Oxford,
The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous the world over for its University and
place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars,
and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to
have lived in the area for thousands of years.
Nowadays, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. Still with its ancient University, but home also to a growing hi-tech community. Many businesses are located in and around the town, whether on one of the Science and Business Parks or within one of a number of residential areas.
With its mix of ancient and modern, there is plenty for both the tourist and resident to do. Whether its visiting one of the many historic buildings, colleges or museums, going out for a drink or a meal, taking in a show or shopping till you drop, Oxford has it.
Headington - the
clos
est
shopping area to our four parks - is now the largest and busiest suburb
of Oxford, dominated by Oxford Brookes University and numerous hospitals.
About 15,000 people live in the centre, with as many again in its outlying
areas; yet the countryside is not far away.
Oxford is renowned as one of England's two great university towns, steeped in history and tradition. The university is not a campus but a collection of 36 colleges and 5 halls scattered around the city centre alongside the shops and offices of commercial Oxford.
The
town was established around a safe crossing of the river Thames ('Oxen-ford')
by the 10th century, and religious communities were in evidence by the time
of the Norman Conquest. These monasteries were the forerunners of the university
colleges, providing 'halls' where students of theology could be accommodated.
The university evolved during the 11th century, becoming an increasingly
important centre of learning for theology, law, mathematics and philosophy.
The colleges were founded, often with substantial endowments, from the 12th
century onwards. Today the university accounts for almost 15,000 of Oxford's
115,000 population.
The streets, houses, colleges, churches and chapels of Oxford represent a carefully documented catalogue of English history. The centre of the city has 900 buildings of architectural or historic interest. The Carfax Tower is all that remains of the 14th century church of St. Martin: it offers a splendid view of the dreaming spires of Oxford.
The Bodleian Library,
founded by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1602, is one of the world's greatest libraries
and contains over 5 million books. The collections are housed on three separate
sites linked by tunnels. Oxford's famous museums include the Ashmolean Museum,
the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Museum of the History of Science, 
the
Bate Collection of Historical Instruments and the Museum of Oxford.
Oxford is a lively cultural centre and offers a wide variety of performing arts featuring distinguished artists. Music at Oxford presents concerts in historic settings such as the Sheldonian Theatre, Christ Church Cathedral and the Holywell Music Room. The City of Oxford Orchestra offers Summer Proms and a programme of 'Beautiful Music in Beautiful Places'. Opera, ballet, pantomime, musicals and major concerts are all in the programme at the Apollo Theatre, and the Oxford Playhouse has Shakespeare, modern drama, comedy and musicals in its programme.
