Oxfordshire

Area guide

Oxfordshire is a county with something to suit everyone; the world famous bustling University city of Oxford sits proudly surrounded by fabulous countryside which is interspersed with classic pretty English villages and thriving small towns such as Banbury and Chipping Norton.

Banbury Estate & Letting Agents

Office 51, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham
Banbury, OX15 4FF

+44 1295 273 592

Oxford Estate & Letting Agents

201-203 Banbury Road, Summertown
Oxford
OX2 7AR

+44 1865 366 660

Centrally located and well connected, much of Oxfordshire is within commuter distance of London. This convenience combined with the county’s reputation for excellent schooling and culture makes Oxfordshire one of the most desirable places to live in the country.

Between the Strutt & Parker Oxford office and our office in Banbury, we cover the majority of the county; in addition, our offices in Newbury and Pangbourne cover the Southern edge and our Moreton-in-Marsh office the North-Western fringe.

The types of Oxfordshire property sold and let by the Strutt & Parker offices' vary from imposing Georgian farmhouses and barn conversions to delightful country cottages, with a handful of modern family homes thrown in. Oxfordshire is blessed with more than its fair share of charming period and listed homes and our offices have an abundance of both, split between village/town locations and more rural areas, surrounded by generous grounds.

The wealth of rural space across the county means that for lovers of the outdoors things to do in Oxfordshire are not hard to come by. From bustling market towns selling fantastic local produce, to the unique character that embodies the city of Oxford, visitors and residents alike will easily find their own personal attraction to the county.

Our residential sales and lettings teams are joined by farming and land management, planning and development and Valuations departments operating throughout the county.

Things to do in Oxfordshire

Outstanding architecture
Amongst the huge choice of things to do in Oxford are a very good selection of museums and University buildings open to the general public. The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology is the oldest museum in Britain; many locals visit regularly to enjoy its enormous collection, too extensive to explore in one visit. Just 8 miles from Oxford, in Woodstock, is Blenheim Palace; a stunning building and gardens incorporating a number of attractions. One of the county's more recent attractions is the charming Cotswold village of Bampton which takes centre stage as the host of the popular period drama Downtown Abbey.

Beautiful Surroundings
Of the several National Trust properties in the county, the most unique is probably White Horse Hill, a hillside chalk figure in a great setting for a family walk. The interesting landscape of Oxfordshire lends itself well to all types of outdoor activities; the wide, open plains mean that most walks or rides will be accompanied by amazing views over the surrounding countryside. Oxfordshire is also home to over 30 golf clubs.

Vibrant shopping
If you’re stuck for things to do in Oxfordshire, the numerous wonderful opportunities to shop across the county will always be available. The excellent blend of top high street chains and niche, independent shops that line Oxford’s narrow cobbled streets mean that the city is an extremely popular destination for shoppers looking to find something a little bit different. For more upmarket shopping Bicester Village Outlet Shopping centre has a vast array of top worldwide labels. For foodies, Daylesford Organic and Millets Farm shops provide excellent quality produce which is locally sourced.

Why we love Oxfordshire

Our Banbury and Oxford office teams recommend the following:

Restaurants
Our agents recommend Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison, Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin starred restaurant in a fabulous manor house and countryside setting, and The Black Boy, a 16th century pub in Milton reopened by Marco Pierre White.

Pubs and bars
Browns, in Oxford, is a universal favourite for a relaxed meal or drink with a great atmosphere. For a drink in a more traditional environment there are an abundance of classic rural pubs and restaurants within nearly any village or town you come across. Some of the best include The Swan Inn in Swinbrook and The White Hart near Henley on Thames.

Members clubs

Soho Farmhouse is a 100 acre members club with a huge range of facilities including; a cinema, restaurants, bars, a gym and luxury accommodation. It also provides a wide range of activities including tennis, swimming, boating, horse riding.

Annual event
Our Oxford team loves the May Day Celebrations that take over the city; dancing, singing, drinking and more…also, the Daylesford Christmas fair at Daylesford Organic Farm is put on every festive season near Kingham.

Secret spot/country walk
Our local experts love the numerous woods across the county, particularly Wytham Woods, an area of ancient woodland owned by Oxford University, open from dawn until dusk every day of the year.

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Properties for Sale in Oxfordshire

Key villages & towns in Oxfordshire

Schools in the area

In keeping with Oxford’s academic reputation, the area is known for having some of the best schools in the country, particularly in Oxford itself.

Aside from the infamous University of Oxford there are a vast amount of excellent schools in Oxfordshire that cater for all needs. Among a vast number of well-reputed and popular private schools in Oxford are the Dragon, St Edwards, Magdalen College School, Oxford High School and Summer Fields. The Cherwell School is widely regarded as being the best state secondary schools in Oxfordshire, with lots of the villages to the North of the city having very good state primaries, including Bladon, Combe, Bletchingdon, Kirtlington, Enstone and Kingham. The list goes on…

Abingdon is also blessed with a choice of good schools; people travel for miles to attend Abingdon School, Radley, St Helen & St Katharine’s and Cothill House.

Bruern Abbey, in Chesterton, near Bicester, is a special school for dyslexics and dyspraxics which gets excellent reviews, with emphasis on how much the pupils enjoy attending.

Around Banbury, the independent Tudor Hall for girls is highly renowned and there is a choice of state secondaries rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, including the Warriner School and the North Oxfordshire Academy.

Lord Williams Schools, in Thame, to the east of the country, has one of the largest secondary schools in Oxfordshire, catering for the majority of students in the town and nearby villages.

For a more comprehensive list of schools in the area we recommend the Good Schools Guide.

Transport links

By train

London is within easy reach (and commuting distance) of Banbury, Oxford, Bicester and Haddenham & Thame. All these routes several direct services an hour; from Banbury it takes just over an hour and from the others, it is even less. Twice hourly direct services link Oxford to Birmingham in just over an hour and, between Banbury and Oxford, trains run three times an hour and take just 20 minutes. The new station just north of the Oxford ring road, Oxford Parkway provides a direct link into London Marylebone in about 56 minutes.

By train

Oxfordshire is well connected by road. The M40 passes through the county, making both Birmingham and London, and from these the wider motorway network, about an hour and a half from the city of Oxford. Decent A-roads head in all directions through and out of the county, meaning that most of the area is very accessible.

Oxford offers a unique blend of old and new with the history of the city centre and its wonderful architecture mixing with the fresh vibrancy of a new crop of undergraduate students every year. As a result of the county’s fabulous geographical location situated in the south midlands, Oxfordshire transport links are also excellent, with London, Birmingham, the Cotswolds, and the Chiltern Hills all within easy reach.