property, homes and houses for sale in Oxfordshire

The county of Oxfordshire

The county of Oxfordshire, famed for its university city of 'Dreaming Spires', covers an expanse of just over 1,000 square miles, has a population of around 600,000 and is the most rural county in the south east region. Oxfordshire combines the best of commutable distances to London, Birmingham and Milton Keynes, with beautiful countryside and easy access to the picturesque Cotswolds. Its boundaries with Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire allow easy access to other parts of the country and towns such as Stratford upon Avon and Cheltenham. The county has many charming villages for those with a taste for the quiet life, while within Oxford itself there is an excellent and varied range of shops, plus a burgeoning entertainment culture. Steeped in history and rich in heritage, over three quarters of the land is devoted to agricultural management and almost 40 per cent of the county, including the Chiltern Hills, the Cotswolds (also mainly in Gloucestershire) and the North Wessex Downs, is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. As well as the city of Oxford, major towns in the county include Witney, Woodstock, Abingdon, Banbury and Henley-on-Thames (home of the Henley Regatta).

A brief history

The name "Oxenfordscir" was first recorded in 1010, and the origin of the name from the Old English "Oxenford" means a ford over a river for cattle to cross. The county's motto is "Sapere Aude" (Dare to be Wise). Historically Oxfordshire has always had some importance with its valuable agricultural land resting between the main southern cities including the prestigious settlement of Oxford. There are many interesting facts about Oxfordshire - Alfred the Great was born in Wantage, the University of Oxford was founded in 1096, the Great Western Railway reached Didcot in 1839, and Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912, and MG in Abingdon in 1929.

Living in Oxfordshire

People searching for property in Oxfordshire will discover the county has consistently high levels of employment. Key industries include international publishing, high tech business and biotechnology, car manufacture and motorsport. The recent £40m development of the Oxford Castle complex has created around 200 jobs. These days everyone is keen to reduce the amount of rubbish that is sent to landfill sites. Oxfordshire has an excellent track record for recycling – the amount of rubbish collected from homes is lower than any other county in England (per head of population). The property market in Oxfordshire is buoyant, with one in 50 sales topping the £1m mark in Oxford. Properties for sale in Oxfordshire vary greatly across the county and include thatched cottages, bungalows, executive houses, country mansions, Georgian houses, timber-framed period houses, Victorian cottage style terraced houses and brand new developments. Oxford's combination of green spaces, excellent schools, good cultural facilities and easy commute to London make it an attractive city to live. People searching for flats for sale in Oxford should expect to pay £220k+ for a two apartment in a modern block. If you're searching for houses for sale in Banbury expect to pay £299k+ for a detached cottage. If you're thinking of buying a property for investment purposes, you could search for a property in Abingdon, which has a thriving town centre with a Waitrose and a selection of shops, and is still within easy reach of Oxford town centre. The large student population, growth in new companies and business parks, means that Oxford has a busy rentals market. If you're searching for a property to rent in Oxford there is a good selection available which you will find advertised by the estate agents in Oxford. Alternatively, take a look at properties to rent in Oxfordshire on Primelocation.com.

If you enjoy retail therapy and are searching for property in Oxfordshire, you will find plenty of shopping opportunities. Oxford has two large shopping centres, Templars Square, which is the town's largest shopping centre, and Westgate Shopping Centre. Oxford also has a covered market offering fresh produce, traditional wares and gifts. Bicester, a busy market town situated in the north-east of the county, is home to Bicester Village – the factory designer outlet. Oxfordshire is rapidly becoming a gourmet county where you will find many fine restaurants, cafés, wine bars, tea shops and inns.

Families searching for property in Oxfordshire will find plenty to do in their spare time. You could visit Blenheim Palace in Woodstock - the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill, stroll along the Thames National Trail, or go and see the annual Henley Regatta. Milletts Farm Centre near Abingdon has been designed to preserve traditional farming values in a natural environment and, along with the Children's Farm Zoo and play area, trout lake, maze and adventure playground with a bouncy castle, trampolines, table tennis and a woodland walk with picnic facilities, makes a great day out for the whole family. To learn more about the history of Oxfordshire you could take the family to one of the county's many museums.

Travel and transport links in the county of Oxfordshire

If you are searching for a weekend property in Oxfordshire, you will find many convenient ways to travel to the county from all over the UK. Two luxury coach companies operate fast and frequent services from Oxford to London, and also to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. For road access, the M40 motorway runs through the north-east of the county linking Banbury, Bicester and Oxford directly with London, Birmingham and the north, and meets with the M25 London orbital motorway at junction 16. The north - south route through the county is the A34 dual carriageway, which links the Midlands and the north with Southampton, crossing the M4 at junction 15. The A420 road provides a fast link to Swindon and the M4. The A40 is the major western route to Witney, Gloucester, Cheltenham and the M5. By rail, London Paddington is just an hour away from Oxford. Services to Birmingham also take one hour. Chiltern Trains operate services into London Marylebone from Banbury, Bicester North, and Haddenham and Thame Parkway. Services from Didcot connect to the Midlands and north of England via Oxford, to the south coast (via Reading) and directly to London, Bristol and South Wales.