High Street, Oxford
| The High | |
St Mary's, looking east | |
| Location | Oxford, England |
|---|---|
| Postal code | OX1 |
| Coordinates | 51°45′09″N 1°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]
Overview
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".
Major buildings
To the north are (west to east):
To the south are (west to east):
Commerce
Despite an influx of chain stores in nearby
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
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
Commentary
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]
Adjoining streets
The following streets, also of historical significance, are off the High Street:[1]
Gallery
-
View down to buildings on the south side. -
View eastwards towards The Queen's College. -
All Saints Church, now Lincoln College's library -
The Mitre Hotel -
The Rhodes Building of Oriel College on the south side of the High Street. -
Carfax, at the western end of the High Street. -
Magdalen College and the High Street on May Morning, 2007. -
Night view of the High Street with Christmas lights, looking east from Carfax.
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See also
- High Street, Oxford, an oil painting by J. M. W. Turner, exhibited in 1810
References
- ^ ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
- ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
- ^ Stephanie Jenkins, History of the High.
- ^ William Henry Butler: Mayor of Oxford, January–October 1836, Mayors of Oxford.
- ^ a b Stephanie Jenkins, The High – Quotations
- ^ Article on the street[permanent dead link] in the Oxford Mail
- ^ Jude the Obscure in Google Books. The comment is made by a carter describing Christminster, Hardy's pseudonym for Oxford.
External links
- The High, Oxford including tour and history
- Webcam from Carfax tower looking east down the High Street
- 360° QuickTime view from the top of Carfax Tower Archived 16 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Oxford City Guide including list of shops on The High