To walk from the High Street to Broad Street in Oxford is the best architectural experience in England. Harry Potter cosplayers and assorted TikTok dancers aren’t wrong, it’s a stunning backdrop.

A July day in Oxford, snaking lines of schoolkids clamour along the High Street. Down an alley, shade from ancient college walls offers a relief from the sun. I was on the trail of early Windsor chairs, a notebook full of pieced together clues and grainy photos.