Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council
Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council
The landscape Inheritance and development Limited piecemeal enclosure had been undertaken around parts of the Oxford district in the medieval period, although most of the open fields remained unenclosed until the early 19th century. For example, the parish of St Giles was only fully enclosed in 1832. Parish or area Date of enclosure Headington 1802 Garsington 1811 Cumnor (Berkshire) 1814 Kidlington 1818 Littlemore 1819 Binsey and Medley 1821 Iffley 1830 St Giles’ 1832 Wolvercote 1834 Cowley 1853 Oxford St Thomas (Botley) 1853 St Clements Private enclosure Sandford on Thames Private enclosure Marston Private enclosure Godstow (Wolvercote extra-parochial) n/a Osney n/a Port Meadow n/a Table 1: Enclosure awards from parishes in Oxford district Extensive areas of common land also survived throughout most of this period, notably the extensive area of Bullingdon Green which stretched from Cowley to Horspath and Headington. Disafforestation and the enclosure of the former royal forest had another major impact on the landscape. The land to the east of Oxford had formerly been part of the royal forest of Shotover which gradually disappeared throughout the medieval period, retaining its status until 1660 when it was finally dissolved. Subsequently, the topography of east Oxford was further realigned by the creation of Headington Road in 1775, when it was cut through the countryside as part of the scheme to replace the old route from Oxford to London (previously running via Cheney Lane, Old Road, Shotover and Wheatley), with a new road via Stokenchurch. To the west, Botley Causeway was built across the Thames meadows in the 16th century to provide a western route from Oxford. Changes in the urban and suburban townscape Unlike the medieval period, we can rely on historic 16th, 17th century and later maps to provide information on the changing townscape. The Dissolution saw an end to the monastic institutions that had dominated land ownership, economic, spiritual and social life in the town. Large tracts of land passing into private hands were frequently divided and resold. The structural remains of the Monasteries were for the greater part robbed of their materials to build new structures rather than converted to private uses, the most significant exception being the conversion of St Frideswide’s to Cardinal College (later Christ Church), by Cardinal Wolsey. Both Oseney and Rewley abbeys were quickly demolished, as were the three surviving friaries. The creation of formal parks and gardens within and around the town was a further major development in the post-medieval townscape. For example, the gardens at Greyfriars OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL 10
survived until the 19th century and the majority of the colleges developed their own private gardens. The Botanic Garden was established in 1621 on the site of the former Jewish cemetery. Initially, the established medieval colleges did not expand significantly whilst new post-medieval foundations utilised former monastic institutions (Trinity), waste ground (Jesus College), or medieval tenements (Pembroke), for their new quadrangles, modelled on the established pattern. Housing expanded within the existing urban confines, and the process of infilling of vacant plots and subdivision of tenements in the 17th century is captured by historic maps and building survey (Sturdy and Lawson et al. 1961/2). In the 18th century, major university or benefactor building projects began to further transform the townscape, removing the historic printing quarter and tenements around Catte Street to create the Radcliffe Camera and Square, and establishing classically influenced iconic structures at the edge of the northern suburb in the form of the Radcliffe Observatory and Infirmary. In the city, the Civil War and subsequent siege resulted in the demolition of a significant number of properties to aid the layout of defences, (for example the clearance of the eastern part of St Clements). The City Ditch was recut and the colleges and Castle occupied. At the end of the war, the defences were backfilled, and the medieval City Ditch was in-filled and built over. Initially, vigorous post-war redevelopment slowed towards the end of the 17th century and much land remained open into the 18th century. Subsequently, a significant number of domestic structures were rebuilt or refaced in the 17th-18th centuries reflecting changing architectural styles. Fire also had a major impact on the townscape. A notable fire broke out in 1644 to the north of the town wall on George Street and spread, reaching the western half of the town between Cornmarket and New Inn Hall Street as far as St Aldates, destroying perhaps 300 houses across five parishes (Porter 1984: 293-4). There were some small alterations to the existing street layout but it was not until the end of the 18th century that major changes were seen with the creation of New Road through part of the largely obsolete Castle precinct, and the addition of the canal with its wharf on New Road. The creation of the Paving Commission in 1771 marked the first modern attempt to organise urban development and led to the demolition of several large structures. The East Gate and North Gates (the Bocardo prison), were removed in 1771, the butchers shambles on Queen Street, the Butter Bench at Carfax in 1773, and the street market itself in 1773. The Commission also oversaw the wholesale removal of over-hanging signs, stalls, pumps, porches and any projections along the main roads. The medieval central street drain or ‘kennel’ survived within the cobble and stone lined streets laid down by the Paving Commissioners. Buried drains were also provided; these were superseded in 1873 when a new sewerage system was created (Dodd ed. 2003: 264). OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL 11
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The landscape<br />
Inheritance and development<br />
Limited piecemeal enclosure had been undertaken around parts of the <strong>Oxford</strong> district<br />
in the <strong>medieval</strong> period, although most of the open fields remained unenclosed until<br />
the early 19th century. For example, the parish of St Giles was only fully enclosed in<br />
1832.<br />
Parish or area Date of enclosure<br />
Headington 1802<br />
Garsington 1811<br />
Cumnor (Berkshire) 1814<br />
Kidlington 1818<br />
Littlemore 1819<br />
Binsey and Medley 1821<br />
Iffley 1830<br />
St Giles’ 1832<br />
Wolvercote 1834<br />
Cowley 1853<br />
<strong>Oxford</strong> St Thomas (Botley) 1853<br />
St Clements Private enclosure<br />
Sandford on Thames Private enclosure<br />
Marston Private enclosure<br />
Godstow (Wolvercote extra-parochial) n/a<br />
Osney n/a<br />
Port Meadow n/a<br />
Table 1: Enclosure awards from parishes in <strong>Oxford</strong> district<br />
Extensive areas of common land also survived throughout most of this period,<br />
notably the extensive area of Bullingdon Green which stretched from Cowley to<br />
Horspath and Headington. Disafforestation and the enclosure of the former royal<br />
forest had another major impact on the landscape. The land to the east of <strong>Oxford</strong> had<br />
formerly been part of the royal forest of Shotover which gradually disappeared<br />
throughout the <strong>medieval</strong> period, retaining its status until 1660 when it was finally<br />
dissolved. Subsequently, the topography of east <strong>Oxford</strong> was further realigned by the<br />
creation of Headington Road in 1775, when it was cut through the countryside as part<br />
of the scheme to replace the old route from <strong>Oxford</strong> to London (previously running via<br />
Cheney Lane, Old Road, Shotover and Wheatley), with a new road via<br />
Stokenchurch. To the west, Botley Causeway was built across the Thames meadows<br />
in the 16th century to provide a western route from <strong>Oxford</strong>.<br />
Changes in the urban and suburban townscape<br />
Unlike the <strong>medieval</strong> period, we can rely on historic 16th, 17th century and later maps<br />
to provide information on the changing townscape. The Dissolution saw an end to the<br />
monastic institutions that had dominated land ownership, economic, spiritual and<br />
social life in the town. Large tracts of land passing into private hands were frequently<br />
divided and resold. The structural remains of the Monasteries were for the greater<br />
part robbed of their materials to build new structures rather than converted to private<br />
uses, the most significant exception being the conversion of St Frideswide’s to<br />
Cardinal College (later Christ Church), by Cardinal Wolsey. Both Oseney and Rewley<br />
abbeys were quickly demolished, as were the three surviving friaries. The creation of<br />
formal parks and gardens within and around the town was a further major<br />
development in the post-<strong>medieval</strong> townscape. For example, the gardens at Greyfriars<br />
OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL 10
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