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