High Street, Oxford


The High Street in Oxford, England, runs between Carfax, generally recognised as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east.

Overview

The street has been described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "one of the world's great streets". 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. Locally the street is often known as "The High".

Major buildings

To the north are : Lincoln College, Brasenose College, St Mary's, All Souls College, The Queen's College, St Edmund Hall and Magdalen College.
To the south are : Oriel College, University College, the Examination Schools, the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, the Eastgate Hotel and the Botanic Garden.

Commerce

was established in 1654 and was probably Oxford's first coffee house. This title is however disputed with 'The Grand Cafe' 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, Payne & Son, Sanders of Oxford and Waterfield's Books. To the north at the eastern 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.
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 commemorating Sarah Cooper marmalade maker, wife of Frank Cooper whose shop at 83–84 High Street was the origin of the Frank Cooper jam business. The company made "Oxford Marmalade" famous.
In June 1879, George Claridge Druce 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 Brasserie is also part of the hotel, located between the junctions with Oriel Street and Logic Lane.

Commentary

The architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner wrote in 1974 that
"The High Street is one of the world's great streets. It has everything."

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."

Adjoining streets

The following streets, also of historical significance, are off the High Street: