Oxfordshire ~ England

Located centrally in the heart of England, Oxfordshire is rich in heritage and full of natural beauty. It has a history that begins in Saxon times with fortification of Oxford by Alfred the Great against the Danes. The Romans settled in the county and developed a thriving pottery industry thanks to the abundance of the area's clay, sand and fuel.

King Alfred the Great was born in 849AD in the market town of Wantage and declared Faringdon to be the capital of Wessex. Almost 200 years later William the Conqueror bridged the River Thames near Wallingford and built a large castle.

The University of Oxford was established in 1096 and through the centuries it had a vast beneficial effect on trade & commerce in the area. The county also had a significant wool industry.

Oxford, a royalist stronghold in the civil war saw many battles taking place in the county. With the improvements in transport during the industrial revolution Oxfordshire was able to develop trading links with the Midlands. Much more recently, in 1912 the Morris motor factory was opened which began Oxfordshire's relationship with the motor industry which remains an important employer in the county today with BMW being a major employer in the City. Today Oxfordshire is the one of England's most rural counties, with well over two thirds of its area being used for agriculture. The county has consistently low unemployment figures and is one of Europe's most prosperous regions. More than 3 quarters of the county is classified as being of Outstanding Natural Beauty, of High Landscape Value or Green Belt.

Places of interest

Oxford and its collages are famous the world over and has numerous attractions for the visitor. Other attractions in the county are;
The Cotswolds which include areas of outstanding natural beauty and beautiful villages, The White Horse at Uffington, Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill., The Ridgeway, an ancient track which runs along the edge of the county.

Living & Lifestyle in Oxfordshire - Education, Shopping and Travel Links

Oxfordshire has excellent transport links with the rest of the country, the M40 is a quick and direct route to London with average travel times to the capital of about 90 minutes and with great links to the Midlands, or alternatively the M4 gives easy access to the West Country. There are good rail links from Oxford and Banbury. The nearest airports are Bristol or London.

The major towns such as Oxford and Banbury have really good shopping facilities, Oxford is renowned for its large pedestrianised shopping areas and its 'Covered Market' which is especially worth a visit. The small towns have numerous independent retailers often specialising in antiques or country living and many have a weekly market and Specialist Farmers produce Markets. The county has excellent leisure facilities with a wide variety of opportunity for indoor and outdoor activities.

Oxfordshire County Council provides 12 nursery schools, 234 primary schools, 34 secondary schools, 14 special schools, 500 early years and childcare settings and 345 venues for adult learning.

Formal learning is supported by 55 youth work bases, 50 libraries, and 20 children's and family centres. There is also a wide choice of independent primary and secondary schools. And of course there are two universities in Oxford, Oxford and Oxford Brooks.

Cities, towns and villages within Oxfordshire