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- Botley
- Cutteslowe
- East Oxford
- Grandpont/Iffley Rd
- Summertown
- Headington
- Jericho
- Kidlington
- Marston
- City centre
Not sure where to live in Oxford?
Read our Navigator Area Guides to give you an idea. Each comes with our unique take on the personality and charm of an area.
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Botley |
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| Founded by / origin | The name Botley comes from Old English meaning a woodland clearing of a man called Bota. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Botley surrounds the junction between the A34, the Oxford ring road and the A420 to Swindon and is a largely residential area. It includes a small local shopping centre at Elms Parade and a small retail complex containing —amongst other stores — Homebase and Decathlon. The various large office buildings along the main road include Seacourt Tower, known locally as ‘Botley Cathedral’ owing to its small metal spire. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Convenient family suburb |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Janet Street Porter |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A tea dance |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | There is a frequent bus service (every 10 minutes) from Eynsham Road and Elms Parade to Oxford. The journey to the city centre takes 10–15 minutes. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents |
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Cutteslowe |
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| Founded by / origin | The land on which Cutteslowe is built has been owned by, among others, St Frideswide's Priory, Cardinal Wolsey, Christ Church College, the Duke of Marlborough, and the Soden family. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Straddling the A40 at the north of Oxford, Cutteslowe is at the centre of road transport links both into the city and surrounding towns and countryside. Its many 1960s and 1970s houses, while not notably picturesque, make it a good area for families, and it is home to the marvellous Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park, with its aviary, duck pond, and miniature steam railway. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Practical, unpretentious, honest |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | James May |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A community picnic |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford, with frequent services to Reading and London Paddington |
| Bus station | Buses to the City centre run every ten minutes, with a direct service to the John Radcliffe Hospital |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Not exactly residents, but the suburb was home to the infamous Cutteslowe Walls, designed to separate council housing from a nearby private development. Now demolished, the walls are commemorated by a blue plaque. |
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East Oxford |
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| Founded by / origin | East Oxford appears to have had settlements at various times from as early as the Mesolithic Period. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | East Oxford is an ethnically and economically diverse community with a large student population. There is a prominent music scene which caters for various tastes. At the Oxford Business Park there are many company offices including the headquarters of the international aid charity Oxfam. BMW retained ownership of the former Rover plant in Cowley to build the all-new Mini that was launched in the spring of 2001. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Cosmopolitan, vibrant, outgoing |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Barack Obama |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A Mardi Gras celebration with live music, a parade and food from around the world. Indeed, there is a Cowley Road Carnival held every July. |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Buses from the city centre to Cowley and back (via the Cowley Road) run every five minutes approximately. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | A number of successful Oxford bands have included Radiohead and Supergrass. William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, founder of the Morris Motor Company. |
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Grandpont |
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| Founded by / origin | The name 'Grandpont' comes from the medieval stone causeway that stretched from the end of St Aldates to the bottom of Hinksey Hill. Despite its ancient beginnings, the suburb did not really develop until the coming of the railway in the nineteenth century. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Grandpont is now predominantly a residential area. Most of the houses are attractive, terraced late-Victorian and Edwardian properties lining small roads at right angles to the Abingdon Road. More urban and less studenty than other areas of Oxford, its proximity to the station makes it very popular with professionals and commuters. The riverside Grandpont Nature Park, featuring a former railway bridge across the river Thames, now a footbridge, is a lovely centre for walking and relaxing. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Comfortable, respectable, mature |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Richard and Judy |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A riverboat cruise |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford, with frequent services to Reading and London Paddington |
| Bus station | Regular buses run between Abingdon and Oxford, all stopping on the Abingdon Road |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Grandpont House, on Folly Bridge, was visited by St Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, and acquired as a base for members of Opus Dei in Oxford. |
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Iffley Road |
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| Founded by / origin | The area of Iffley has been occupied since c AD1000. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Iffley Road is a quiet residential village within walking distance of Oxford city centre. The route to the small village features playing fields and the University’s hi-tech sports centre, best known as the place where Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954. A large number of spacious and grand houses in a variety of styles are located here. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Subdued, charming, affluent |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | John Thaw |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A family picnic by the river |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Buses from the City to Iffley and back (via the Iffley Road) run every five minutes approximately. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Vivien Greene, wife of the novelist Graham Greene and an expert on dolls’ houses. |
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Summertown |
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| Founded by / origin | James Lambourne, a horse dealer, and his wife are believed to have been the first settlers in the area. From Autumn 1820 they lived out of a caravan whilst building their own house. He thought he had found "the pleasantest place in all England – nay, in all the world"; therefore, he named it after the most delightful season of the year, the summer (from The Making of the Regency Village, John Badcock, 1832). A decade or so later, St John’s College began building houses for visiting Fellows; in 1832 there were 120 houses in Summertown, 71 of which were tenanted. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Summertown is a vibrant shopping and business centre and an attractive residential area. Closer to the city centre is Walton Manor, which includes affluent areas such as Park Town where substantial late Georgian and Victorian properties are found — all largely built by St John’s College. This area is very popular with professionals, academics, and families – many attracted by the very high quality schools. Summertown offers easy access via the Banbury and Woodstock Roads to both Oxford city centre and to all the major road networks including the ring road, A34, and M40. |
