| Oxford is a city and local government | | | | Parliamentarian forces under General Fairfax |
| district in Oxfordshire, England, with a | | | | in 1646. It later housed the court of Charles |
| population of 134,248 (2001 census). It is | | | | II during the Great Plague of London in |
| home to the University of Oxford, the oldest | | | | 1665-66. Although reluctant to do so, he was |
| university in the English-speaking world. | | | | forced to evacuate when the plague got too |
| | | | close. |
| It is known as the "city of dreaming spires", | | | | |
| a term coined by Matthew Arnold in reference | | | | In 1790 the Oxford Canal connected the city |
| to the harmonious architecture of the | | | | with Coventry. The Duke's Cut was completed |
| university buildings. The River Thames runs | | | | by the Duke of Marlborough in 1789 to link |
| through Oxford, where for a distance of some | | | | the new canal with the River Thames; and in |
| 10 miles it is known as the Isis. | | | | 1796 the Oxford Canal company built their own |
| | | | link to the Thames, at Isis Lock. In the |
| The Oxford suburb of Cowley has a long | | | | 1840s, the Great Western Railway and London |
| history of carmaking and now produces the BMW | | | | and North Western Railway linked Oxford with |
| MINI. | | | | London. |
| | | | |
| Oxford was first occupied in Saxon times, and | | | | Motto: Fortis est veritas |
| was initially known as "Oxenaforda". It began | | | | |
| with the foundations of St Frideswide's | | | | (Latin: "Truth is strong") |
| nunnery in the 8th century, and was first | | | | |
| mentioned in written records in the | | | | A map of Oxford, 1605.In the 19th century, |
| Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 912. In | | | | the controversy surrounding the Oxford |
| the 10th century Oxford became an important | | | | Movement in the Anglican Church drew |
| military frontier town between the kingdoms | | | | attention to the city as a focus of |
| of Mercia and Wessex and was on several | | | | theological thought. |
| occasions raided by Danes. St Frideswide is | | | | |
| the patron saint of both the city and | | | | Oxford's Town Hall was built by Henry T. |
| university. | | | | Hare, the foundation stone was laid on 6 July |
| | | | 1893 and opened by the future King Edward VII |
| The prestige of Oxford is seen in the fact | | | | on 12 May 1897. The site has been the seat of |
| that it received a charter from King Henry | | | | local government since the Guild Hall of 1292 |
| II, granting its citizens the same privileges | | | | and though Oxford is a city and a Lord |
| and exemptions as those enjoyed by the | | | | Mayoralty, it is still called by its |
| capital of the kingdom; and various important | | | | traditional name of "Town Hall". |
| religious houses were founded in or near the | | | | |
| city. A grandson of King John established | | | | By the early 20th century, Oxford was |
| Rewley Abbey for the Cistercian Order; and | | | | experiencing rapid industrial and population |
| friars of various orders (Dominicans, | | | | growth, with the printing and publishing |
| Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinians, and | | | | industries becoming well established by the |
| Trinitarians), all had houses at Oxford of | | | | 1920s. Also during that decade, the economy |
| varying importance. Parliaments were often | | | | and society of Oxford underwent a huge |
| held in the city during the thirteenth | | | | transformation as William Morris established |
| century, but this period also saw the | | | | the Morris Motor Company to mass produce cars |
| beginning of the long struggle between the | | | | in Cowley, on the south-eastern edge of the |
| town and the growing university which ended | | | | city. By the early 1970s over 20,000 people |
| in the subjugation of the former, and the | | | | worked in Cowley at the huge Morris Motors |
| extinction for centuries of the civic | | | | and Pressed Steel Fisher plants. By this time |
| importance of Oxford. | | | | Oxford was a city of two halves: the |
| | | | university city to the west of Magdalen |
| The University of Oxford is first mentioned | | | | Bridge (from where students traditionally |
| in 12th century records. Oxford's earliest | | | | jump into the River Cherwell every May Day |
| colleges were University College (1249), | | | | morning) and the car town to the east. This |
| Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264). These | | | | led to the witticism that "Oxford is the left |
| colleges were established at a time when | | | | bank of Cowley". Cowley suffered major job |
| Europeans were starting to translate the | | | | losses in the 1980s and 1990s during the |
| writings of Greek philosophers. These | | | | decline of British Leyland, but is now |
| writings challenged European ideology | | | | producing the successful New MINI for BMW. |
| – inspiring scientific discoveries and | | | | |
| advancements in the arts – as society | | | | The influx of migrant labour to the car |
| began seeing itself in a new way. These | | | | plants, recent immigration from south-east |
| colleges at Oxford were supported by the | | | | Asia, and a large student population, have |
| Church in hopes to reconcile Greek Philosophy | | | | given Oxford a notable cosmopolitan |
| and Christian Theology. | | | | character, especially in the Headington and |
| | | | Cowley Road areas with their many bars, |
| Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford is unique as | | | | cafes, restaurants, clubs, ethnic shops and |
| a college chapel and cathedral in one | | | | fast food outlets. Oxford is one of the most |
| foundation. Originally the Priory Church of | | | | diverse small cities in Britain with more |
| St Frideswide, the building was extended and | | | | than 19.3% of the population born outside of |
| incorporated into the structure of the | | | | the UK and 23.2% from an ethnic minority |
| Cardinal's College shortly before its | | | | group, including 12.9% from a non-white |
| refounding as Christ Church in 1546, since | | | | ethnic minority ethnic group (2001 Census) |
| which time it has functioned as the cathedral | | | | |
| of the Diocese of Oxford. | | | | On 6 May 1954, Roger Bannister, as a 25 year |
| | | | old medical student, ran the first |
| The relationship between "town and gown" has | | | | authenticated sub-four minute mile at the |
| often been uneasy — several university | | | | Iffley Road running track in Oxford. |
| students were killed in the St Scholastica | | | | |
| Day Riot of 1355. | | | | Oxford's second university, Oxford Brookes |
| | | | University, formerly the Oxford School of |
| During the English Civil War, Oxford housed | | | | Art, based on Headington Hill, was given its |
| the court of Charles I in 1642, after the | | | | charter in 1991 and has been voted for the |
| king was expelled from London, although there | | | | last five years the best new university in |
| was strong support in the town for the | | | | the UK. |
| Parliamentarian cause. The town yielded to | | | | |