. Talking of palaces and castles, how many readers were aware that there is a cellar in the middle of the castle motte?

Lovely medieval vaults can be found at the Tackley Inn, the Guildhall and the Swindlestock Tavern. These are underground, but are probably still there. Presumably they were nice cold storage for the taverns’ beverages at one time. Nearby in St Aldates, there is a huge cellar that goes under St Aldates and right back underneath the Guildhall, a legacy from the days when storage was needed under the corn exchange that used to be situated there.

Julian also told us about some church vaults – St Aldates church is the burial place of Richard Rawlinson (though his tomb seems to have been moved) and under Bonn Square are some vaults from the Baptist Church.

There is a mystery tunnel at the top of St John Street, the purpose of which remains completely unknown.

There is also a tunnel under the Oxford station. This used to be called the urinal for obvious rather insalubrious reasons. Another tunnel exists between the court and the jail, so that convicted prisoners could go straight from one to the other. Another tunnel is at the Bodleian Library, from the old library to the new, leading to the Gladstone Room in Radcliffe Square. Blenheim Palace also has a tunnel from medieval times, for transporting water.

Well, who knew that Oxford underground was such a busy place? It was a pleasure to learn so much from Julian, and thank you to him for coming to visit us.