51°46N 1°15W, pop (2001e) 134 200. County town of Oxfordshire, SC England, UK; on Thames and Cherwell Rivers, 80 km/50 mi NW of London; 12th-c university, granted its first official privileges in 1214; Oxford Brookes University (1992, formerly Oxford Polytechnic); Royalist headquarters in Civil War; airfield; railway; industry located in the suburb of Cowley (notably vehicles); steel products, electrical goods, paper; 12th-c cathedral; Sunrise Service (May Day); Eights Week (JunJul); St Giles Market (Sep); football league team, Oxford United (U's).
This article is about the city of Oxford in England. For other cities and other meanings, see Oxford (disambiguation).| City of Oxford | |
|---|---|
|
Shown within Oxfordshire |
|
| Geography | |
| Status: | City (1542) |
| Region: | South East England |
| Admin. County: | Oxfordshire |
|
Area: - Total |
Ranked 306th 45.59 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Oxford |
| Grid reference: | SP 51 06 |
| ONS code: | 38UC |
| Demographics | |
|
Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density |
Ranked 111th 149,800 3,286 / km² |
| Ethnicity: |
87.1% White 4.8% S.Asian 2.5% Afro-Carib. 1.8% Chinese |
| Politics | |
|
Oxford City Council http://www.oxford.gov.uk/ |
|
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Liberal Democrats (council NOC) |
| MPs: | Evan Harris, Andrew Smith |
Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census).
Oxford grew up under the shadow of a convent, said to have been founded by St Frideswide] as early as the eighth century.
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford is unique as a college chapel and cathedral in one foundation. Originally the Priory Church of St Frideswide, the building was extended and incorporated into the structure of the Cardinal's College shortly before its refounding as Christ Church in 1546, since which time it has functioned as the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford.
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.
The influx of migrant labour to the car plants, recent immigration from south-east Asia, and a large student population, have given Oxford a notable cosmopolitan character, especially in the Headington and Cowley Road areas with their many bars, cafes, restaurants, clubs, ethnic shops and fast food outlets.
On 6 May 1954, Roger Bannister, as a 25 year old medical student, ran the first authenticated sub-four minute mile at the Iffley Road running track in Oxford.
Oxford's second university, Oxford Brookes University, formerly the Oxford School of Art, based on Headington Hill, was given its charter in 1991 and has been voted for the last five years the best new university in the UK
Twinning
Oxford is twinned with:
Bonn, Germany Grenoble, France León, Nicaragua Leiden, Netherlands Perm, RussiaAll of these are university towns.
Transport
Oxford is located some 55 miles (90 Km) north west of London and 70 miles (110 Km) south east of Birmingham, and the M40 motorway between London and Birmingham passes within seven miles of Oxford. The other trunk roads serving Oxford are the A40 road linking London, the Cotswolds and West Wales, and the A420 road between Oxford and Bristol via Swindon.
The Oxford Canal links Oxford to the Midlands, and connects at Oxford with the River Thames.
Most local bus services are provided by the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach South Midlands and include two competing frequent-interval coach services to London, Stagecoach's Oxford Tube, and Oxford Bus's Oxford Express, both of which leave from Gloucester Green Bus Station on the western edge of the city centre.
Tourist attractions
The Oxford skyline facing Christ Church to the south (Christ Church Cathedral on the left and Tom Tower on the right)Oxford has numerous major tourist attractions, many belonging to the university and colleges.
