Property in Oxford

Oxford overview

People live in Oxford for many reasons. While there has often been an image of a separation between "town and gown", the world famous university provides a catalyst for employment in areas of technology, business and commerce, as well as giving a small city a big profile. While Oxford may not be entirely made up of the dreamy spires of Inspector Morse, there can be little doubt about its attraction in terms of culture, history and architecture.

Top attractions in Oxford

• The colleges - as well as educating students, many of the university's colleges are open to the public, who can wander through the courtyards, admire plaques and walk in the footsteps of many famous alumni
• The Bodleian Library - for bookworms, this is the ultimate. Not just books and books and books, but every single book ever published in the UK has a copy, although many are stored in underground vaults
• The Ashmolean museum - one of the oldest museums in the world, it was first opened in 1683 and houses a huge and varied collection of archaeological and cultural artefacts
• The Parks - The home ground of Oxford University's cricket team, where many a summer afternoon can be spent watching the home side being mercilessly hammered by visiting counties
• Oxford United - 20 years ago the club was in the top flight of English football, rubbing shoulders with Manchester United and Liverpool but playing in a ramshackle ground in Headington. The club is now playing in a modern stadium against non-league opponents. Enjoy watching the comeback
• Have a punt - in Oxford this does not mean a bet on the horses but a gentle way to spend an afternoon on the river

How to get around / transport in Oxford

• By Rail - The city has one railway station, which provides quick and easy connections with London Paddington and Birmingham
• Buses - As a small city, Oxford has no major local rail network or trams, so buses will cover the fairly short distances around. There are some park-and-ride schemes to keep traffic down in the city centre
• Cycling - as the city has an ancient layout and is ill-suited to modern cars, investing in a bike remains a highly worthwhile move
• Motorways - The nearest motorway to Oxford is the M40 to the east, which runs between London and the West Midlands

Living in Oxford

• Universities- Oxford University is the oldest university in Britain and one of two elite institutions, along with Cambridge. Through its long history it has educated many of the great and the good and has a huge list of famous ex-students, both living and dead. Over 20,000 students attend its 39 colleges, of which the oldest are the 13th century University College, Balliol College and Merton College, while Harris Manchester College was the most recent addition in 1996.

  Perhaps less well-known is that Oxford has a second university - Oxford Brookes. It is ranked 55th in the Times Good University Guide

• Major hospitals - The John Radcliffe Infirmary is the main hospital in the city
• History - The city's history extends back before the arrival of the university, although this has been the central factor in shaping Oxford. However, the city has developed in other ways, establishing industries such as car-making at Cowley and acting as the main county town and centre of administration
• Traditions - As ever, with so much linked to university life, it may come as a surprise to see plenty of normality - normal looking people without university scarves, normal shops and normal restaurants. Town and Gown remains slightly separate - but there are traditions many people follow, student or local - such as riding a bike

Property in Oxford

Oxford had a population of 134,000 in the 2001 census, which according to the council had grown to an estimated 149,000 by 2006, of which 26 per cent were students. The latest figure for house size was 2.32 per household, making the number of homes just under 58,000.

There is a mixture of housing types in Oxford, with the small size not preventing much of it from looking like any inner city, comprising many terraces and a large number of council homes on estates such as Blackbird Leys. Outside these areas the city has plenty of family homes. The national association of estate agent's website lists no less than 79 estate agents within 10 miles of Oxford.

Dates for the diary

Oxford has a number of cultural and historic events, including:

• St Giles' Fair - held every September, the annual fair is centred around flowers and the customary classical amusements, involving everything from dodgems to candy floss, though, as ever, partaking in both simultaneously is probably unwise
• Oxford Folk Festival - a chance to enjoy some traditional folk entertainment every March, with music, dancing and merrymaking
• Oxford Lieder Festival - a great chance to celebrate song as an art form every October as over 30 musical concerts take place in the city

Property for sale in Oxford

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