Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire.
It is divided into five local government districts: Oxford, Cherwell, Vale of White Horse (after the Uffington White Horse), West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire.
The county has a major tourism industry. The area is noted for the concentration of performance motorsport companies and facilities. Oxford University Press has headed a concentration of print and publishing firms; the university is also linked to the concentration of local biotechnology companies.
The main centre of population is the city of Oxford. Other significant settlements are Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington, and Chipping Norton to the north of Oxford; Witney to the west; Thame and Chinnor to the east; and Abingdon, Wantage, Didcot, Wallingford and Henley-on-Thames to the south. Future population growth in the county is hoped to be concentrated around Banbury, Bicester, Didcot and Witney, near the South Midlands growth area.
The highest point of the county is Whitehorse Hill, in the Vale of White Horse, reaching 856 feet (261m).
Oxfordshire's county flower is the Snake's-head Fritillary.
History
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The county of Oxfordshire, at that time entirely situated to the north of the River Thames, was formed in the early years of the 10th century.citation needed
Historically the area has always had some importance, it has been valuable agricultural land resting between the main southern cities and containing the prestigious settlement at Oxford (whose name came from Anglo-Saxon Oxenaford = "ford for oxen"). Ignored by the Romans, it was not until the formation of a settlement at Oxford that the area grew in importance. Alfred the Great was born in Wantage. The University of Oxford was founded in 1096. The area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century. The Great Western Railway reached Didcot in 1839. Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912 and MG in Abingdon in 1929. The importance of agriculture as an employer has declined rapidly in the 20th century; currently under one percent of the county's population are involved.
In 1808 the county had fourteen hundreds, namely Bampton, Banbury, Binfield, Bloxham, Bullingdon, Chadlington, Dorchester, Ewelme, Langtree, Lewknor, Pyrton, Ploughley, Thame and Wootton.
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was based at the Barracks on Bullingdon Green, Cowley.
The Vale of the White Horse and parts of South Oxfordshire south of the River Thames were historically part of Berkshire, but were added to the county in 1974. Conversely, the Caversham area of Reading was historically part of Oxfordshire. (See History of Oxfordshire for the traditional county boundaries).
Towns and cities
For a more complete list of settlements in the county see List of places in Oxfordshire.
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Oxfordshire at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
| Year |
Regional Gross Value Added[1] |
Agriculture[2] |
Industry[3] |
Services[4] |
| 1995 |
7,607 |
120 |
2,084 |
5,404 |
| 2000 |
10,594 |
80 |
2,661 |
7,853 |
| 2003 |
12,942 |
93 |
2,665 |
10,184 |
- ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
- ^ includes hunting and forestry
- ^ includes energy and construction
- ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Education
Oxfordshire has a completely comprehensive education system with 23 independent schools and 35 state schools. The state schools are from the ages of 11 to either 16 or 18. Only eight schools do not have a sixth form; these are mostly in South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts.
Buildings
The most famous building in Oxfordshire is Blenheim Palace at Woodstock. It was built by the great architect John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, after he had won the battle of Blenheim. The gardens, which can be visited, were designed by the landscape gardener "Capability Brown", who planted the trees in the battle formation of the victorious troops. In the palace, which can also be visited, Sir Winston Churchill was born.
Chastleton House, on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire borders, is a great country mansion that was built on property bought from Robert Catesby, who was one of the men involved in the Gunpowder Plot with Guy Fawkes. Stonor Park, another country mansion, has belonged to the recusant Stonor family for centuries.
Places of interest
 Abingdon County Hall Museum[1] - housed in a 17th century County Hall building Ashdown House - 17th century country house in the Lambourn Downs Blenheim Palace and garden - UNESCO World Heritage Site- Broughton Castle - 14th century fortified manor house
- Buscot Park, Buscot - 18th century country house and landscape garden
- Chastleton House - 17th century country house (limited access)
 Chiltern Hills - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway - operated with steam and diesel locomotives Chipping Norton Museum [2]- Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
 Cotswold Wildlife Park and garden, Bradwell Grove, Holwell- Cogges Manor Farm Museum, Witney - a living museum of country life
- Combe Mill Museum,[3] Long Hanborough - working museum of stationary steam engines
- Cotswolds - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- Didcot Railway Centre - museum of the Great Western Railway
 Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames - 12th century church of former Augustinian abbey- East Hendred Museum at Champs Chapel - village museum in a 15th century Carthusian chapel
- Great Coxwell Barn - 14th century Tithe barn
- Greys Court, Rotherfield Greys - 16th century country house
- Hampton Gay Manor - ruins of 16th century manor house (no website)
- Harcourt Arboretum, Nuneham Courtenay
- Heythrop Hall - 17th century country house: now a hotel, golf & country club
- Hook Norton Brewery - working Victorian "tower" brewery that offers guided tours
- St Katharine's church, Chiselhampton - 18th century parish church with original furnishings (no website, limited access)
- Kelmscott Manor - Home of William Morris
- Mapledurham Estate - 16th century country house and 15th century watermill
- Milton Manor House - 18th century country house [4]
 Minster Lovell Hall - dovecote and ruins of 15th century manor house- North Wessex Downs - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
-
 Oxford
- Oxford Bus Museum and Morris Motors Museum, Long Hanborough
- Oxford Canal - 18th century "narrow" canal
- The Oxfordshire Museum,Woodstock
- The Ridgeway
- River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames
- River Thames
- Rollright Stones - megalithic stone circle and Whispering Knights burial chamber, near Little Rollright
- Rousham House - 17th century country house and landscape garden
- Rycote chapel - 15th century chapel with original furnishings
- St Mary's church, Iffley - 12th century romanesque parish church [5]
 Shotover Country Park, Headington- Spiceball Country Park, Banbury
- Stanton Harcourt manor house (limited access), with garden and 15th century chapel and Pope's Tower (no website)
- Stonor House - country house and 14th century chapel of the recusant Stonor family
- Swalcliffe Tithe Barn - 15th century
- Thame Museum [6]
- Tolsey Museum, Burford (no website)
- Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle and Wayland's Smithy burial chamber in the White Horse Hills
- Wallingford Museum
- Wheatley Windmill - 18th century tower mill [7]
See also
Further reading
External links
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