South Oxfordshire Property Finder

Oxford, is world famous, particularly for its main university, the oldest in the English speaking world. Didcot may not be quite world famous but it is certainly well known for its cooling towers which dominate the landscape. Other main towns in the area are Wallingford, Abingdon, Wantage and the pretty market town of Burford.

Air
Heathrow would be the nearest airport for travelers from this region. Birmingham, Bristol and Luton would be other possibilities.
There is the small London Oxford Airport based near Kidlington. This is used for pilot training and also private and charter business and recreational activity.

Road
The M4 and M40 are the two motorways, although not in the area, closest to take you either into London, west to Wales or north to Birmingham. The A34 runs from north to south from Bicester to Southampton.
There are five very good Park and Ride sites around Oxford as parking in the city centre is limited.

Rail
First Great Western trains run from Didcot to Paddington in 45 minutes.

Property in Oxford itself can command prices as high as those in London. This is due to the wealthy foreign academics studying at the university and families wanting to be near some of the best schools in the country. There is a predominance of Victorian housing with some Georgian terraces although examples from every English architectural period can be found.

Throughout the rest of the area you will find properties ranging from small brick and flint cottages in the east of the area to Cotswold stone in the west.

Central to the economy is Oxford itself. Almost half of the jobs in Oxford are in the public sector with a fair portion of those being in the two universities and Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals. Tourism plays a big part in the economy with Oxford ranking as sixth most visited city in the UK. Other big employers in the area are; BMW, Unipart, Amey Plc, Williams Grand Pix Engineering and Didcot power stations.

State Education
There are many state schools in the area ranging from small village primary schools to large community colleges. More information can be found on the local authority website South Oxfordshire District Council

Independent Education
There are too any many to mention here but some of the more well known are below. For a full list of Independent schools in Oxfordshire visit the Independent Schools Council

• Abingdon School  (boys only, pre-prep, prep, sixth form)
• Radley College  (boys only, senior, sixth form)
• Magdalen College School (boys only, prep, senior, sixth form)
• Dragon School (pre-prep, prep)
• Chandlings Manor (nursery, pre-prep, prep, day only)
• St. Edward’s (senior, sixth form)
• St. Helen and St. Katherine (girls only, prep, senior, sixth form)
• St. Hugh’s School (nursery, pre-prep,prep)
• Summer Fields (boys only, pre-prep, prep)
• Oxford High School (boys, pre-prep only, girls, nursery, pre-prep, prep, senior, sixth form)

There are many things to do and see in South Oxfordshire and of course, a lot are based in Oxford, a tourist destination in itself.
Outside the city, not far from Burford , why not take the children, to the Cotswold Wildlife Park where you can see a collection of birds, reptiles, mammals and insects from all over the world. There is also a great playground and café.

For railway enthusiasts there are lots to see and do at the Didcot Railway Centre including the occasional visit from Thomas the Tank Engine. Alternatively, you could enjoy a five mile round trip on a steam train at the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway, a preserved former Great Western Railway branchline.

For a watery pastime why not take a trip on the River Thames. There are several companies offering such trips and a couple of examples are; Oxford River Cruises who will take you on an Edwardian River Launch or The Cherwell Boathouse where you can hire a punt.

Kelmscott Manor near Lechlade was the summer home of William Morris for 25 years and the house and gardens are open to the public. It contains a collection of his works including textiles and furniture.

In Oxford city there is something for everyone. As you would expect there are many museums; the Bodleian Library dating back to 1602, the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, home to the University of Oxford’s collection of anthropology and world archeology and perhaps of more interest to younger visitors is Science Oxford Live. Many of the colleges making up Oxford University are open to visitors at certain times and offer a glimpse of life behind the doors.

If you like a trip to the theatre then see what’s on at the Oxford Playhouse and enjoy a meal before or after at one of the many eateries in the city.
For more information on what to see and do look at the Oxford city guide website