Oxford Town Hall
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Town Hall is located on St Aldate's
in the centre of Oxford
, England
. The site was previously occupied by Oxford Guildhall. It is a meeting place for local government
in the city and also houses the Museum of Oxford
. In addition, it can be hired for events. Despite the fact that Oxford is a city with its own cathedral
, the term "town hall" is still used.
The first Guildhall was built on the site in 1292. This was replaced by a Town Hall in 1752, built by Isaac Ware
, which was demolished in 1893 to make way for the current building. Following a design competition, the present winning Gothic Revival design was by Henry Thomas Hare.
Visitors have included Mikhail Gorbachev
and Nelson Mandela
.
St Aldate's, Oxford
St Aldate's is a street in central Oxford, England. It is named after Saint Aldate of whom little is known, although it has also been suggested that the name is a corruption of 'old gate', referring to the south gate in the former city walls. St Aldate's Church is on the west side of the street, in...
in the centre of Oxford
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...
. The site was previously occupied by Oxford Guildhall. It is a meeting place for local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
in the city and also houses the Museum of Oxford
Museum of Oxford
The Museum of Oxford covers the history of the City and University of Oxford, England. The displays include original artifacts, treasures from Oxford colleges and period room reconstructions, from prehistoric times onwards....
. In addition, it can be hired for events. Despite the fact that Oxford is a city with its own cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
, the term "town hall" is still used.
The first Guildhall was built on the site in 1292. This was replaced by a Town Hall in 1752, built by Isaac Ware
Isaac Ware
Isaac Ware was an English architect and translator of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio.He was apprenticed to Thomas Ripley, 1 August 1721, and followed him in positions in the Office of Works, but his mentor in design was Lord Burlington.Ware was a member of the St...
, which was demolished in 1893 to make way for the current building. Following a design competition, the present winning Gothic Revival design was by Henry Thomas Hare.
Visitors have included Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
External links
- Oxford Town Hall information from the Oxford City CouncilOxford City CouncilThe Oxford City Council provides local government for the city of Oxford in England.- Overview :Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition...
- Virtual Tour of Oxford Town Hall
- Information and map from MapQuestMapQuestMapQuest is an American free online web mapping service owned by AOL. The company was founded in 1967 as Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1969. When it became an independent company in 1994, it was...
- Present Town Hall, Oxford