OXFORD University museums and attractions enjoyed record-breaking visitor numbers in 2017, according to the latest figures.

More than 3.2 million people – a 13 per cent rise – called in at the university’s six cultural attractions last year – the Ashmolean Museum, the Bodleian Library, the Botanic Garden, the Museum of the History of Science, the Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum.

The double-digit increase means, for the first time, three Oxford attractions – the Ashmolean, the Bodleian and Natural History Museum – have made it into the top 50 most visited attractions in the UK, listed by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

Oxford Mail: Weston Library

The Bodleian, the home of the country’s most precious literary treasures, recorded a massive increase in visitors, 771,283, up 25 per cent, thanks to the continuing success of the Weston Library, which opened in 2015, offering new exhibition galleries, a café and shop.

Prof Anne Trefethen, pro vice-chancellor for the university’s gardens, libraries and museums, said: “I’m delighted that so many visitors are enjoying our rich and fascinating collections.

“Oxford has so much to offer – whatever your age and interests.

“And the fact that most of our venues are free and located so close together means you can easily explore two or three in a single day.”

Oxford University Museums Partnership was the only institutional group to achieve a top-50 trio, and collectively the group now ranks in the top 10 of UK visitor attractions, ahead of Royal Museums Greenwich and National Museums Scotland.

The 13 per cent increase compared with a 7.4 per cent increase for UK visitor attractions as a whole.

Oxford Mail:

Stately home Blenheim Palace in Woodstock also made the top 50. It came 41st, with 917,741 visitors, up five per cent.

Oxford Mail:

The Ashmolean, which came 38th, welcomed 938,568 visitors, an increase of 3.3 per cent.

It was a year which saw Britain’s first public museum celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Elias Ashmole.

The Natural History Museum – placed 47th – saw a 15 per cent increase to 768,487 visitors – its most successful year ever.

Record-breaking visitor numbers were also enjoyed by the Pitt Rivers Museum, Museum of the History of Science and the Botanic Garden.

Oxford Mail:

The Pitt Rivers (72nd) attracted 480,663 visitors, an increase of 10.7 per cent; the Museum of the History of Science (142nd) welcomed 189,813 people, a rise of 11.8 per cent, while the Botanic Garden (160th) increased numbers by 23.5 per cent to 143,914.