OXFORD’s hidden treasures went on display during a weekend of events that attracted 50,000 visitors.

Oxford Open Doors featured 176 activities and a host of historic buildings welcoming in members of the public, all thanks to more than 100 volunteer guides.

Football fans got a glimpse inside the changing rooms at Oxford United and there were tours of the old city power station and a peek behind the bars at the former Oxford Prison, now the Malmaison Hotel.

The event, in its fourth year, also featured Inspector Morse walks, tours of Oxford’s medieval Jewish quarter, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Town Hall and a tour of Cowley’s Florence Park.

Visitors also caught a glimpse of university life, with dozens of colleges and research buildings opening their doors.

Debbie Dance, director of the Oxford Preservation Trust, which organised the event, said: “It’s been amazing. We have beaten our record for last year of 39,000 visitors.

“It was bigger than last year, with more activities.

“We have worked really hard to make sure it isn’t just the typical side of Oxford you see, but about all types of culture, all types of people and a walk on all sides of the city’s life.

“We really want people from Oxfordshire and Oxford to see more of their own city, and we think we have achieved that.

“I’m sure it will be happening again.”

Peter Thompson, 66, from Summertown, Oxford, was one of six car collectors who invited people to hop into their vintage vehicles at Oxford Castle.

He said: “Our cars are very much everyday working cars so we were quite happy for parents to allow their children to climb in, honk the horns and pretend they were driving – and they seemed to really appreciate that.”

Sarah Dunn, 37, from Sheffield, said she was thrilled to have taken a stroll around Magdalen College’s deer park and visited All Soul’s College’s historic library.

She said: “It’s been a really interesting afternoon.

“The idea behind it is a really good one. Without it I wouldn’t have seen half the things I have.

“It was amazing to have a look inside the library and imagine what it would have been like to study there both today and all those years ago.”

Colin Cook, Oxford City Council’s executive member for city development, said: “It was a fantastic event and it’s brought so many people into Oxford to see things that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to see.”