Cleaner Oxford

Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England,
with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). It is home to the
University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking
world. It is known as the “city of dreaming spires”, a term coined by
Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of the
university buildings. The Oxford suburb of Cowley has a long history of
carmaking, and still produces BMW MINIs.

History

Oxford was first occupied in Saxon times, and was initially known as
“Oxenaforda”. It began with the foundations of St Frideswide’s nunnery
in the 8th century. The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th
century records. Oxford’s earliest colleges were University College
(1249), Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264).

During the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I in
1642, after the king was expelled from London, although there was
strong support in the town for the Parliamentarian cause. In the 19th
century the controversy surrounding the Oxford Movement in the Anglican
Church drew attention to the city as a focus of theological thought.
Oxford’s Town Hall was built by Henry T. Hare, the foundation stone was
laid on 6 July 1893 and opened by the future King Edward VII on 12 May
1897. By the early 20th century Oxford was experiencing rapid
industrial and population growth, with the printing and publishing
industries becoming well established by the 1920s.

Places of Interests

Oxford has numerous major tourist attractions, many belonging to the
university and colleges. As well as several famous institutions, the
town centre is home to Carfax Tower and a historical themed ride, The
Oxford Story. In the summer, punting on the Thames (sometimes called
the Isis as it flows through Oxford) and the Cherwell is popular.
Other notable attractions include:

• Christ Church Cathedral
• The Church of St Mary the Virgin (the University Church)
• Martyrs’ Memorial
• Ashmolean Museum
• Pitt Rivers Museum
• Museum of Natural History
• Museum of the History of Science
• Science Oxford
• University buildings
• The University Parks
• The University Botanic Garden
• Cornmarket Street, Oxford
• Turl Street, Oxford
• Little Clarendon Street
• Oxford Covered Market
• Westgate Shopping Centre

Museums and Art Galleries

Oxford has a large number of museums and galleries open for public.
Following are the world famous and a major tourist spot in Oxford:

• Ashmolean Museum, Britain’s oldest museum
• Pitt Rivers Museum
• Museum of Natural History, home of (the remains of) the Oxford Dodo
• Museum of the History of Science, in Britain’s oldest purpose-built
  museum building
• Museum of Oxford
• Museum of Modern Art
• Science Oxford

Shopping

Golden Cross, an arcade of first-class shops and boutiques, lies
between Cornmarket Street and the Covered Market. Parts of the colorful
gallery date from the 12th century. Many buildings remain from the
medieval era, along with some 15th- and 17th-century structures. The
market also has a reputation as the Covent Garden of Oxford, with live
entertainment on Saturday mornings in summer. In its way, Alice’s Shop,
played an important role in English literature, it functioned as a
general store (selling brooms, hardware, and the like) during the
period that Lewis Carroll, at the time a professor of mathematics at
Christ Church College, was composing Alice in Wonderland.

It is
believed to have been the model for important settings within the book.
Today, the place is a favorite stopover of Lewis Carroll fans from as
far away as Japan, who gobble up commemorative pencils, chess sets,
party favors, bookmarks, and in rare cases, original editions of some
of Carroll’s works. The Bodleian Library Shop, specializes in Oxford
souvenirs, from books and paperweights to Oxford banners and coffee
mugs. Castell & Son (The Varsity Shop), is the best outlet in
Oxford for clothing emblazoned with the Cleaner Oxford or heraldic symbol.

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Created on Sep 18th 2020 07:52. Viewed 232 times.

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