Oxford is a city in South East England and is part of the county of Oxfordshire. It has some of the finest examples of architecture from a wide range of periods, in one city. Oxford was coined ‘The city of dreaming spires’ by the poet Matthew Arnold, when describing the architecture of some of the university buildings that overlook Oxford. The sights of this traditional city are beautiful and Oxford is a city steeped in history and intrigue.
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world. Oxford University is regarded as one of the world’s leading academic institutions, and consistently ranks highly in league tables and university guides. The university has a long standing rivalry with Cambridge University and the two are often compared and are both regarded extremely highly as academic institutions. The University of Oxford is split into 38 independent colleges with 6 permanent private halls. It has some of the most remarkable buildings within the city of Oxford and the university continues to be a very popular tourist attraction for visitors of the city.
Oxford has a variety of attractions that appeal to tourists, and is a very popular place for people from the all across the UK and further afield to come and visit. From the University to Christ Church; the botanical gardens of Oxford; Carfax Tower; and other stunning examples of architecture that appear abundantly around the city of Oxford, the city certainly has a lot to offer its visitors.
One of the two shopping centres within Oxford, the Westgate Shopping Centre and its surrounding area, are set to undergo refurbishment, with plans expected to be complete in 2011. This will include massive expansion of the centre, bringing with it brand new shops, bars, a new transport system and new homes. The proposed regeneration will create lots of new job opportunities within Oxford in the retail and service sectors which is an added bonus to the project.
The transport methods within Oxford are rather traditional compared to other big cities within the UK. There are no metro systems, tram lines or an airport, but Oxford does have very comprehensive bus services that operate throughout the city. Oxford also has 5 different park and ride services to the city centre. The train station in Oxford is served by numerous routes including services to London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Oxford is a great place to live and work, the city is surrounded by beautiful architecture and streets filled with history and tradition. There are job opportunities in many different industries throughout Oxford and its tendency to attract tourism means that it is a city bustling with life and people. For more information about the city of Oxford, you can visit the Oxford Council Website by clicking on the link.