Religious sites
Christ Church Cathedral The Church of St Mary the Virgin (the University Church) Martyrs' MemorialChurches in central Oxford
Anglican:
St Bartholomew's Chapel, Bartlemas, Cowley Road Canning Crescent: St Luke, Canning Crescent Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican), St Aldate's Cowley Parish Church (St James), Beauchamp Lane, New Osney, St Frideswide, Botley Road St Aldates, St. Aldates St Clements, Marston Road St Frideswide's, Botley Road St Giles', 10 Woodstock Road St Margaret, St Margaret's Road St Mary Magdalen, Magdalen Street (Opposite Debenhams) St Michael at the North Gate, Cornmarket Street St Thomas the Martyr, Becket Street St Andrew's, Linton Road St Barnabas, Cardigan Street St Matthew, Marlborough Road Parish Church of SS Mary and John, Cowley Road Pusey House, St Giles, St Giles' Street St Alban the Martyr, Charles Street St Ebbe's, Pennyfarthing Place (off St Ebbe's) St Cross, St Cross Road (near junction with Manor Road). St John the evangelist, Vicarage Road University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High StreetThere are also two churches that have been converted into college libraries:
All Saints in the High Street (1706-1708), now the library of Lincoln College St Peter-in-the-East in Queen's Lane, now the library of St Edmund HallCatholic:
Catholic Chaplaincy, Rose Place, St Aldate's Blackfriars (Roman Catholic) Dominican Priory, 64 St Giles' St Aloysius Gonzaga, Woodstock Road St Anthony of Padua, Headley Way GreyfriarsBaptist:
New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square Headington Baptist Church Botley Baptist, Westminster Way John Bunyan Baptist Church, Crowell Road Woodstock Road Baptist Albert Street BaptistOther:
German Lutheran services at St Mary the Virgin, High Street Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity and the Annuciation, 1 Canterbury Road (off Banbury Road) Oxford Unitarians at Harris Manchester College Chapel, Mansfield Road Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), St Giles' St Columba's United Reformed Church, Alfred Street The Salvation Army, Oxford Citadel, Albion Place Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, New Inn Hall Street Oxford Vineyard Oxford Community Church (OCC) http://www.occ.org.uk/oxford, Osney Mead Oxford Bible Church Grace Springs Church Living Faith international The Methodist Church, Lime Walk Sant Nirankari Mandal, Marston Road Chinese Christian Church, 15 Gorse Leas Holy Family Church, 1 Cuddesdon Way Evangelical Free Church, Magdalen Road Assemblies of God, Oxford, Bracegirdle Road Rivers of Life Church, Marston Elim Pentecostal, Botley RoadMuseums and galleries
University of 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 Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, St Aldate'sOthers:
Museum of Oxford Museum of Modern Art Science Oxford OVADAUniversity buildings
(Other than the colleges)
The Bodleian Library The Clarendon Building (often used as a set for film and television) The Radcliffe Camera (one of several institutions named after John Radcliffe) The Sheldonian Theatre The Oxford University PressOpen spaces
The floodplains for Oxford's two rivers reach right into the heart of the city, providing a wealth of green spaces. Greyhound Meadow Cutteslowe Park Florence Park South Park
Commercial areas
Cornmarket The High Street Turl Street Little Clarendon Street Broad Street The Covered Market George Street Clarendon Shopping Centre Westgate Shopping Centre Golden CrossTheatres and cinemas
Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street New Theatre, George Street Burton Taylor Theatre Old Fire Station Theatre, George Street Ultimate Picture Palace, Cowley Road Phoenix Picturehouse, Walton Street The Odeon Cinema, George Street The Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street Vue CinemaTraditional and historic pubs
The Eagle and Child Turf Tavern The Lamb and Flag The Bear The Trout (at Godstow) The King's Arms The Chequersand numerous others, catering for Town and Gown.
Media and press
As well as the BBC national radio stations, Oxford and the surrounding area has several local stations, including BBC Radio Oxford, Fox FM, Passion 107.9 , and Oxide: Oxford Student Radio (which went on terrestrial radio at 87.7 MHz FM in late May 2005).
Literature in Oxford
Well-known Oxford-based authors include:
Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Dodgson), Student of Christ Church. His Dark Materials (1995 onwards) by Philip PullmanSee also books associated with Oxford and the literature section in the University of Oxford article.
Cheney School Cherwell School Christ Church Cathedral School (choir school) Dragon School Headington School Magdalen College School (choir school) New College School (choir school) d'Overbroeck's College Oxford High School Rye St Antony School St Clare's College St Edward's School Summer Fields SchoolGeography
Oxford's latitude and longitude are 51°45′07″N, 1°15′28″W (at Carfax Tower, which is usually considered the centre).
Wards, neighbourhoods, and suburbs
Barton Binsey Blackbird Leys Botley Cowley East Oxford Headington — home to the Oxford shark. Iffley Littlemore Jericho Marston North Oxford Osney Rose Hill Risinghurst Summertown Temple Cowley Wolvercote Wood FarmPolitics in Oxford
Oxford City Council
Despite stereotypes of Oxford being a conservative city, there are no Conservatives on the city council.
Since 2002, elections have been held for Oxford City Council in even years, with each councillor serving a term of four years.
Partisan Composition| Year | Labour | Lib Dem | Green | IWCA | Conservative | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 29 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
Westminster representation
The two MPs are Andrew Smith from the Oxford East constituency, erstwhile employment minister in the Labour government; Some examples are:
Oxford BOP Samba Oxford Student Activist Network Undercurrents OCSET Oxford Action Resource Centre (OARC) Campaign to Close Campsfield Corporate Watch ETC Group Oxford IndymediaParishes
Unusually for a compact urban district, Oxford has four civil parishes with parish councils — these are Blackbird Leys, Littlemore, Old Marston and Risinghurst and Sandhills.
User Comments Add a comment…