Oxfordshire
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What is Oxfordshire?
Oxfordshire is an administrative and historic county in south-central England, bounded by Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. The administrative county contains five districts: Cherwell, the city of Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire.
The landscape features two upland areas, the North Oxfordshire Heights and the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills, divided by a broad clay vale. Agriculture remains important with sheep and arable farming in the North Oxfordshire Heights, milk and beef production in the clay vale, and fruit production in the White Horse Vale and the northern slope of the Downs.
Oxfordshire has many Paleolithic and Mesolithic artifacts and was thickly populated in Roman times. Saxon settlement was concentrated along the Thames and its tributaries.
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Where is Oxfordshire located within the United Kingdom?
Oxfordshire is a county in south-central England, UK. It is bordered by Warwickshire and Northamptonshire to the north, Gloucestershire to the west, Berkshire to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the east. The administrative county of Oxfordshire includes five districts: Cherwell, the city of Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire. The city of Oxford, best known as the home of the University of Oxford, is the county seat.
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What is the main city in Oxfordshire?
Oxford is the main city in the administrative and historic county of Oxfordshire, England, serving as its county seat. Known for being the home of the University of Oxford, the city is often called the "City of Spires" because of its skyline of Gothic towers and steeples. Oxford's history dates back to Saxon times, and it later became a strategic Royalist headquarters during the English Civil Wars. Today, it is a vibrant city with a mix of historic architecture and modern industry.
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What is Oxfordshire known for?
Oxfordshire, an administrative and historic county in south-central England, is best known as the home of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in England. The city's skyline is filled with Gothic towers and steeples, leading to its nickname, the "City of Spires".
Agriculture is also important to Oxfordshire, with sheep and arable farming in the North Oxfordshire Heights. Wool was a mainstay of the economy from medieval times until recently. The clay vale is mainly used for grass, and milk and beef are produced. The White Horse Vale and the northern slope of the Downs are noted for fruit production.
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How does the University of Oxford impact the county?
The University of Oxford significantly impacts Oxfordshire, where it is located. Established by the end of the 12th century, the university's history has become intertwined with that of the town, although there has been some antipathy between "town and gown".
The University of Oxford's social, economic, and environmental sustainability efforts include expanding outreach initiatives, closing the gender pay gap, investing in energy-efficient technology, recycling waste, and increasing biodiversity. The Oxford University Press, established in 1478, is among the largest and most prestigious university publishers.
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What are some important historical or cultural sites in Oxfordshire?
Oxfordshire is home to many historically and culturally significant sites. Blenheim Palace, built between 1705 and 1724, was a gift to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Rollright Stones, a collection of megaliths that includes a stone circle, mark the Oxfordshire-Warwickshire border. Oxford, known as the "City of Spires", is home to the University of Oxford, whose earliest colleges, such as University College (1249), Balliol (1263), and Merton (1264), were mostly built in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Broughton Castle, dating back to the 14th century, and Stanton Harcourt (1450) are examples of secular buildings that reflect the area's rich history.
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Oxfordshire, administrative and historic county of south-central England. It is bounded to the north by Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, to the west by Gloucestershire, to the south by Berkshire, and to the east by Buckinghamshire. Wiltshire lies to the southwest of the administrative county, which covers a larger area than the historic county. Oxford, home of the famed University of Oxford, is the county seat.
The administrative county comprises five districts: Cherwell, the city of Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire. The Vale of White Horse district and the part of South Oxfordshire to the west of the River Thames lie outside the historic county of Oxfordshire. Those areas belong to the historic county of Berkshire.
The administrative county consists of two upland areas divided by a broad vale, about 10 miles (16 km) wide. The North Oxfordshire Heights, rising to 700 feet (210 metres) at Edgehill in the northwest of the county, are developed on oolitic limestone and related strata of the Jurassic Period. The Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills are developed on Cretaceous chalk. The intervening clay vale stretches from northeast to southwest. It is divided into the Oxford Clay Vale and the White Horse Vale by an outcrop of Corallian limestone, giving rise to the Oxford Heights.
Oxfordshire is located almost entirely within the Thames basin. The river flows northeastward along the Oxford Clay Vale, receiving the Rivers Windrush, Evenlode, and Cherwell from the north. There is an elbow of capture, where the drainage system has become connected to a former portion of a neighbouring system, to the east of Oxford, from which the Thames flows southward, receiving the Ock and its tributaries from the south, passes through the Goring Gap, and then winds east and north past Henley-on-Thames into the lower Thames basin. There is little glacial drift except in the northeast corner of the county. Gravel deposits, both plateau (North Leigh, Combe, and Tiddington) and floodplain (Bampton, Oxford, and Dorchester), are important economically.
Many Paleolithic and Mesolithic artifacts have been recovered from the floodplain gravels that border the Thames. Neolithic tools and pottery have similarly been located at many points in the county. Also dating from that period are a number of long barrows (burial mounds) and the Rollright Stones (a collection of megaliths that includes a stone circle) on the Oxfordshire-Warwickshire border. Dorchester and Alchester (just outside Bicester), situated on the Roman road from Silchester to Watling Street and Towcester, were the most important Roman sites in Oxfordshire, which was thickly populated in Roman times. Subsequent Saxon settlement in the county was concentrated at valley sites along the line of the Thames and its major tributaries, and Oxfordshire was successively part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. During the 10th and 11th centuries the area was overrun by the Danes.
At the time of Domesday Book (1086), the land survey of England by William I the Conqueror, the county was fairly well populated, the major centres being Oxford itself and Bampton. Both were incipient towns with regular markets. The medieval period is commemorated by numerous ecclesiastical and domestic buildings. Iffley Church, just south of Oxford, is one of the best examples of pure Romanesque style in England; Adderbury, south of Banbury, has a cruciform Decorated-style church, and that at Minster Lovell is pure Perpendicular style. Secular buildings include Broughton Castle (14th century), Stonor Park, Stanton Harcourt (1450), Chastleton, and Blenheim Palace (early 18th century), built near Woodstock for the John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, a member of one of the great political dynasties of England. The county saw action during the English Civil Wars (1642–51). The towns of Oxford and Banbury were both besieged by Parliamentary forces at some time, and Oxford was the Royalist headquarters.
Agriculture remains important in Oxfordshire. The North Oxfordshire Heights are important for sheep and arable farming, mostly on large farms. From medieval times until quite recently, wool was a mainstay of the economy. The clay vale is mainly sown to grass, and milk and beef are produced. The White Horse Vale and the northern slope of the Downs (in the southern part of the administrative county) are noted for fruit production.
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Ironstone is mined near Banbury, and clay, sand, and gravel are also worked in various parts of the county. Cowley, a suburb of Oxford, is the major industrial centre, producing motor vehicles. Banbury, with light engineering, and Witney, with blanket manufacture, are also important centres. Paper mills are located at Wolvercote, Shiplake, Sandford, and Eynsham, using pure stream water. Area administrative county, 1,006 square miles (2,606 square km). Pop. (2001) 605,488; (2011) 653,798.