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 | Oxford Downtown car rental - Travel Guide |  |
Think of OXFORD and inevitably you think of its university, revered as one of the world's great academic institutions, inhabiting honey-coloured stone buildings set around ivy-clad quadrangles. Much of this is accurate enough, but although the university dominates central Oxford both physically and mentally, the wider city has an entirely different character, its economy built on the car plants of Cowley to the south of the centre. It was here that Britain's first mass-produced cars were produced in the 1920s and, despite the fact that there have been more downs than ups in recent years, the plants are still vitally important to the area.
Oxford started late, in Anglo-Saxon times, and blossomed even later, under the Normans, when the cathedral was constructed and Oxford was chosen as a royal residence. The origins of the university are obscure, but it seems that the reputation of Henry I, the so-called "Scholar King", helped attract students in the early twelfth century, their numbers increasing with the expulsion of English students from the Sorbonne in 1167. The first colleges, founded mostly by rich bishops, were essentially ecclesiastical institutions and this was reflected in collegiate rules and regulations - until 1877 lecturers were not allowed to marry and women were not granted degrees until 1920. There are common architectural features , too, with the private rooms of the students arranged around quadrangles (quads) as are most of the communal rooms - the chapels, halls (dining rooms) and libraries.
Oxford should be high on anyone's itinerary, and can keep you occupied for several days. The university buildings include some of England's finest architecture, and the city can also boast some excellent museums and numerous bars and restaurants
The City
The compact centre of Oxford lies in between the Thames and the Cherwell rivers, just to the north of the point where they join. In theory, and on most maps, the Thames is known within the city as the "Isis", but few locals actually use the term. Central Oxford's principal point of reference is Carfax, a busy junction from where three of the city's main thoroughfares begin: the High Street runs east to Magdalen Bridge and the Cherwell; St Aldate's south to the Thames; and Cornmarket north to the broad avenue of St Giles. Many of the oldest colleges face onto the High Street or the sidestreets adjoining it, their mellow stonework combining to create one of the most beautiful parts of Oxford. Here, as elsewhere in the city, all of the more visited colleges have restricted opening hours to enable them to control the flow of tourists, and some impose an admission charge, too, while others permit no regular public access at all. Of those that do open their doors, opening times are fairly consistent throughout the year, but there are sporadic term-time variations, especially at weekends. It's also worth noting that during the exam season, which stretches from late April to early June, all the colleges have periods when they are closed to the public. For more specific information, call the relevant college. |
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