St Aldate's, 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...
. 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
St Aldate's Church
St Aldate's is a Church of England parish church in the centre of Oxford, in the Deanery and Diocese of Oxford. The church is on the street named St Aldate's, opposite Christ Church and next door to Pembroke College. The church has a large congregation and has a staff team of about 35 which...
is on the west side of the street, in Pembroke Square
Pembroke Square, Oxford
Pembroke Square is a square in central Oxford, England, located to the west of St Aldate's and directly adjoining it.The square is named for Pembroke College, which has its main entrance at the south-west corner of the square, and houses St Aldate's Church which was formerly the library of the...
. A former name for St Aldate's is Fish Street.
The street runs south from the generally acknowledged centre of Oxford at Carfax
Carfax, Oxford
Carfax is located at the conjunction of St Aldate's , Cornmarket Street , Queen Street and the High Street in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city, and is at...
. The Town Hall
Oxford Town Hall
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...
, which includes 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....
, is on the east side of the street. Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, with its imposing Tom Tower
Tom Tower
Tom Tower is a bell tower in Oxford, England, named for its bell, Great Tom. It is over Tom Gate, on St Aldates, the main entrance of Christ Church, Oxford, which leads into Tom Quad. This square tower with an octagonal lantern and facetted ogee dome was designed by Christopher Wren and built 1681–82...
, faces the east end of St Aldate's, while Pembroke College
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
(on Pembroke Square) faces its west end. Other adjoining streets include Blue Boar Street
Blue Boar Street
Blue Boar Street is a narrow historic street running betweenSt Aldate's to the west and the north of Alfred Street to the west, in central Oxford, England...
to the east side and Pembroke Street
Pembroke Street, Oxford
Pembroke Street is in central Oxford, England. St Ebbes Street is to the west and major thoroughfare of St Aldate's is to the east.Modern Art Oxford is located on the north side of the street...
, Pembroke Square
Pembroke Square, Oxford
Pembroke Square is a square in central Oxford, England, located to the west of St Aldate's and directly adjoining it.The square is named for Pembroke College, which has its main entrance at the south-west corner of the square, and houses St Aldate's Church which was formerly the library of the...
, Brewer Street
Brewer Street, Oxford
Brewer Street is a historic narrow street in central Oxford, England, south of Carfax.The street runs east-west, connecting with St Aldate's to the east and St Ebbe's Street to the west....
, Rose Place, and Speedwell Street to the west.
Opposite Christ Church is Alice's Shop
Alice's Shop
Opposite Christ Church, Oxford, England, is Alice's Shop on St Aldate's. It was formerly frequented in Victorian times by Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Saw There, who used to buy sweets there...
, formerly frequented by Alice Liddell
Alice Liddell
Alice Pleasance Liddell , known for most of her adult life by her married name, Alice Hargreaves, inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, whose protagonist Alice is said to be named after her.-Biography:...
, and the model for the Sheep Shop in the "Wool and Water" chapter in Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
.
South of Christ Church is an entrance to Christ Church Meadow and, still on the east side, the Oxford University Faculty of Music, containing the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments. Oxford's police station (designed in 1936 by H. F. Hurcombe, the City Estates Surveyor, and the Crown and County Court opposite precede a junction with Thames Street
Oxpens Road
Oxpens Road is a road in central Oxford, England, linking west and south Oxford. It is named after the marshy area of Oxpens, next to one of the branches of the River Thames in Oxford.- Locale :...
to the west. (The police station was featured in the Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
television series.) After Folly Bridge
Folly Bridge
Folly Bridge is a stone bridge over the River Thames carrying the Abingdon Road, south from the centre of Oxford, England. It was erected 1825–27, to designs of a little-known architect, Ebenezer Perry , who practiced in London....
over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
or Isis, St Aldate's becomes Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road is the main arterial road to the south of the city of Oxford, England. The road passes through the suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey...
(A4144), leading directly south out of the city of Oxford towards the Oxford Ring Road and the town of Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
.