The Oxfordshire Portal
Oxfordshire (/ˈɒksfərdʃər, -ʃɪər/ OKS-fərd-shər, -sheer; abbreviated Oxon) is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to the west. The city of Oxford is the largest settlement and county town.
The county is largely rural, with an area of 2,605 km2 (1,006 sq mi) and a population of 691,667. After Oxford (162,100), the largest settlements are Banbury (54,355) and Abingdon-on-Thames (37,931). For local government purposes Oxfordshire is a non-metropolitan county with five districts. The part of the county south of the River Thames, largely corresponding to the Vale of White Horse district, was historically part of Berkshire.
The lowlands in the centre of the county are crossed by the River Thames and its tributaries, the valleys of which are separated by low hills. The south contains parts of the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills, and the north-west includes part of the Cotswolds; all three regions are Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The county's highest point is White Horse Hill (261-metre (856 ft)), part of the Berkshire Downs. (Full article...)
Selected article
Woodstock is a market town and civil parish, 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Oxford in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. The 2021 census recorded a parish population of 3,521, up from the previous 3,100 in 2011.
Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is next to Woodstock, in the parish of Blenheim. Winston Churchill was born in the palace in 1874 and buried in the nearby village of Bladon. Edward, elder son of King Edward III and heir apparent, was born in Woodstock Manor on 15 June 1330. In his lifetime he was commonly called Edward of Woodstock, but is known today as the Black Prince. In the reign of Queen Mary I, her half-sister Elizabeth was imprisoned in the gatehouse of Woodstock Manor.
The River Glyme, in a steep valley, divides the town into New and Old Woodstock. The town has two main suburbs: Hensington to the south and east of the town centre, and Old Woodstock to the north.
Woodstock Town Hall was built in 1766 to designs by Sir William Chambers. The almshouses were built in 1798 on behalf of Caroline, duchess of Marlborough. Chaucer's House was once home to Chancellor of England, Thomas Chaucer, thought to be the son of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. The Church of England parish church of St Mary Magdalene has a Norman doorway and a turret clock that John Briant of Hertford made in 1792. The Oxfordshire Museum, the county museum of Oxfordshire, occupies a large historic house, Fletcher's House, in the centre of Woodstock. The museum has a garden containing works of art and a Dinosaur Garden with a full-size replica of a Megalosaurus. The town has a nursery, primary school and a secondary school, Marlborough School, and the parish is home to Oxford School of Drama. The mayor is Anne Grant. (Full article...)
Selected biography
John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford (c. 12 March 1312 – 24 January 1360) was the nephew and heir of Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford who succeeded as Earl of Oxford in 1331, after his uncle died without issue.
John de Vere was a trusted captain of Edward III in the king's wars in Scotland and France, and took part in both the Battle of Crécy and the Battle of Poitiers. He died campaigning in France in 1360. Throughout his career, he was closely associated with William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, who was his brother-in-law. (Full article...)
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Aerial view of Oxford city centre (from Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected pictures) -
Panoramic view of Blenheim Palace (from Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected pictures) -
The Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, as viewed from the tower of the Church of St Mary the Virgin. (from Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected pictures) -
Oxford skyline from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin (from Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected pictures) -
Oxford skyline from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin (from Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected pictures)
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Find references for: A420 road | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | Abingdon School | Anthony Kitchin | Banbury | Banbury mutiny | Bicester | Bicester Community College | Blowing Stone | Boris Johnson | Brakspear | Brenda Rawnsley | Chiltern Main Line | Clanfield F.C. | Colin Greenwood | Debagging | Deddington | Degrees of the University of Oxford | Edward, the Black Prince | Edward the Confessor | European route E5
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