Oxfordshire

Lore & Background

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, in the Vale of White Horse. The University of Oxford was founded in 1096, although 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 role of agriculture as an employer declined rapidly in the 20th century; as of 2023, 1.2 per cent of the county's population are involved in agriculture, forestry, or fishing due to high mechanisation. Nevertheless, Oxfordshire remains a very agricultural county by land use, with a lower population than neighbouring Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which are both smaller. During most of its history, the county was partitioned as fourteen divisions called 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 administ

Reader's Guide

Oxfordshire is a county in south-central England. Its landscape is characterised by two bands of hill ranges in the north and south of the county separated by a low-lying clay vale around the River Thames. The northernmost point of the county is near Claydon Hay Farm, Claydon. This northernmost area of Cherwell is within the Northamptonshire Uplands, a range of ironstone-capped limestone hills and valleys. The area within the Northamptonshire Uplands includes the market town of Banbury. South of the Uplands are the eastern extent of the Cotswolds, a hill range forming part of a wider oolitic limestone range across England known for its local stone. A large part of the wider Cotswolds within the county are in the protected Costwolds National Landscape. Oxfordshire's westernmost point is in the Cotswolds NCA near Downs Farm, Westwell. South of the Costwolds, Oxfordshire opens up into the undulating farmland of the upper Thames clay vales. The clay vales encircle the Midvale Ridge, a band of low-lying limestone hills running through the centre of the county. These two landscapes are the population centres of the county, containing Oxford itself as well as other key towns such as Witney, Bicester and Abingdon. To the south west of the county, the clay vales give way to the chalk hills of the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs south of Wantage, known particularly for the Uffington White Horse. The Downs form part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. The Berkshire Downs extend to the Thames at Goring, east of which are further chalk hills in the Chilterns, much of which is in the Chilterns National Landscape. South of the boundaries of the National Landscape are Oxfordshire's southernmost and easternmost points near the Thames and Kennet Marina at Playhatch and Shiplake respectively. Long-distance walks within the county include the Ridgeway National Trail, Macmillan Way, Oxfordshire Way and the D'Arcy Dalton Way. 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 thes

Did You Know?

• The county's highest point is White Horse Hill (261 m), part of the Berkshire Downs.
• The University of Oxford was founded in 1096.
• Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912.
• The county's name comes from Anglo-Saxon Oxenaford, meaning 'ford for oxen'.