Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in South East England. It is next to Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to the west. The biggest town is Oxford, famous for its well-known university.

The county is about 1,006 square miles and has around 763,218 people. Other important towns are Banbury, Bicester, Abingdon-on-Thames, Didcot, and Witney. Oxfordshire is mostly quiet and green, with lovely places like the Berkshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, and parts of the Cotswolds.

The River Thames runs through the middle lowlands. The highest point is White Horse Hill, which is 261 metres above sea level.

History

Main article: History of Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire has been a county since the early 10th century. It lies between the River Thames to the south, the Cotswolds to the west, the Chilterns to the east, and the Midlands to the north.

The area grew more important when a settlement formed in Oxford in the 8th century. The University of Oxford began in 1096 and grew bigger over time. In the 1900s, a car company named Morris Motors started in Oxford, creating new jobs. Today, farming is still a part of Oxfordshire, though fewer people work in that field now.

Geography

Oxfordshire is a county in south-central England. It has rolling hills in the north and south, with a low area in the middle around the River Thames.

The northern part of Oxfordshire includes the town of Banbury and is part of the Northamptonshire Uplands. The southern area features the beautiful Cotswolds. The middle part of the county has farmland and important towns like Oxford, Witney, Bicester, and Abingdon.

The Thames river runs through Oxfordshire, and many smaller rivers such as the Windrush, Evenlode, and Cherwell flow into it. There are also canals like the Oxford Canal that connect to other places.

Oxfordshire has a green belt around the city of Oxford to help protect the area from too much building.

Economy

Oxfordshire has a mix of different jobs and industries. It has farms, factories, and many people work in services like shops and hospitals.

Politics

See also: Oxfordshire County Council

The Oxfordshire County Council manages important local services like schools, roads, and community support. The county is divided into five areas: Oxford, Cherwell, Vale of White Horse (named after the Uffington White Horse), West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire. These areas take care of planning, waste, and housing.

In 2016, people in Oxfordshire voted to stay in the European Union. This was the only English county to choose to remain by a large margin, though the area of Cherwell narrowly voted to leave.

Proposed local government reorganisation

Main article: Upcoming structural changes to local government in England § Oxfordshire

As of 2026, there are plans to change how local government works in Oxfordshire. These plans could create new authorities instead of the current county council and five districts. People could share their thoughts about these plans from February 5, 2026, to March 26, 2026.

Education

See also: List of schools in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire has a good education system. It has 23 private schools and 35 state secondary schools. Only eight schools do not have a sixth form. The county has many well-known private schools, including Radley College.

The county has two universities: the famous University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, both in Oxford. Wroxton College in Banbury works with Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

Public libraries

There are 44 public libraries in Oxfordshire. They are all run by Oxfordshire County Council. Library members can borrow books, audiobooks, e-books, and more. The libraries also offer many programs for children and adults.

Buildings

Oxford is famous for its beautiful buildings, especially those of the University of Oxford. Two important buildings are the Sheldonian Theatre, built long ago, and the Radcliffe Camera, also built long ago.

Not far from Oxford is Blenheim Palace, a grand home built for a famous general. Chastleton House and Stonor Park are also old homes in the area. Mapledurham House is an old home near Reading, and The Abbey in Sutton Courtenay is a special old building.

Settlements

See also: List of places in Oxfordshire and List of civil parishes in Oxfordshire

Places of interest

Main article: List of museums in Oxfordshire

See also: List of attractions in Oxford

Oxfordshire has many fun places to see and visit! Here are some of the best:

• Abingdon County Hall Museum – a museum in a very old building
• Ashdown House – a pretty old home in the Lambourn Downs
• Ashmolean Museum – Oxford University's museum about art and history
• Banbury Museum, in Banbury
• Bicester Village, a popular place for shopping
• Blenheim Palace and its gardens – a special World Heritage Site
• Broughton Castle – a big old home from the 1300s
• Buscot Park, in Buscot – a lovely old home and garden
• Champs Chapel Museum of East Hendred – a small museum in an old church
• Charlbury Museum
• Chastleton House – a beautiful old home
• Chiltern Hills – a very pretty area Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway – an exciting railway with old steam and diesel locomotives
• Chipping Norton Museum
• Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
• Cogges Manor Farm Museum, in Witney – a museum that shows how people lived long ago
• Combe Mill Museum, in Long Hanborough – a museum with old steam engines
• Cotswold Wildlife Park and garden, near Holwell
• The lovely Cotswolds – a very pretty Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Didcot Railway Centre – a museum about the Great Western Railway
• Dorchester Abbey, in Dorchester-on-Thames – an old church from the 1100s
• Great Coxwell Barn – a huge old barn from the 1300s
• Greys Court, in Rotherfield Greys – a grand old home
• The ruins of Hampton Gay Manor – an old home
• Harcourt Arboretum, in Nuneham Courtenay
• Heythrop Hall – an old home that is now a hotel and golf club
• Hook Norton Brewery – a working old brewery where you can take tours
• Kelmscott Manor – the home of famous writer William Morris
• Mapledurham Estate – a grand old home with an old watermill
• Milton Manor House – a lovely old home
• Minster Lovell Hall – what is left of a big old home
• Museum of Bygones, in Claydon – a small museum with old engines
• North Wessex Downs – a very pretty Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Oxford Bus Museum and Morris Motors Museum, in Long Hanborough
• Oxford Canal – an old canal from long ago
• The Oxfordshire Museum, in Woodstock
• The Ridgeway – an old path people walked on long ago
• River and Rowing Museum, in Henley-on-Thames
• The famous River Thames
• Rollright Stones – old stone circles and a place where people were buried
• Rousham House – a beautiful old home and garden
• Rycote chapel – an old church with furniture from long ago
• St Katharine's church, in Chiselhampton – an old church with furniture from long ago
• St Mary's church, in Iffley – a very old church
• Shotover Country Park, near Headington
• Spiceball Country Park, in Banbury
• Stanton Harcourt manor house – an old home with a garden, chapel, and tower
• Stonor Park – an old home and church from the 1300s
• Swalcliffe Tithe Barn – a big old barn from the 1400s
• Thame Museum
• Tolsey Museum, in Burford
• Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle and Wayland's Smithy an old place where people were buried, all in the White Horse Hills
• Vale and Downland Museum, in Wantage
• Wallingford Museum
• Wheatley Windmill – an old windmill from the 1700s