| The town’s personality in three words | "Prosperous suburb to an historic city" |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Joanna Lumley |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A masquerade ball |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Buses from Summertown to the city centre run every 10 minutes at peak time (bus numbers are: 2, 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d). This service also includes Kidlington and its airport. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | J.R.R. Tolkien, academic and author |
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Headington |
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| Founded by / origin | Remnants of civilisation going back a thousand years have been found here. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | A characterful residential area that is separated by the London road into ‘old’ and ‘new’ areas, Headington is within easy reach of the main routes out of town as well as the area’s principal employers — in medicine, research and education. Headington boasts a range of services including shops, cafes and restaurants. The city’s major hospitals, the John Radcliffe and the Churchill, are located here. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Varied, intellectual, community-focused |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Alexander Fleming |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | An al fresco performance of a Shakespeare play |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Any bus travelling westwards gets to the city centre in approximately 15 minutes. In the other direction, there are frequent buses to the Oxford Brookes University Wheatley Campus, the Thornhill Park and Ride, and London. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | C. S. Lewis, academic and author |
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Jericho |
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| Founded by / origin | In the Bible, Jericho signifies a 'remote place' and could have referred to the area’s location just outside the Oxford city walls. It was originally a place for travellers to rest if they had reached the city after the gates had closed. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | In the 18th and 19th centuries the houses in Jericho lacked even basic drainage. As a result, most of the area was little more than a squalid slum. Nowadays,as a result of its convenient location close to the city centre, Jericho has become a desirable area for young professionals. It often featured in the Inspector Morse series. The impressive offices of Oxford University Press dominate Walton Street, which runs through Jericho from one end to the other. It is lively during the day and even more so at night as it attracts numerous visitors to its arthouse cinema, salsa at Freud’s and many restaurants. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Vibrant, bohemian, cool |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Kate Moss |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A Mardi Gras celebration |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Regular buses run to London from Gloucester Green bus station in the city centre. There are frequent bus services from the city centre to all parts of Oxford. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Tolkien’s writers’ group, ‘The Inklings’ regularly met at The Eagle & Child. |
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Kidlington |
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| Founded by / origin | Kidlington has a long history. There have been many finds suggesting Roman settlement. The name Kidlington was derived from the tun (Anglo-Saxon word meaning settlement) of the Kidlings or son of Cydel – hence Cuddelinga tun. By 1214 the spelling Kedelinton appears in a calendar of Bodleian Charters. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | Kidlington is still a traditional village with a market every Friday and Saturday. It is a contender for the largest village in England and has so far resisted proposals to become a town. There are excellent facilities for the community, including a recently refurbished sports centre. Kidlington has an expanding commercial area with a business park and Oxford Motor Park, which employs up to 4,000 workers. Oxford Airport is a centre for general and business aviation and is recognised as one of Europe’s foremost pilot training centres. Kidlington has excellent access to the A34 and M40 (to London and Birmingham); Bicester village is only a short distance away and Oxford city centre is about 20 minutes away. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Sociable, community spirit, thoughtful |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Fern Britton |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A street party |
| Train station | Oxford station has services to London, Birmingham and all major cities throughout the UK. There is also a train station in Islip, about three miles from Kidlington, for services to Oxford and Bicester. |
| Bus station | Two bus companies provide a regular service from Kidlington to Oxford city centre. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Sir Richard Branson, entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin empire |
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Marston |
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| Founded by / origin | The village of Marston developed in medieval times. For centuries it functioned principally as a farming community producing food for the City of Oxford. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | In the 20th century, Marston became a convenient base for London commuters and, with the continuing expansion of the John Radcliffe Hospital site nearby, a popular, slightly sprawling residential area for medical professionals. Old Marston retains its rural feel with many characterful and desirable properties, while New Marston's solid 1930s houses make it a practical area for families. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Accessible, straightforward, surprising |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Dr Phil Hammond |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | An informal supper at home, that unexpectedly extends long into the night |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with frequent services to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Frequent bus services run in a loop through Marston between Oxford city centre and the John Radcliffe Hospital |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | Howard Walter Florey, joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in the extraction of penicillin |
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Oxford Centre |
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| Founded by / origin | Oxford was first occupied in Saxon times and was initially known as Oxenaforda, meaning 'Ford of the Ox'. It began with the foundation of St Frideswide’s nunnery in the 8th century, and was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 912. |
| 80 word description of the town or area | As a university city of considerable status (Oxford University is one of the most famous in the world), Oxford’s city centre is rich with stunning colleges and other historic buildings, some of which are open to the public. Discover an engaging shopping experience in the covered market, which is particularly spectacular at Christmas with its decorations and ’olde worlde’ charm. The centre abounds with culture from antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum, classical concerts at the Sheldonian Theatre and a diversity of restaurants which cater for all nationalities. |
| The town’s personality in three words | Bustling, cultured, historic |
| If the town were a celebrity, it would be… | Stephen Fry |
| If the town put on a party, the party would be… | A masked ball in one of the Oxford colleges |
| Train station | The nearest train station is Oxford with fast trains to Reading and London Paddington. |
| Bus station | Regular buses run to London from Gloucester Green bus station in the city centre. There are frequent bus services from the city centre to all parts of Oxford. |
| Famous residents or ex-residents | People who have studied at Oxford include 25 British Prime Ministers; at least 30 international leaders; 47 Nobel Prize winners; six current holders of the Order of Merit; at least six kings, 12 saints and 20 Archbishops of Canterbury; some 50 Olympic medal winners; 10 chief executive officers and nine chairmen of UK FTSE 100 companies; and the editors of two UK national newspapers. |
