This area guide to Oxford offers a brief overview of the region, including its local shops, attractions, properties, local universities, history, council tax and public transport links.
Oxford Overview
The city of Oxford, best known for its medieval university, has a population of 151,000 including a large student population. Home to some of the most affluent people in South East England, Oxford is rich in culture and offers a combination of excellent schools, a plethora of green spaces, proximity to the Cotswolds and good public transport links. Oxford, also referred to as the city of dreaming spires, is steeped in history, illustrated by the vast array of architectural buildings scattered across the city, dating back to the days of the Saxons. Oxford is known as the OX postcode area - a group of postal districts centred around the city. The main towns and villages include Chipping Norton, Didcot, Kidlington, Thame, Bicester, Burford, Carterton, Chinnor, Watlington, Witney, Woodstock, Abingdon, Bampton, Banbury, Wallingford and Wantage.
Oxford Shopping
The High Street, in the centre of Oxford, is filled with the finest fashion outlets, restaurants, jewelers, antique shops, and the famous Oxford University shop. Other popular shopping streets include Saint Clements, Little Clarendon Street, Walton Street, Jericho, and the Covered Market, along with Banbury Road and South Parade in Summertown.
Oxford Attractions
Oxford is one of the most admired tourist destinations in England, with many people attracted to the University and other momentous buildings in the area. The citys attractions, like Carfax Tower and the University Church of St Mary and Virgin, are located within easy walking distance around the medieval heart of the city. Many tourists shop at the historic Covered Market. Check out the city's popular Ghost and Inspector Morse walking tours, or open-top bus tour, which operates throughout the day and allows passengers with tickets to hop on and off at their own discretion. Every Sunday in the summer time, Capital Sport offer self-guided cycling day trips along the Thames and into the nearby Cotswolds. You cannot visit, or live, in Oxford without having a ago at punting. The punt is a shallow-bottomed boat which holds up to six people and is propelled with the aid of a long pole. They are available at the Magdalen Bridge and Bardwell Road.
Oxford Food and Drink
Oxford has a number of fashionable cafes, bars and restaurants, with a wide range of cuisine available, which appeals to all people with different tastes. A lot of pubs around the city also offer superb food, not to mention a fine selection of real ales.
Oxford History
Oxford, which has a rich history dating back to the 9th century, is home to what is arguably the world's most famous university. The university at Oxford was founded in 1167. Car manufacturing and making vehicle parts are among the main industries in Oxford today, thanks to a man named Morris, who in 1913 started making cars in the city. By the 1930s Oxford was a major manufacturing centre. Today the Mini is built in Cowley. In the 1920s, a number of homes were built around Woodstock Road, along with many more in Wolvercote, Headington, Cowley and Iffle, after the boundaries of the city were extended. Residential construction continued in the 1930s, with more new build houses in Cumnor Hill and Headington Hill. Many council homes were built in Cutteslowe, Headington and Wolvercote. In the late 1950s and 1960s more council housing was constructed at Blackbird Leys and Rose Hill.
Oxford Property Market
Oxford is a highly desirable place to live. The area offers an extensive selection of attractive homes; Victorian cottages and houses, Regency houses, 1930s semi-detached houses, and new build houses and apartments. Oxford's property market is both strong and stable, which appeals to people seeking to buy property in Oxford. A number of properties in Oxford are owned by the local colleges. North Oxford is typically the most popular and expensive place to buy or rent a home in Oxford. Central north Oxford, which attracts a lot of London buyers, is made up of a network of streets that meet with Woodstock and Banbury Roads, surrounded by the canal to the west, the River Cherwell to the east and Marston Ferry Road to the north. Some of the popular streets to live in are located east of Banbury Road by the Dragon School, and include Bradmore, Crick, Bardwell, Norham, Charlbury, Linton and Garford Roads. Other popular areas include Jericho and Headington. More affordable homes can be found in East Oxford, in areas like Kennington, Littlemore and Blackbird Leys. As well as being a popular place to own property, Oxford also has a buoyant rental market, due partly to the city's large student population.
