City
guide to Oxford, including Oxford hotels by Maria Williams
Oxford
is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a
population of 134,248 (2001 census). It is home to the University of
Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is known
as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by Matthew Arnold
in reference to the harmonious architecture of the university buildings.
The Oxford suburb of Cowley has a long history of car making, and still
produces BMW MINIs.
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History
Oxford
was first occupied in Saxon times, and was initially known as "Oxenaforda".
It began with the foundations of St Frideswide's nunnery in the 8th
century. The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th century
records. Oxford's earliest colleges were University College (1249),
Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264).
During
the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I in 1642,
after the king was expelled from London, although there was strong
support in the town for the Parliamentarian cause. In the 19th century
the controversy surrounding the Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church
drew attention to the city as a focus of theological thought. Oxford's
Town Hall was built by Henry T. Hare, the foundation stone was laid on
6 July 1893 and opened by the future King Edward VII on 12 May 1897. By
the early 20th century Oxford was experiencing rapid industrial and
population growth, with the printing and publishing industries becoming
well established by the 1920s.
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Dreaming
of Spires, Oxford, England Photographic Print
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Places
of Interest
Oxford
has numerous major tourist attractions, many belonging to the university
and colleges. As well as several famous institutions, the town centre is
home to Carfax Tower and a historical themed ride, The Oxford Story. In
the summer, punting on the Thames (sometimes called the Isis as it flows
through Oxford) and the Cherwell is popular.
Other
notable attractions include:
-
Christ Church Cathedral
- The
Church of St Mary the Virgin (the University Church)
-
Martyrs' Memorial
-
Ashmolean Museum
- Pitt
Rivers Museum
- Museum
of Natural History
- Museum of
the History of Science
- Oxford
University buildings
- The
University Parks
- The
University Botanic Garden
-
Cornmarket Street Oxford
- Turl
Street Oxford
- Little
Clarendon Street Oxford
- Covered
Market
-
Westgate Shopping Centre
Ivy
Covered Wall, Oxford University, England, United Kingdom Photographic
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Museums
and Art Galleries
Oxford
has a large number of museums and galleries open for public. Following
are the world famous and a major tourist spot in Oxford:
- Ashmolean Museum, Britain's oldest museum
- Pitt Rivers Museum, Museum of Natural History, home of (the remains
of) the Oxford Dodo
- Museum of the History of Science, in Britain's oldest purpose-built museum
building
- Museum of Oxford
- Museum of Modern Art Science Oxford
Shopping
Golden
Cross, an arcade of first-class shops and boutiques, lies between
Cornmarket Street and the Covered Market. Parts of the colorful gallery
date from the 12th century. Many buildings remain from the medieval era,
along with some 15th- and 17th-century structures. The market also has a
reputation as the Covent Garden of Oxford, with live entertainment on Saturday
mornings in summer. In its way, Alice's Shop, played an important role in
English literature, it functioned as a general store (selling brooms,
hardware, and the like) during the period that Lewis Carroll, at the time
a professor of mathematics at Christ Church College, was composing Alice
in Wonderland. It is believed to have been the model for important
settings within the book.
Today,
the place is a favorite stopover of Lewis Carroll fans from as far away
as Japan, who gobble up commemorative pencils, chess sets, party favors,
bookmarks, and in rare cases, original editions of some of Carroll's
works. The Bodleian Library Shop, specializes in Oxford souvenirs, from
books and paperweights to Oxford banners and coffee mugs. Castell &
Son (The Varsity Shop), is the best outlet in Oxford for clothing
emblazoned with the Oxford logo or heraldic symbol.
Food
and Drink
Oxford
offers European and Middle-East and Asian cuisine. Some of the
restaurants are:
- Cherwell Boathouse Restaurant
- Gee's Restaurant
- Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
- Rosamund the Fair
- Al-Salam Browns.
Except these restaurants
Oxford hosts some Traditional and historic pubs
- The Eagle and Child
- The Turf Tavern
- The Lamb and Flag
- The Bear
Education
The
University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the
oldest university in the English-speaking world.
Events
and organizations and institutes officially connected with the University
include:
- Worcester College, Backs of medieval
cottages
- The Oxford Union Society
- The Oxford University Press, the world's oldest
and largest university press
- The Bodleian Library
- Major Research Libraries (including the Sackler
Library)
- Oxford University Department for Continuing
Education
- The Taylor Institution
- The Oxford University Student Union
- Oxford University Newman Society -- Catholic
speaker society
- The OICCU, the undergraduate Christian
union
- The Oxford University Museum of Natural History
(sometimes called The Oxford University Museum)
- The Pitt Rivers Museum
- The Ashmolean Museum
- The Bate Collection
- Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt
Arboretum
- Oxford University Sports Federation
- Oxford University Boat Club
- The O'Reilly Theatre
- Moser Theatre
- Rothermere American Institute
- Said Business School
- The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art
- Computing Laboratory Isis Innovations
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Sports
Oxford
City FC and Milton United FC among others are two famous football club
and play regular club and league matches.
Oxford
Cavaliers Rugby League Club is the rugby club playing for Oxford city.
Drayton Leisure Golf Driving Range is the golf course with 9 HOLE (PAR
3) COURSE and 6 HOLES FLOODLIT. As a city in UK it has a number of
cricket teams and hosts tournaments like Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire
Cup, National Cricket Club Championship, The Cricketer National Village
Championship etc
Tours
and Sightseeing
There
are a number of tour operators in Oxford. The tourist information
center is also very helpful to find out a way to enjoy the visit of
Oxford.
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Hotels
and Accommodations
Accommodations
in Oxford are limited, though recently, motels have sprouted on the
outskirts -- good for those who want modern amenities. In addition, if
you have a car, you may want to consider country houses or small B&Bs
on the outskirts of town
Some
of the notable hotels are:
Transport
Oxford
is located some 50 miles (80 km) north west of London; the cities are
linked by the M40 motorway, which also links northwards to Birmingham.
Rail
connections include services to London (Paddington), Bournemouth,
Worcester (via the Cotswold Line), and Bicester. The city also has
regular train services northwards to Birmingham, Coventry and the north.
The railway service connecting Oxford and Cambridge, known as the Varsity
Line, was discontinued in 1968.
The
Oxford Canal connects to the River Thames at Oxford.
Oxford
Airport at Kidlington offers business and general aviation services.
Local bus services are largely provided by the Oxford Bus Company and
Stagecoach South Midlands.
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