“…those rampageous, dragonnading fire-devils…”:
The coming of the railway to Oxford
In 2019 we celebrated the 175th anniversary of the opening of Oxford’s first railway line! Find out more here.
The railway arrived relatively late in Oxford, partly due to the objections of the university, which feared for the morals of its students. When it did come, however, it had profound effects on the city, physically, economically and socially. This walk visits some of the sites which help to tell that story: of the railway station erected by the engineers of Crystal Palace; the swing bridge which is now a National Scheduled Monument; and of how the railway affected industries like brewing and marmalade-making, and the development of Oxford’s ‘base and brickish skirt’.
“A very enjoyable walk – you told us so much about what we had thought was familiar, and pointed out so many little details we’d never noticed before.” Brenda Stones, Writers in Oxford, June 2017
Contact me on 01865 242760 or liz@lizwoolley.co.uk to book this walk.
An illustrated talk on this topic is also available.