Possibly the most obvious thing that has endured in Oxford is the architecture. That’s partly down to Oxford being lucky to face very little damage during the Second World War, unlike so many other of Britain’s medieval cities. Where, for instance, the medieval centre of Coventry was almost completely destroyed, Oxford survived.
Verbalists students in Oxford (Radcliffe Camera)
The other reason is that the style of architecture that we now see as being so characteristic of Oxford – those delicate spires reaching into the pale blue sky – has been popular at key points in history. Oxford’s spires reflect the Gothic style of architecture, which was popular in England from the late 12th to the early 16th century – a period in which no fewer than 14 of Oxford’s 38 colleges were founded. READ MORE
