Cowley Road, Oxford
Encyclopedia
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, following a southeasterly route from the city centre at The Plain
The Plain, Oxford
The Plain is an important junction, now a roundabout constructed in 1950, just east of Magdalen Bridge in Oxford, England. To the east and southeast are St Clement's, Cowley Road and Iffley Road. Magdalen College School is to the south...
roundabout near Magdalen Bridge, through the inner city area of East Oxford, and into the industrial suburb of Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
. The central shopping is at 51.746°N 1.232°W
Cowley Road is also the main shopping street of east Oxford, and in the evenings it is the area's main leisure district.
Cowley Road is home to an ethnically and economically diverse population. This includes significant, long-standing South-Asian and Afro-Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
communities, who have been joined more recently by East European, Chinese and African arrivals. Alongside these ethnic groups, East Oxford plays host to many members of the city's academic population, both undergraduate and academic staff, and is home to many politically active groups.
Cowley Road has high levels of both road traffic and pedestrian traffic, and space for both is limited. In 2005, Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
invested about £1,000,000 from central government to re-model the busiest part of Cowley Road. The carriageway has been realigned and colourfully resurfaced, the pavements have been repaved, cycle lanes have been enhanced in some places and removed from others and in one section the speed limit has been reduced to 20 mph (about 32 km/h).
Music and culture
The Zodiac (club)
The O2 Academy Oxford is a music venue in Oxford, England, which is part of the O2 Academy brand operated by Academy Music Group. Prior to 2009, it was known as the Carling Academy Oxford and before that, as The Zodiac. To many, the club remains "The Zodiac".-The Zodiac:The Zodiac was a club on...
(formerly known as The Zodiac
The Zodiac (club)
The O2 Academy Oxford is a music venue in Oxford, England, which is part of the O2 Academy brand operated by Academy Music Group. Prior to 2009, it was known as the Carling Academy Oxford and before that, as The Zodiac. To many, the club remains "The Zodiac".-The Zodiac:The Zodiac was a club on...
), and the Bullingdon Arms. Famous Oxford bands have included Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
.
Cowley Road is also home to the Cowley Road Carnival, an annual event during which the road is pedestrianised, and which features live music, static sound systems, a parade, and food from around the world. The Cowley Road Carnival typically attracts some 20,000 visitors, and has become an integral part of contemporary Oxford.
See also
- Oxford PrintmakersOxford PrintmakersOxford Printmakers is an open access fine art printmaking workshop in Oxford, England, located at the end of Tyndale Road off the Cowley Road near The Plain. It was set up to help and enable artists in the Oxford area. Providing them with a platform and a place where they can make their own artwork...
, off Cowley Road - Ultimate Picture PalaceUltimate Picture PalaceThe Ultimate Picture Palace is a historic grade II listed cinema situated in Jeune Street off the Cowley Road in east Oxford, England. When first opened in 1911 it was Oxford's first purpose built cinema.- History :...
, off Cowley Road
Further reading
- Annie Skinner, Cowley Road: A History (Signal Books Publishing (James Ferguson), 2005) ISBN 1-904955-10-X.
- James Attlee, Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey (University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
, 2007) ISBN 978-0-226-03093-7.