Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire
County
Flag of Oxfordshire Flag
Motto: Sapere Aude ('Dare to be Wise')
Oxfordshire shown within England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	South East England
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Marjorie Glasgow BEM
High Sheriff	Mrs Amanda Ponsonby MBE (2020–21)
Area	2,605 km2 (1,006 sq mi)
– Ranked	22nd of 48
Population (mid-2014 est.)	654,800
– Ranked	35th of 48
Density	251/km2 (650/sq mi)
Ethnicity	90.9% White, 4.8% Asian/Asian British
Non-metropolitan county
County council	Oxfordshire County Council
Executive	Conservative
Admin HQ	Oxford
Area	2,605 km2 (1,006 sq mi)
– Ranked	19th of 27
Population	654,800
– Ranked	16th of 27
Density	251/km2 (650/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-OXF
ONS code	38
NUTS	UKJ14
Website	www.oxfordshire.gov.uk
Districts of Oxfordshire
Districts	City of Oxford Cherwell South Oxfordshire Vale of White Horse West Oxfordshire
Members of Parliament	Victoria Prentis (C) Robert Courts (C) Layla Moran (LD) John Howell (C) Anneliese Dodds (L) David Johnston (C)
Police	Thames Valley police
Time zone	GMT (UTC)
– Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)

Oxfordshire is a landlocked county in the far west of the government statistical region of South East England. The ceremonial county borders Warwickshire to the north-west, Northamptonshire to the north-east, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, Wiltshire to the south-west and Gloucestershire to the west.

The county has major education and tourist industries, and is noted for concentrations of performance motorsport, car manufacturing and technology companies. The University of Oxford is widely considered one of the leading universities in the world, and is linked to a concentration of local technology and science activities at locations such as the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, while Oxford University Press is the largest firm among a concentration of print and publishing firms.

As well as the city of Oxford, other centres of population are Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington and Chipping Norton to the north of Oxford; Carterton and Witney to the west; Thame and Chinnor to the east; and Abingdon-on-Thames, Wantage, Didcot, Wallingford and Henley-on-Thames to the south. All its zones south of the Thames: the Vale of White Horse and parts of South Oxfordshire were within the historic county of Berkshire, including the highest point, the 261-metre (856 ft) White Horse Hill.

Oxfordshire's county flower is the snake's-head fritillary.

History

Main article: History of Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire was recorded as a county in the early years of the 10th century and lies between the River Thames to the south, the Cotswolds to the west, the Chilterns to the east and the Midlands to the north, with spurs running south to Henley-on-Thames and north to Banbury.

Although it had some significance as an area of valuable agricultural land in the centre of the country, it was largely ignored by the Romans, and did not grow in importance until the formation of a settlement at Oxford in the 8th century. Alfred the Great was born across the Thames in Wantage, Vale of White Horse. The University of Oxford was founded in 1096, though its collegiate structure did not develop until later on. The university in the county town of Oxford (whose name came from Anglo-Saxon Oxenaford = "ford for oxen") grew in importance during the Middle Ages and early modern period. The area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century, generating much wealth, particularly in the western portions of the county in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912, bringing heavy industry to an otherwise agricultural county. The importance of agriculture as an employer declined rapidly in the 20th century; currently under one percent of the county's population are involved due to high mechanisation. Nonetheless, Oxfordshire remains a very agricultural county by land use, with a lower population than neighbouring Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which are both smaller.

Throughout most of its history the county was divided into fourteen hundreds, namely Bampton, Banbury, Binfield, Bloxham, Bullingdon, Chadlington, Dorchester, Ewelme, Langtree, Lewknor, Pyrton, Ploughley, Thame and Wootton.

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the main army unit in the area, was based at Cowley Barracks on Bullingdon Green, Cowley.

The Vale of White Horse district and parts of the South Oxfordshire administrative district south of the River Thames were historically part of Berkshire, but in 1974 Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Wallingford and Wantage were added to the administrative county of Oxfordshire under the Local Government Act 1972. Conversely, the Caversham area of Reading, now administratively in Berkshire, was historically part of Oxfordshire as was the parish of Stokenchurch, now administratively in Buckinghamshire. The areas of Oxford city south of the Thames such as Grandpont were transferred much earlier, in 1889.

Geography

Oxfordshire includes parts of three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the north-west lie the Cotswolds, to the south and south-east are the open chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs and wooded hills of the Chilterns. The north of the county contains the ironstone of the Cherwell uplands. Long-distance walks within the county include the Ridgeway National Trail, Macmillan Way, Oxfordshire Way and the D’Arcy Dalton Way.

