A Guide to Living in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the south of England, home to many great schools and universities. The population is around 638,000 people. Oxfordshire has some lovely countryside that would be perfect for anyone looking to move away from city life with their family. If you are considering moving here, this guide will give you all the information you need to know about Oxfordshire!

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Best places to live in Oxfordshire

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Where is Oxfordshire?

Oxfordshire is a county in England. It has an area of 1,611 square miles and a population of 657,600 people. Oxfordshire is one of the wealthiest areas in Britain with it being ranked as the fourth wealthiest region outside London.

The county borders Warwickshire to the west, Buckinghamshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north-east, Wiltshire to its south-east corner and Gloucestershire across much of its southern border.

Areas in Oxfordshire

There are many areas in Oxfordshire that make it a great place to live.

The Cotswolds – The area south of Banbury and Burford, west of Chipping Norton, The Cotswolds famous for its rolling hills covered with lush green grass, stone walls (dry-stone walls), hedgerows and little villages like Castle Eaton.

Oxford – One of the world’s most famous university cities and is home to over 38 colleges which are spread throughout the city centre, Oxford has a population of 155,900 living within 15 miles (24 km), making it easy for commuters looking to work here without having to deal with long commutes daily into London.

This makes Oxford popular among those working in management roles or skilled professions such as finance & insurance, education and research or even medicine.

Witney – located around 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford – is the largest town in Oxfordshire with a population of 28,000. Witney offers an excellent range of high street shops, supermarkets and restaurants as well as popular pubs and leisure facilities.

Banbury – Banbury is a historic market town located on the River Cherwell which flows through West Oxfordshire before meandering towards Warwickshire to join up with The Thames near Cricklade. There’s plenty for visitors here including the impressive 14th century St Mary’s Church, made from white limestone quarried locally at Kirtlington.

Universities in Oxfordshire

There are three universities located in Oxfordshire: the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes and The Oxford School of Drama.

Oxford University – The University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, with over 22,000 students enrolled. It is ranked first in the UK for employability and second in Europe.

Oxford Brookes – Oxford Brookes is situated about eight miles south of Oxford, between the River Thames and the A40. It has over 16,000 students enrolled studying across three campuses in Oxfordshire and specialises in art, design and media.

The Oxford School of Drama – is part of the University of Oxford and is a world-class drama school that trains actors for stage, film and television. It also runs two theatre companies: the Young Players (for children) and OUDS (the University Dramatic Society).

Top Schools in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire plays host to some excellent schools, some of which are ranked in the top ten in the UK, including:

The Cherwell School – This secondary school is located in Oxford and was founded in 1571. It has over 1500 students and is regularly ranked as one of the best schools in the country.

Radley College – A prestigious independent boarding school, Radley College is situated just outside Abingdon-on-Thames. The college dates back to 1847 and has a current enrolment of just over 900 boys.

King’s School – Situated in Witney, King’s School is an all-boys preparatory school that caters for pupils from ages three to thirteen. The school has been educating young people since 1653 and boasts a large sports department with over forty different teams.

Population of Oxfordshire

The population of Oxfordshire is around 620,000 people. The county is predominantly rural, with a number of market towns and villages dotted throughout. Major towns in Oxfordshire include Abingdon-on-Thames, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley-on-Thames, Thame and Witney.

Featured developments in Oxfordshire

Reviews in Oxfordshire

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Poor consideration for families

Review Date Jul 2024

Anti social behaviour , delivery drivers bike stolen outside the flats. Given one month notice for controlled parking permits which gives no option to people with more then one car. Not all of us work in the city and have no other option. The whole road is controlled by the building site which causes hardship to get in and out of the road, makes noise well past 6pm some days and are bringing in cranes at 5.30am with council approval. Construction workers think they are in charge and give little regard to those that live here and just want to get home.

Please review your development:

Development is quite nice, landscaped areas could be kept better. Some anti social behaviour, building site works beyond regulation hours of making noise, transport links not that great, parking restrictions coming in will be a real hardship for working families who need two vehicles to make a living.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Wish we’d known about how long and how much of a disturbance the building work opposite would be. Also mainly that they were going to only allow one car per household. No idea what we will do as one of our vehicles is a work one which only has three seats and has to be close to the flat for security. The other is a family car and I do not feel comfortable parking it up in Sanford in Thames by the mental health hospital. Transport links from littlemore not good enough to get rid of a car for our family. The ltns are a real nuisance and would love to see scientific proof that they have benefited the environment around litleemore/east Oxford.

What is the best feature of your home:

The large windows and view of the river. Some nice plants

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Do not get into shadow ownership do not buy from Peabody or Catalyst

Verified Resident

Review Date Apr 2024

It’s a lovely neighbourhood with lovely neighbours and lots of young families. We’ve got a couple of major supermarkets not too far away. Although we’re quite near to the ring road the double glazing is very good. I like that it’s on the edge of the city.

Please review your development:

When I first moved in I was really impressed with the new modern house, the neighbourhood, and all of my neighbours. I think the builders were quite responsive to maintenance issues. Unfortunately we have to push them a few times to get certain repairs done. There are some major issues that I’m awaiting feedback on such as issues with the foundations on my building. Right now many of the neighbours are concerned about the yearly rental increases above inflation and the yearly service charge increases which have gone up from £6 in the first year per month to £60 in the second year per month, to now £165 per month. We’re in the process of forming a residence association to combat some of these unethical corporate practises. I would say very clearly stay clear of Peabody and Catalyst as my initial positive sales experience has been soured by their corporate practises.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I really wish I’d known about service charges and rental increases. And I wish I’d known about the reputation of Peabody and Catalyst.

What is the best feature of your home:

I like that it’s a modern home that doesn’t need any fixing whatsoever and has three floors. Our garden is a good size. We have a really big drive.

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Nice inside, but property management is not at all good.

Verified Resident

Review Date Apr 2024

We have a quiet and friendly neighbour here at Mosaics. However, the management is not at all good. Parking spaces are not marked which always caused disputes between users. Roads on Barton Fields Road is not marked so first-time users might not know which way to go and forth and no speed limit sign is available.

Please review your development:

Design is a bit strange for the locked garage is not fully enclosed so it is less useful. But built-in electrical applicances are in good quality. Property management is not good that the online account provided for communication is not fully-functional and complete, the problem is not fixed even after 2 years of repeated complain.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I would like to know if I can change the flooring from carpet to tiles and I can add more additional facilities before delivery.

What is the best feature of your home:

The rooms are big enough and the outer design of the house is good.

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A great development

Verified Resident

Review Date Mar 2024

Lovely open spaces built into the design of the development. Good for strolling. Public transport links are great. Whilst the development currently has no shop, one is in the process of being built. Parking is easy. Bin collections are a problem as Oxford Council just cant seem to get their act together and collect on a regular basis.

Please review your development:

Very well designed development with location being ideal for both getting into Oxford and getting out of the city. Quality of the build is good. Property management company are responsive and helpful, albeit the maintenance fees themselves are on the high side. Overall, a nice place to live.