“Why do we need another book about Oxford?” That’s the question most people asked when I told them I was writing a short history of the city. In fact, if you look along the shelves of the local history section of Blackwell’s you’ll find lots of material about the architecture of the city, city walks, and the university, but little about the whole city, town as well as gown. So, I thought there was a gap in the market for a short, accessible account of Oxford’s history, with lots of good illustrations, aimed at the ordinary visitor, tourist, or interested local.

Port Meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle, originally given to the Freemen of Oxford by Alfred the Great. Their grazing rights are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The meadow runs from Jericho to Wolvercote along the eastern bank of the River Thames. (Oxford: A Potted History, Amberley Publishing)

My own links with Oxford are strong. My grandparents moved here in 1920 and lived first in Farndon Road and then in Linkside Avenue beyond the Ring Road. My own parents first met in Oxford, married at St Columba’s Presbyterian Church, and made Linkside Avenue their first home, where my brother and I were born. We moved to London when I was three years old, but I came to study at the University of Oxford in the 1960s, met my future wife and married just outside the city. In retirement we have returned to live in the city of my birth, for which I retain a great affection.

Oxford
This highly ornate Jacobean conduit was originally presented to the city in 1610 by a student of Christ Church, Otho Nicholson, for the distribution of water brought in pipes from the Hinksey springs. It was removed from Carfax in 1787 to relieve the traffic congestion and set up by the 2nd Earl Harcourt in his park at Nuneham Courtney as an eye-catching feature. Nicholson’s initials appear prominently, repeated around the balustrade. (Author’s collection, Oxford: A Potted History, Amberley Publishing)

Matthew Arnold, the Victorian poet, called Oxford “Beautify city! So venerable, so lovely, so serene”, and it can be all those things, but while it has retained its beautiful buildings, it has also had to cope with the stresses of rapid expansion at the beginning of the 20th century, due to the motor industry started by William Morris, later Lord Nuffield. As a result, Central Oxford struggles today with traffic congestion and air pollution, and the tension between introducing initiatives to control traffic and the continuing viability of the city centre as a retail destination. In spite of this the City of Oxford manages to remain both ancient and modern, with thriving universities and industrial, commercial and administrative facilities. Matthew Arnold’s “Beautiful City” has shown itself to be remarkably resilient and adaptable over the 1,500 years and more of its existence, able to live with its many contradictions, and with the intellectual and entrepreneurial energy to keep re-inventing itself to keep pace with society’s changing needs.

Oxford
The origin of St Giles’ Fair can be traced to medieval times, but the earliest reference dates from the reign of James I. It evolved from the St Giles’ parish wake, first recorded in 1624, but by 1800 it had become a general fair with stalls and rides, and continues to the present day, held on the Monday and Tuesday after the Sunday following the 1 September, St Giles’ Day. The photograph, dating from around 1905, shows the scene looking towards St Mary Magdalene Church. (Author’s collection, Oxford: A Potted History, Amberley Publishing)

As I researched and distilled its rich history, I wanted both to give a clear outline of the historical events that have affected its development, but also to bring to life the bare bones of the historical narrative. So at the end of each chapter I have added pen-portraits of local personalities whose lives have contributed to the history of the city. In many cases I have used rubbings of monumental brasses, as they are striking and unusual illustrations and reflect a life-long interest of my own. The book is greatly improved and brought to life by the splendid photography of my friend Stuart Vallis, who has collaborated with me on a number of books I have written. I hope the combination of text and illustrations brings alive for you the story of this venerable City and makes you want to look at its streets and buildings afresh.

Oxford: A Potted History by David Meara is available for purchase now.