Oxfordshire History

A Quick Visitor’s Guide To Oxfordshire History

Oxford is undoubtedly one of the most historically fascinating histories in England. As one of the oldest known settlements, it played an important part in the development of the country and has provided a home to many members of the royal family throughout the history of the monarchy. As such, it has been known as the King’s Capital in the past. This is one reason why the county and indeed the city is absolutely worth visiting if you happen to be in the area.

The county and city of Oxford can be traced back to Anglo Saxon times, or the 8th Century to be more specific. The first building erected was St Frideswide’s nunnery and the settlement grew much in the same vein after that. There were any number of religious institutions in the immediate area and many of them are still there today. You can visit them and see exactly where Oxford began.

Henry II was the monarch that granted Oxford a royal charter and the city simply boomed after that. The University of Oxford was first established not long after that. It changed the perspective of the area and oriented it more towards the arts, culture and science rather than religion. Oxford University has since expanded and the campus is much larger than it was initially. Today it is filled with gorgeous buildings that are magnificent examples of architecture, as well as numerous museums. It is often the first place that visitors stop and you can see why.

Oxford was also important during the Civil War conflict between Royalists supporting Charles I and Parliamentarians supporting Oliver Cromwell. Considering its royal past, it was no wonder that the people of the city supported the former. As such, thee was actually a siege in 1646! Of course, times have move on since then and Oxford bloomed during the industrial revolution. However, today, it is one of the quaintest cities around, despite the fact that it largely serves as a commuter belt for London. Visitors and tourists flock there in their millions and why not? There is much to see and do so it is the perfect place for a break away from everything!