Islip is a sweet village in Oxfordshire that sits on the River Ray. The village is around 5 miles north of Oxford, and whilst it has a rather small population, you can be in the city in no time. With plenty of history to its name, you can trace Islip back through the centuries. The River Ray is near the edge of the Bernwood Forest, where the Saxon kings once had a royal hunting lodge. In fact, Edward the Confessor was born in Islip around 1005. Being a small village, there isn’t too much to do in Islip, but you can use Oxfordshire’s great bus service to get around and enjoy the energy of the city or the other quaint villages and towns that are nearby.