Extreme points

• Northernmost point: , near Claydon Hay Farm, Claydon
• Southernmost point: , near Thames and Kennet Marina, Playhatch
• Westernmost point: , near Downs Farm, Westwell
• Easternmost point: , River Thames, near Lower Shiplake

Rivers and canals

From the mid-point western edge to the southeast corner of Oxfordshire, via the city in the middle, runs the Thames with its flat floodplains; this river forms the historic limit with Berkshire, remaining so on some lowest reaches. The Thames Path National Trail follows the river from upper estuary to a source.

Many smaller rivers, in the county, feed into the Thames such as the Thame, Windrush, Evenlode and Cherwell. Some of these have trails running along their valleys. The Oxford Canal links to the Midlands and follows the Cherwell from Banbury via Kidlington into the city of Oxford where these join the navigable Thames. About 15% of the historically named Wilts & Berks Canal, sporadically, has been restored to navigability, including the county-relevant 140 metres near Abingdon-on-Thames where it could, if restored, meet the Thames.

Green belt

Further information: Oxford Green Belt

Oxfordshire contains a green belt area that fully envelops the city of Oxford, and extends for some miles to afford a protection to surrounding towns and villages from inappropriate development and urban growth. Its border in the east extends to the Buckinghamshire county boundary, while part of its southern border is shared with the North Wessex Downs AONB. It was first drawn up in the 1950s, and all the county's districts contain some portion of the belt.

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Oxfordshire at current basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.

Year	Regional gross value added	Agriculture	Industry	Services
1995	7,607	120	2,084	5,404
2000	10,594	80	2,661	7,853
2003	12,942	93	2,665	10,184

Politics

The Oxfordshire County Council, since 2013 under no overall control, is responsible for the most strategic local government functions, including schools, county roads, and social services. The county is divided into five local government districts: Oxford, Cherwell, Vale of White Horse (after the Uffington White Horse), West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire, which deal with such matters as town and country planning, waste collection, and housing.

In the 2016 European Union referendum, Oxfordshire was the only English county as a whole to vote to remain in the European Union by a significant margin, at 57.06% (70.27% in the City of Oxford), despite Cherwell (barely) voting to leave at 50.31%.

Education

See also: List of schools in Oxfordshire

Brasenose Lane in Oxford city centre, a street onto which three colleges back.

The University of Oxford's Chemistry Research Laboratory.

Oxfordshire has a completely comprehensive education system with 23 independent schools and 35 state secondary schools. Only eight schools do not have a sixth form; these are mostly in South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts. Oxfordshire also has a large number of leading independent schools, including public schools such as Radley College.

The county has two universities: the ancient University of Oxford and the modern Oxford Brookes University, which are both located in Oxford. In addition, Wroxton College, located in Banbury, is affiliated with Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey.

Buildings

File:The Abbey Sutton Courtenay.jpg

The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, a ‘textbook’ example of the English medieval manor house.

The "dreaming spires" of the buildings of the University of Oxford are among the reasons for Oxford being the sixth most visited city in the United Kingdom for international visitors. Among many notable University buildings are the Sheldonian Theatre, built 1664–68 to the design of Sir Christopher Wren, and the Radcliffe Camera, built 1737–49 to the design of James Gibbs.

Blenheim Palace close to Woodstock was built by the great architect John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, after he had won the battle of Blenheim. The gardens, which can be visited, were designed by the landscape gardener "Capability Brown", who planted the trees in the battle formation of the victorious army. In the palace, which can also be visited by the public, Sir Winston Churchill was born in 1874.

Chastleton House, on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire borders, is a great country mansion built on property bought from Robert Catesby, who was one of the men involved in the Gunpowder Plot with Guy Fawkes. Stonor Park, another country mansion, has belonged to the recusant Stonor family for centuries.

Mapledurham House is an Elizabethan stately home in the far south-east of the county, close to Reading.

The Abbey in Sutton Courtenay is a medieval courtyard house. It has been recognised by the Historic Building Council for England (now Historic England) as a building of outstanding historic and architectural interest. It is considered to be a ‘textbook’ example of the English medieval manor house, and is a Grade I-listed building.

Settlements in Oxfordshire

See also: List of places in Oxfordshire

Wantage Market Place

• Abingdon-on-Thames (in Berkshire until 1974)
• Banbury
• Bicester
• Burford
• Carterton
• Charlbury
• Chinnor
• Chipping Norton
• Didcot (in Berkshire until 1974)
• Faringdon (in Berkshire until 1974)
• Henley-on-Thames
• Islip
• Kidlington
• Oxford
• Stadhampton
• Thame
• Wallingford (in Berkshire until 1974)
• Wantage (in Berkshire until 1974)
• Watlington
• Witney
• Woodstock

Emergency services

• Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
• South Central Ambulance Service
• Thames Valley Air Ambulance
• Thames Valley Police
• British Transport Police