Oxford Council Tax Rates
The annual rate of council tax varies and is dependant on the valuation band, which is determined by the value of the property and the current rates for the local council. The tax bands are based on the value of the property in 1991. The council tax rates for each property band are as shown below:
| Band Grade | Value | Annual Council Tax Cost |
| Band A | Up to & including £40,000 | £1028.87 |
| Band B | £1200.34 | £1200.34 |
| Band C | £1371.82 | £1371.82 |
| Band D | £1079.12 | £1543.30 |
| Band E | £1318.93 | £1318.93 |
| Band F | £1558.73 | £1558.73 |
| Band G | £1798.54 | £1798.54 |
| Band H | £2158.24 | £2158.24 |
Oxford Education
Oxford has many of the country's best schools. There are 291 registered state schools in Oxford and the wider Oxfordshire area. Here is a list of the state and private schools in Oxford.
Private Schools
Chandlings Manor (Cothill Educational Trust), Bagley Wood, Oxford Christ Church Cathedral School, 3 Brewer Street, Oxford d'Overbroeck's College, The Swan Building, Oxford Dragon School, Bardwell Road, Oxford Headington School, Headington Road, Oxford Magdalen College School, Cowley Place, Oxford New College School, Savile Road, Oxford Oxford High School GDST, Belbroughton Road, Oxford Rye St Antony School, Pullen's Lane, Oxford St Clare's, 139 Banbury Road, Oxford St Edward's School, Woodstock Road, Oxford Summer Fields, Mayfield Road, Oxford Wychwood School, 74 Banbury Road, Oxford
State Schools
Bayards Hill Primary School Beckley Church of England Primary School Botley Primary School Cardinal Newman Catholic Middle School Chalgrove Community Primary School Cheney School Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School Cumnor Church of England School (Voluntary Controlled) Cutteslowe Primary School Donnington Middle School East Oxford Primary School Frideswide Church of England (Aided) Middle School Great Milton Church of England Primary School Headington Middle School Iffley Mead School Larkrise Primary School Lawn Upton Church of England Middle School Mabel Prichard School Marston Middle School Matthew Arnold School New Hinksey Church of England Primary School New Marston Primary School North Hinksey Church of England Primary School Northern House School Northfield School Orchard Meadow Primary School Ormerod School Our Lady's Catholic Primary School Oxford School Oxford and Cherwell Valley College Peers School Pegasus School Rose Hill Primary School SS Mary and John Church of England Primary School SS Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford Sandhills Community Primary School St Aloysius' Catholic Primary School St Andrew's Church of England Primary School St Augustine of Canterbury RC CofE Upper School St Barnabas' Church of England Aided Primary School St Ebbe's Church of England Aided Primary School St Francis Church of England Primary School St Gregory the Great VA Catholic Secondary School St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Oxford St Michael's CofE Primary School St Nicholas Primary School St Swithun's CofE Primary School Stadhampton Primary School The Cherwell School The Isis Church of England Controlled Middle School The John Henry Newman CE (A) Primary School West Oxford Community Primary School Wheatley Church of England (C) Primary School Wheatley Park School Windale Community Primary School Windmill Primary School Wolvercote Primary School Wood Farm Primary School Woodeaton Manor School Wootton St Peter's Church of England Primary School There are two universities in Oxford; the University of Oxford, one of the leading universities in the world, and Oxford Brookes.
Oxford Hospital
The main hospitals in Oxford are John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3, Churchill Hospital, OX3, and Horton General Hospital, OX16.
Oxford Transport Links
Getting about in Oxford, which has good public transport links, is best done on foot, by bus, by bike, or by taxi, because access for cars is greatly restricted and finding car parking is notoriously hard. There are five park and ride services located around Oxford's ring road. Buses in town and on the major bus routes are rather frequent and run until quite late at night, but there is no night bus service. Nevertheless, there are plenty of taxis about. Oxford is well linked to London. Getting to and from London from Oxford is extremely simple, thanks to regular direct trains. The railway station, located on the west side of the city, runs direct services to London Paddington which takes 55 minutes. A new Oxford to Marylebone route, which will take 66 minutes, will be introduced in 2013. The local coach and bus services - Oxford Bus Company, National Express and Oxford Tube also operate regular services to London Victoria, among other destinations.