Oxford and surrounding areas

[Saluki]

Hubster wants to move and we have been offered a place (moving in the New Year) about 5 miles outside of Oxford, to the East. The riding looks good and I've looked at the crime statistics for the village and it's very encouraging - no reported crimes so far this year
Does anyone live near Oxford who can give me an idea what it's like as an area to live and work in? We've googled etc but first hand information is so much more valuable. The only time I have been to Oxford is to work at a trade fair, twice a year and to go to museums when I was at Uni.

 

[Basil.B]

I live just outside Oxford, plenty of worse places to live I suppose.
Not as nice as it used to be though.
Plenty of good routes for cycling to the North of Oxford, Cotswolds not far.

 

[Saluki]

I live just outside Oxford, plenty of worse places to live I suppose.
Not as nice as it used to be though.

I think that Hubster wants to leave Cornwall as he has to go to 4 different hospitals and Oxford has a bloody great transplant unit with a much better rep than Plymouth. It'll only be for a couple of years and then our feet will itch and we'll move on again. Where we are going is a smallish village, nice and quiet, so should be nice and easy to swap back out of (she says hopefully).

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hiya
I'm the other side in Abingdon which is a great place to live. Neither of us are locals.
Yes there is great cycling in all directions.
Connections to London are good. Oxford is culturally fab and hopefully soon will have the shopping centre it needs.
Apart from not being by the sea it's hard to fault (ok, apart from it's expensive).

Can you say which village?

 

[Dayvo]

My brother lives in Carterton, near Witney, to the west of Oxford. It is indeed a lovely part of the country.

We always go for a drive when I visit him and am always envious when I see cyclists out and about enjoying the magnificent scenery and cake stops.

By bus it's about 40 mins from Oxford.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Nice area, good cycling, a pig to get into Oxford using virtually any mode of transport.

 

[srw]

Oxford is a beautiful city, and the County is under-rated. It varies from the flatlands of the Vale of White Horse to the rolling hills towards Banbury and the beginnings of the Cotswolds.

East of Oxford beyond the ring road is not a part of the county I know well, but I have ridden through it a few times. You'll be within easy reach of the Chilterns and as many silly climbs as you want to ride, as well as flat country on Otmoor and towards Thame.

Oxford's big hospitals are also on the Eastern edge of the city.

If forced to move away from where I live now, finding a village house in Oxfordshire would be attractive.

 

[srw]

Nice area, good cycling, a pig to get into Oxford using virtually any mode of transport.

... except on the bike. All the arterial roads are wide enough to give enough room, and drivers are used to cycling. But the city is a hotspot of bike crime.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Nice area, good cycling, a pig to get into Oxford using virtually any mode of transport.

Except park and ride, bicycle coach or the train.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

My father in law lives in Abingdon. T'is a lovely place apart from the brommie riders

 

[Saluki]

... except on the bike. All the arterial roads are wide enough to give enough room, and drivers are used to cycling. But the city is a hotspot of bike crime.

I shall keep my bike with me at all times. I rarely lock it and go in somewhere anywhere anyway. I always look for cafes with outside tables.

 

[Fab Foodie]

My father in law lives in Abingdon. T'is a lovely place apart from the brommie riders

Cyclewanking Clown-bikers....

 

[Fab Foodie]

You called?

We need to stick together!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Except park and ride, bicycle coach or the train.

Have you tried driving to a park and ride in peak hours? I'll give you cycles inside the ring road, but access across the ring road is not well resolved IMHO.

Train service OK if you happen to be near enough to a station (well, apart from Bicester where we patiently wait for the service to Oxford station to be restored after 2 years) and the location of Oxford station at the bottom of town works for you.

It's an ancient city with constrained infrastructure, hence my comments. The redevelopment of Westgate will only exacerbate problems.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Have you tried driving to a park and ride in peak hours? I'll give you cycles inside the ring road, but access across the ring road is not well resolved IMHO.

Train service OK if you happen to be near enough to a station (well, apart from Bicester where we patiently wait for the service to Oxford station to be restored after 2 years) and the location of Oxford station at the bottom of town works for you.

It's an ancient city with constrained infrastructure, hence my comments. The redevelopment of Westgate will only exacerbate problems.

Yep, and the fewer cars the better.