This blog will explore the stories of objects and themes in the collection, give you behind-the-scenes insights into what staff and volunteers get up to, and delve into the lesser-known parts of the city’s history.
How the Jewish community of Oxford brought coffee to England
🕑 12 min read The first Jewish settlements in the United Kingdom
Parson’s Pleasure v.s. Dame’s Delight
🕑 7 min read Where can a lady get a dip around here?
A Municipal Airport for Oxford
🕑 5 min read In 1929, flying pioneer Alan Cobham launched his Municipal Aerodrome Campaign to encourage Town Councils to build local airports. He wrote to Oxford City Council’s Planning Committee but no action was taken at that time. Three years later, in 1932, an Oxford Times editorial argued that the City Council dealt with the question of a municipal aerodrome to serve the City of Oxford.
Sewage, Cholera and moving Parliament to Oxford
🕑 7 min read In 18th century Britain, many towns underwent rapid expansion, which resulted in widespread public concern around the appearance of urban surroundings. In Oxford, one such issue was the draining systems and sewage disposal, which before the late 18th century, mainly involved collection from domestic cesspits and drainage via open gutters, often in the middle of the streets.
Lady Ann Fanshawe and the Royalist Court at Oxford
🕑 12 min read Royalists, Recipes and Real Hardship
Alewives In Oxford: A History Of Female Brewing
🕑 11 min read The Importance of Ale
The St Brice’s Day Massacre
🕑 12 min read Mass grave of murdered vikings sheds light on King Aethelred’s doomed reign
The influence of Oxford nightlife
🕑 7 min read Inclusivity, culture and power
Ghost signs
🕑 4 min read Tracing Oxford’s history in its buildings
Oxford asserts its civic identity in 1191
🕑 8 min read England’s oldest surviving municipal seal
Plant Oxford: from Bullnose to BMW
🕑 4 min read Morris' manufacturing legacy continues
Hewitt Huggard: WW1 solider and student
🕑 4 min read Connections to the past from volunteer Olivia