Settlements by population

Rank	Town	Population	Year	Definition	Notes
1	Oxford	150,200	2011	Oxford non-metropolitan district
2	Banbury	46,853	2011	Civil parish
3	Abingdon-on-Thames	33,130	2011	Civil parish
4	Bicester	32,642	2011	Civil parish
5	Witney	27,522	2011	Civil parish
6	Didcot	25,140	2011	Civil parish	200 dwellings in the south-east of the town lie in neighbouring East Hagbourne parish.
7	Carterton	15,769	2011	Civil parish
8	Kidlington	13,723	2011	Civil parish	Does not include Gosford.
9	Henley-on-Thames	11,619	2011	Civil parish
10	Wallingford	11,600	2011	Civil parish
11	Thame	11,561	2011	Civil parish	Includes hamlet of Moreton
12	Wantage	11,327	2011	Civil parish
13	Grove	7,178	2011	Civil parish
14	Faringdon	7,121	2011	Great Faringdon civil parish
15	Chipping Norton	6,337	2011	Civil parish
16	Chinnor	5,924	2011	Civil parish
17	Benson	4,754	2011	Civil parish
18	Eynsham	4,648	2011	Civil parish
19	Wheatley	4,092	2011	Civil parish
20	Kennington	4,076	2011	Civil parish
21	Woodstock	3,100	2011	Civil parish
22	Charlbury	2,830	2011	Civil parish
23	Watlington	2,727	2011	Civil parish
24	Bampton	2,564	2011	Civil parish
25	Deddington	2,146	2011	Civil parish

Places of interest

Main article: List of museums in Oxfordshire

See also: List of attractions in Oxford

• Abingdon County Hall Museum – housed in a 17th-century county hall building
• Ashdown House – 17th-century country house in the Lambourn Downs
• Ashmolean Museum – Oxford University's museum of art and archaeology
• Banbury Museum, Banbury
• Bicester Village
• Blenheim Palace and garden – UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Broughton Castle – 14th-century fortified manor house
• Buscot Park, Buscot – 18th-century country house and landscape garden
• Champs Chapel Museum of East Hendred – village museum in a 15th-century Carthusian chapel
• Charlbury Museum
• Chastleton House – 17th-century country house (limited access)
• Chiltern Hills – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway – operated with steam and diesel locomotives
• Chipping Norton Museum
• Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
• Cogges Manor Farm Museum, Witney – a living museum of country life
• Combe Mill Museum, Long Hanborough – working museum of stationary steam engines
• Cotswold Wildlife Park and garden, Bradwell Grove, Holwell
• Cotswolds – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Didcot Railway Centre – museum of the Great Western Railway
• Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames – 12th-century church of former Augustinian abbey
• Great Coxwell Barn – 14th-century tithe barn
• Greys Court, Rotherfield Greys – 16th-century country house
• Hampton Gay Manor – ruins of 16th-century manor house (no website)
• Harcourt Arboretum, Nuneham Courtenay
• Heythrop Hall – 17th-century country house: now a hotel, golf & country club
• Hook Norton Brewery – working Victorian "tower" brewery that offers guided tours
• Kelmscott Manor – Home of William Morris
• Mapledurham Estate – 16th-century country house and 15th-century watermill
• Milton Manor House – 18th-century country house
• Minster Lovell Hall – dovecote and ruins of 15th-century manor house
• Museum of Bygones, Claydon – private museum including stationary steam engines
• North Wessex Downs – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Oxford
• Oxford Bus Museum and Morris Motors Museum, Long Hanborough
• Oxford Canal – 18th-century "narrow" canal
• The Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock
• The Ridgeway
• River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames
• River Thames
• Rollright Stones – megalithic stone circle and Whispering Knights burial chamber, near Little Rollright
• Rousham House – 17th-century country house and landscape garden
• Rycote chapel – 15th-century chapel with original furnishings
• St Katharine's church, Chiselhampton – 18th-century parish church with original furnishings (no website, limited access)
• St Mary's church, Iffley – 12th-century Norman parish church
• Shotover Country Park, Headington
• Spiceball Country Park, Banbury
• Stanton Harcourt manor house (limited access), with garden and 15th-century chapel and Pope's Tower (no website)
• Stonor House – country house and 14th-century chapel of the recusant Stonor family
• Swalcliffe Tithe Barn – 15th-century
• Thame Museum
• Tolsey Museum, Burford (no website)
• Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle and Wayland's Smithy burial chamber in the White Horse Hills
• Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage
• Wallingford Museum
• Wheatley Windmill – 18th-century tower mill

See also

• Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
• High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
• Oxfordshire Artweeks, an annual art festival each May
• Oxford University (including links to the individual colleges)
• Oxford Canal

External links

•  
• Oxfordshire County Council
• Thisisoxfordshire Oxfordshire news, sport & information
• The Oxfordshire Association
• Flags of Oxfordshire
• Visit South Oxfordshire
• Banbury & District National Trust Association Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• Images of Oxfordshire at the English Heritage Archive
• Oxfordshire at Curlie