| The High | |
 The High Street from St Mary's, looking east | |
| Location | Oxford, England |
|---|---|
| Postal code | OX1 |
| Coordinates | 51°45′09″N1°15′07″W / 51.7525°N 1.252°W Coordinates: 51°45′09″N1°15′07″W / 51.7525°N 1.252°W |
| East end | Magdalen Bridge |
| West end | Carfax |
| South | M |
| Other | |
| Known for | Oxford colleges and buildings |
The High Street in Oxford, England, known locally as the High, runs between Carfax, generally seen as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. [1]
The street has been described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "one of the world's great streets". [2] It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc. The looking west towards Carfax with University College on the left and The Queen's College on the right is an especially popular view. There are many historical buildings on the street, including the University of Oxford buildings and colleges. [3] Locally the street is often known as "The High".
To the north are (west to east): Lincoln College (main entrance on Turl Street, including All Saints Church, now Lincoln College's library.), Brasenose College (main entrance in Radcliffe Square), St Mary's (the University Church), All Souls College, The Queen's College, St Edmund Hall (main entrance in Queen's Lane) and Magdalen College (including Magdalen Tower).
To the south are (west to east): Oriel College, University College (including the Boyle-Hooke plaque outside the Shelley Memorial), the Examination Schools, the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, the Eastgate Hotel (at the original entrance to the city) and the Botanic Garden.
Queen's Lane Coffee House (at the junction with Queen's Lane) was established in 1654 and was probably Oxford's first coffee house. This title is however disputed with 'The Grand Café' Coffee House, which claims that it was established in 1650 and stands opposite Queen's Lane coffee house.
Despite an influx of chain stores in nearby Cornmarket Street, the High is home to a number of specialist independent retailers. These include Shepherd & Woodward (University outfitters), Payne & Son (goldsmiths), Sanders of Oxford (print sellers) and Waterfield's Books. To the north at the western end between Cornmarket and the Turl is the historic traditional Covered Market, established in 1774.
William Henry Butler, later Mayor of Oxford, was a wine merchant with premises in the High Street during the early 19th century. [4]
Edward Bracher, a pioneering Victorian photographer, had a shop at 26 High Street. Henry Taunt, another photographer, joined him as a member of staff in 1856. Taunt later returned to 41 High Street after the lease for his own shop premises in Broad Street expired in 1894.
83 High Street bears a blue plaque (10 October 2001) commemorating Sarah Cooper (1848–1932) marmalade maker, wife of Frank Cooper whose shop at 83–84 High Street was the origin of the Frank Cooper jam business (a brand now owned by Premier Foods). The company made "Oxford Marmalade" famous.
In June 1879, George Claridge Druce (also a noted botanist and later mayor of the city) moved to Oxford and set up a chemist's shop, Druce & Co., at 118 High Street. This continued until his death 1932.
The Old Bank Hotel was the first new hotel for 135 years in the centre of Oxford. Quod Restaurant & Bar is also part of the hotel, located between the junctions with Oriel Street and Logic Lane.
The architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner wrote in 1974 that
"The High Street is one of the world's great streets. It has everything." [5] [6]
He may have been echoing Thomas Hardy's comment in Jude the Obscure :
"And there's a street in the place – the main street – that ha'n't another like it in the world." [5] [7]
The following streets, also of historical significance, are off the High Street: [1]
Carfax is the junction of St Aldate's (south), Cornmarket Street (north), Queen Street (west) and the High Street (east) in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city. The name "Carfax" derives from the Latin quadrifurcus via the French carrefour, both of which mean "crossroads". The Carfax Tower, also known as St. Martin's Tower is a prominent landmark and provides a look-out over the town.
Cornmarket Street is a major shopping street and pedestrian precinct in Oxford, England that runs north to south between Magdalen Street and Carfax Tower.
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room.
The Covered Market is a historic market with permanent stalls and shops in a large covered structure in central Oxford, England.
Turl Street is a historic street in central Oxford, England.
Broad Street is a wide street in central Oxford, England, just north of the former city wall. The street is known for its bookshops, including the original Blackwell's bookshop at number 50, located here due to the University of Oxford. Among residents, the street is traditionally known as The Broad.
Magdalen Tower, completed in 1509, is a bell tower that forms part of Magdalen College, Oxford. It is a central focus for the celebrations in Oxford on May Morning.
Beaumont Street is a street in the centre of Oxford, England.
St Aldate's is a street in central Oxford, England, named after Saint Aldate, but formerly known as Fish Street.
Queen Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in central Oxford, England. It is one-way for buses and taxis, two-way for cyclists outside main shopping hours, and forbidden for cars. It runs west from the centre of Oxford at Carfax. Here it adjoins Cornmarket Street to the north, the High Street continuing east, and St Aldate's to the south.
George Street is a street in central Oxford, England. It is a shopping street running east–west.
St Michael at the North Gate is a church in Cornmarket Street, at the junction with Ship Street, in central Oxford, England. The name derives from the church's location on the site of the north gate of Oxford when it was surrounded by a city wall.
The Clarendon Centre is a shopping centre in central Oxford, England, opened in 1984. The centre faces Cornmarket Street, and has other entrances onto Queen Street and Shoe Lane. The fascia onto Cornmarket Street is that of the Woolworths store which had, in a decision later criticised, replaced the Georgian Clarendon Hotel; it was discovered during demolition that medieval construction had been present within the hotel. The shopping centre was expanded in 2012–14. Major tenants include TK Maxx, H&M and Gap Outlet.
Market Street is a street in central Oxford, England, running east to west.
Brasenose Lane runs east–west in central Oxford, England, between Turl Street and Radcliffe Square respectively. From Turl Street it is only accessible to pedestrians, but vehicles can enter from Radcliffe Square. The lane retains the medieval pattern of a single drainage channel in its centre and has high stone-faced college buildings on each side, being flanked by three historic Oxford colleges.
Ship Street is a short street in central Oxford, England that runs east–west.
The main buildings of Jesus College, one of the colleges of the University of Oxford, are located in the centre of the city of Oxford, England, between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street, and Market Street. Jesus College was founded in 1571 by Elizabeth I caused by the petition of a Welsh clergyman, Hugh Price, who was treasurer of St David's Cathedral. Her foundation charter gave to the college the land and buildings of White Hall, a university hall that had experienced a decline in student numbers. Price added new buildings to those of White Hall, and construction work continued after his death in 1574. The first of the college's quadrangles, which includes the hall, chapel, and principal's lodgings was completed between 1621 and 1630. Construction of the second quadrangle began in the 1630s, but was interrupted by the English Civil War and was not completed until about 1712. Further buildings were erected in a third quadrangle during the 20th century, including science laboratories, a library for undergraduates, and additional accommodation for students and fellows. In addition to the main site, the college owns flats in east and north Oxford, and a sports ground.
All Saints Church is a former church on the north side of the High Street in central Oxford, England, on the corner of Turl Street. It is now the library of Lincoln College. This former church is Grade I listed.
Brewer Street is a historic narrow street in central Oxford, England, south of Carfax. The street runs east–west, connecting with St Aldate's to the east and St Ebbe's Street to the west.
The City of Oxford and District Tramway Company and its successor the City of Oxford Electric Traction Company operated a horse-drawn passenger tramway service in Oxford between 1881 and 1914. The tramway was unusual for having a track gauge of only 4 feet (1.219 m).
