History of Oxford, UK
@oxfordhistory.bsky.social
Anything relating to the history of the City of Oxford, including former suburbs such as Cowley and Headington, and sometimes touching on the University too (This is an unofficial account) https://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk
The top of the Norman tower at St Michael-at-the Northgate Church with its new handrail balustrade (planning permission 24/01668/FUL), and the the whole church in 1834, when the tower still had its battlements
November 17, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The top of the Norman tower at St Michael-at-the Northgate Church with its new handrail balustrade (planning permission 24/01668/FUL), and the the whole church in 1834, when the tower still had its battlements
... (4) St Giles’ Church, with date of 1784; (5) Town Hall, with an ox; and (6) Carfax Tower, with the more traditional cockerel
November 4, 2025 at 4:52 PM
... (4) St Giles’ Church, with date of 1784; (5) Town Hall, with an ox; and (6) Carfax Tower, with the more traditional cockerel
Some Oxford weather vanes: (1) Hertford College, with date of 1924 when they took over the octagonal chapel; (2) Indian Institute, with elephant; (3) Lloyds Bank, with sailing ship (continued ...)
November 4, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Some Oxford weather vanes: (1) Hertford College, with date of 1924 when they took over the octagonal chapel; (2) Indian Institute, with elephant; (3) Lloyds Bank, with sailing ship (continued ...)
Thirteen fine old houses were demolished to make way for the New Bodleian Library, and another two had their foundations damaged in the demolition process and were rebuilt as the present right-hand side of Blackwell’s. Here is a photograph taken from the Sheldonian Theatre showing some of them
November 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Thirteen fine old houses were demolished to make way for the New Bodleian Library, and another two had their foundations damaged in the demolition process and were rebuilt as the present right-hand side of Blackwell’s. Here is a photograph taken from the Sheldonian Theatre showing some of them
At matches held in the two cockpits in Holywell, the poor birds represented their counties. This advertisement is from the Gloucester Journal of 30 September 1754. There is more information on the two Holywell cockpits here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/holywell/mis...
October 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
At matches held in the two cockpits in Holywell, the poor birds represented their counties. This advertisement is from the Gloucester Journal of 30 September 1754. There is more information on the two Holywell cockpits here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/holywell/mis...
Here's a postcard showing Magdalen Tower from Cherwell Hall
October 18, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Here's a postcard showing Magdalen Tower from Cherwell Hall
The end of an era, but at least W. H. Smith is still remembered in the gable. T. G. Jones is quick off the mark: they only received planning permission to put up this sign yesterday (13 Oct 2025): public.oxford.gov.uk/online-appli...
October 14, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The end of an era, but at least W. H. Smith is still remembered in the gable. T. G. Jones is quick off the mark: they only received planning permission to put up this sign yesterday (13 Oct 2025): public.oxford.gov.uk/online-appli...
Here is the new sculpture of Dervorguilla of Galloway outside Balliol College's new buildings in St Cross Road. She was the wife of Sir John de Balliol and both played a large part in the foundation of the college. There is more information on her Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervorg...
October 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Here is the new sculpture of Dervorguilla of Galloway outside Balliol College's new buildings in St Cross Road. She was the wife of Sir John de Balliol and both played a large part in the foundation of the college. There is more information on her Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervorg...
Here are the four female statues over the entrance to the Taylorian that were sculpted by William Grinsell Nicholl in 1846. They represent Italian, French, German, and Spanish.
October 7, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Here are the four female statues over the entrance to the Taylorian that were sculpted by William Grinsell Nicholl in 1846. They represent Italian, French, German, and Spanish.
The historic 1841 building (which is on the site of the ancient shire hall) would become a restaurant, bar, and gallery with a roof terrace. This plaque may take away diners’ appetites though
September 12, 2025 at 6:16 AM
The historic 1841 building (which is on the site of the ancient shire hall) would become a restaurant, bar, and gallery with a roof terrace. This plaque may take away diners’ appetites though
The City Church at Carfax was demolished in 1896 except for its medieval tower, but its bells still ring out. On Monday 8 September 2025 at 12 noon they rang to mark the third anniversary of the accession of King Charles III
September 10, 2025 at 10:15 AM
The City Church at Carfax was demolished in 1896 except for its medieval tower, but its bells still ring out. On Monday 8 September 2025 at 12 noon they rang to mark the third anniversary of the accession of King Charles III
This notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 3 September 1859 shows that when St John’s College (as Lords of the Manor) had sole supervision of St Giles' Fair, nothing could be brought to the site until 4am on the Monday morning
September 8, 2025 at 6:58 AM
This notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 3 September 1859 shows that when St John’s College (as Lords of the Manor) had sole supervision of St Giles' Fair, nothing could be brought to the site until 4am on the Monday morning
You can enlarge the plan further using the magnifying glass with the + sign at the top. Here is a tiny sample from the Plan showing the City Gaol at Gloucester Green: you can even see the individual cells
August 22, 2025 at 8:28 AM
You can enlarge the plan further using the magnifying glass with the + sign at the top. Here is a tiny sample from the Plan showing the City Gaol at Gloucester Green: you can even see the individual cells
The builders who have obscured the street sign here have meticulously retained the historic hyphen in QUEENS-LANE. This is one of fifteen surviving street signs in Oxford where the hyphen shows that they date from the mid-nineteenth century: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/xtra...
