Oxfordshire Guardian

Oxfordshire has a number of castles, castle sites and fortified houses. Notable examples include Oxford Castle, Broughton Castle, Wallingford Castle, Deddington Castle, Shirburn Castle, Rotherfield Greys Castle and Ascot d’Oilly Castle.

Oxfordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in South East England. It borders Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire, with Oxford as its county town and best-known city.

According to Census 2021 data, Oxfordshire had a usual resident population of about 725,300. Using an area of roughly 2,605 km², that works out at approximately 278 residents per km². Population density should be expressed as people per square kilometre, not as a percentage.

Major settlements in Oxfordshire include Oxford, Banbury, Abingdon-on-Thames, Bicester, Didcot and Witney. Other important towns and communities include Wantage, Carterton, Kidlington, Henley-on-Thames, Thame, Wallingford, Faringdon, Chipping Norton, Eynsham, Benson and Woodstock.

Famous Oxfordshire landmarks include the University of Oxford, the Radcliffe Camera, Blenheim Palace, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Castle, the Oxford Canal, Kelmscott Manor, Broughton Castle, Uffington Castle, Dorchester Abbey, Great Coxwell Barn and Henley-on-Thames.

Oxfordshire has been recognised as a county since at least the 10th century. Its history includes Saxon and medieval settlement, the growth of Oxford as a centre of learning, the development of market towns such as Banbury and Witney, and major historic sites including Blenheim Palace and Oxford Castle.

Oxon is a traditional abbreviation connected with Oxford and Oxfordshire. It comes from Latin forms such as Oxonia and is still sometimes used in addresses, academic references and local shorthand. Someone from Oxford, or associated with the University of Oxford, may be called an Oxonian.

Famous people associated with Oxfordshire include writers, academics, politicians, entertainers and public figures connected with Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Wallingford, Henley-on-Thames and other parts of the county. Examples often linked with Oxfordshire include J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, Winston Churchill and Ronnie Barker.