Oxford: A Potted History

Oxford’s history begins with the story of a king’s daughter, Frideswide, who founded a nunnery in the meadows where the River Thames and River Cherwell meet. A settlement grew up around her shrine, which was built on the site of the present cathedral and it was also a good place for cattle to cross, hence the name ‘Ox-Ford’. A Norman castle was built after the Conquest, and students were first att...