August 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The builders who have obscured the street sign here have meticulously retained the historic hyphen in QUEENS-LANE. This is one of fifteen surviving street signs in Oxford where the hyphen shows that they date from the mid-nineteenth century: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/xtra...
“The Netty” in St Giles’ offers two suites, each with its own flight of steps, offering “a one-of-a-kind boutique stay in central Oxford, set within beautifully restored Victorian public toilets”. Railings by William Lucy thenetty.co.uk
August 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
“The Netty” in St Giles’ offers two suites, each with its own flight of steps, offering “a one-of-a-kind boutique stay in central Oxford, set within beautifully restored Victorian public toilets”. Railings by William Lucy thenetty.co.uk
Here is a print of 1835 entitled “View of Oxford, from the meadows near the gas works”. There is more information about the gasworks here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/old_oxford/s...
July 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Here is a print of 1835 entitled “View of Oxford, from the meadows near the gas works”. There is more information about the gasworks here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/old_oxford/s...
Not far from this bridge is a former railway bridge (now a footbridge) built in 1882 so that coal could be carried by the Great Western Railway to the gasworks on the south side of the river
July 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Not far from this bridge is a former railway bridge (now a footbridge) built in 1882 so that coal could be carried by the Great Western Railway to the gasworks on the south side of the river
Yesterday two new history information boards were installed on the bridge built in St Ebbe's in 1927 to enable employees at the new part of the gas works on the south side of the river to walk to work. Here are photographs of the bridge in 1945 with two gasometers visible and of the two boards
July 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Yesterday two new history information boards were installed on the bridge built in St Ebbe's in 1927 to enable employees at the new part of the gas works on the south side of the river to walk to work. Here are photographs of the bridge in 1945 with two gasometers visible and of the two boards
Here are diamond-shaped tiles in the floor of @universitychurch.bsky.social remembering Richard Bradgate and his wife Elizabeth (both of whom were described by Thomas Hearne as “proud & empty of sense”) and their infant son. More about them here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/doctors/apot...
July 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Here are diamond-shaped tiles in the floor of @universitychurch.bsky.social remembering Richard Bradgate and his wife Elizabeth (both of whom were described by Thomas Hearne as “proud & empty of sense”) and their infant son. More about them here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/doctors/apot...
Barclays then occupied both 53 & 54 Cornmarket for over a hundred years until it moved across the road to the Cheng Yu Tung Building this month: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/cornmarket/w...
July 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Barclays then occupied both 53 & 54 Cornmarket for over a hundred years until it moved across the road to the Cheng Yu Tung Building this month: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/cornmarket/w...
Barclays Bank rebuilding 53 Cornmarket Street next to the Clarendon Hotel in 1922 in the same style as No. 54 to the south (which had been built as the Shakespeare Hotel in 1865).
July 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Barclays Bank rebuilding 53 Cornmarket Street next to the Clarendon Hotel in 1922 in the same style as No. 54 to the south (which had been built as the Shakespeare Hotel in 1865).
This brass on a pillar of Holywell Church shows Elizabeth Franklin, wife of the landlord of the King’s Arms, in bed with her swaddled newborn baby: both died on 31 July 1622. Also on the bed are her three earlier babies wrapped in shrouds www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/burials/earl...
July 20, 2025 at 6:51 AM
This brass on a pillar of Holywell Church shows Elizabeth Franklin, wife of the landlord of the King’s Arms, in bed with her swaddled newborn baby: both died on 31 July 1622. Also on the bed are her three earlier babies wrapped in shrouds www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/burials/earl...
Annie Rogers also has an Oxfordshire Blue plaque at 35 St Giles’, which was her home from 1891 to 1899: www.oxonblueplaques.org.uk/plaques/roge...
July 18, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Annie Rogers also has an Oxfordshire Blue plaque at 35 St Giles’, which was her home from 1891 to 1899: www.oxonblueplaques.org.uk/plaques/roge...
Have you seen this stone bench dedicated to Annie Rogers, Oxford’s first female don, in the churchyard to the north of St Mary-the-Virgin Church? The Latin inscription is transcribed and translated here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/insc...
July 18, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Have you seen this stone bench dedicated to Annie Rogers, Oxford’s first female don, in the churchyard to the north of St Mary-the-Virgin Church? The Latin inscription is transcribed and translated here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/insc...
This fire insurance plaque high up on the south side of the Clarendon Building in Oxford relates to the Sun Fire Office Policy No. 16839, which dates from soon after the building was opened in 1715. See more insurance plaques in the city here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/insc...
July 14, 2025 at 11:35 AM
This fire insurance plaque high up on the south side of the Clarendon Building in Oxford relates to the Sun Fire Office Policy No. 16839, which dates from soon after the building was opened in 1715. See more insurance plaques in the city here: www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/insc...