From Axtell to Zacharias: The men who built Oxford
Oxford’s population doubled and its footprint almost quadrupled during the Victorian period. This talk examines some of the characters involved in this enormous expansion of the city. They included builders, architects, property developers and landlords. Fortunes were made, reputations were lost, regulations were ignored, and political careers were boosted. Meanwhile grand buildings were erected and tens of thousands of incoming workers and their families were accommodated, many of them in houses which still line Oxford’s streets today, and which change hands at prices which would make the average Victorian artisan faint.
“Thank you for such an interesting talk. You gave a fascinating insight into how the huge amount of development in Oxford in the 1800s came about, and the people, politics and shenanigans involved in its construction. You included a real wealth of information … a brilliant evening.” Buffy McClelland, Littlemore Local History Society, April 2026.
“A rich and thought-provoking talk.” Tony Morris, Morris Oxford, September 2020.
Contact me on 01865 242760 or liz@lizwoolley.co.uk to book this talk.