Deadman's walk is so named because this was the route to the Jewish Cemetery, which originally occupied the land now taken by the botanic gardens.
There is a plaque to James Sadler on the wall running alongside Deadman's walk and Christchurch meadow.
"The King of the Balloon" flew from Oxford to Woodeaton, 6 miles away, in 1748, and from Birmingham to Boston in 1811. Almost succeeeded in crossing the Irish sea in 1812.
Sadler is buried in the churchyard of St Peter in the East.
From DeadMan's walk there is a good view back to Magdalen tower, and the remains of the town walls.
We look forward to Merton Walk and a view of the cathedral.
This is the original site of St Frideswide's priory. St Frideswide was the daughter of a saxon nobleman, who was pursued for marriage. She refused, and caused her suitor to be blinded. Subsequently she became a nun, and founded the priory which may have become the first permanent settlement in Oxford.
At the dissolution, Thomas Wolsey, the Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII, began to use the priory as the basis for his new college, but when he failed to get Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled he fell from grace. Henry took over the task, and founded Henry VIII's college in 1532.
Charles Dodgson lived in rooms at the North West corner of Tom Quad, overlooking St Aldgate's. He had a photographic studio on the roof.
Alice Liddell's father was Dean of Christchurch college, and lived in a house on the north-east corner of Tom Quad.
On 4th July 1862 Charles Dodgson and Robinson Duckworth took Alice Liddell and her sisters on a boat trip. They started at Salter's boatyard, and took over two hours to row to Godstow. On the journey Charles Dodgson told the girls the stories which became Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the looking glass.
Both the college and the cathedral are worth a visit, and neither is adequately covered here.
From Christchurch, there are several options for proceeding.
Incredibly, in the 1960's, it was proposed that a bypass should be constructed across this meadow, to carry traffic around the southern part of the town.
Only after strenuous opposition was the plan dropped, and we will shortly see evidence of some of the devastation that another stage of same plan wrought on the area behind the Westgate shopping centre.
On reaching the river, turn right, and follow the bank to Folly Bridge.
This is said to be the site of the original "Ox ford".
From under the bridge it is supposed to be possible to see the remains of the Norman bridge constructed by D'Oilly.
Beyond Folly bridge, on the right is Isis House, described by Pevsner as "a bit of a joke". Dating from 1849 and decorated with raised bricks and statues.
"Some of my best friends are accountants". This astonishing house was designed for, and built by and accountant. Which just goes to show.....
Now turn right up St aldgate's towards the town centre and Carfax crossroads.
As we approach Tom tower, the gatehouse of Christchurch college, we pass a little shop on the left.
This small, stone shop was the model for the "Sheep shop" in Alice through the Looking Glass.
It is now known as the "Alice Shop".
She was in a little dark shop, leaning with her elbows on the counter, and opposite to her was a
old Sheep, sitting in an arm-chair knitting, and every now and then leaving off to look at her through a great pair of spectacles.
`What is it you want to buy?' the Sheep said at last, looking up for a moment from her knitting. `I don't QUITE know yet,' Alice said, very gently. I should like to look all round me first, if I might.' From Alice through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll |
In the book, the accompanying illustration by Tenniel is said to be based on this shop, but with the image reversed.
Opposite the Sheep Shop, is the entrance to the War memorial garden ,and a good view back over Christchurch college.
At the side of the path through the memorial garden is the exit to the Saxon underground stream navigated by T.E. Lawrence, and covered in the second walk.
Beyond the Alice shop is a building known as the "Old Palace".
It was actually built as a house, around 1622-8 by Thomas Smith, a merchant.
At this time a great deal of the city was being rebuit. Access to main streets was limited, so many houses adopted the layout used here. There is a narrow front to the street, but the building extends a long way back into its grounds.
In Brewer street we reach another surviving stretch of the old town wall.
Also in Brewer Street, at number one, is the birthplace of Dorothy L Sayers, (June 13 1893) marked by a blue plaque on the wall.
Dorothy L. Sayers is best known as the writer of crime mysteries investigated by her fictional hero Lord Peter Wimsey, and his butler, Bunter. She was the daughter of the Reverend Henry Sayers, who at the time of her birth was headmaster of Christchurch cathedral school. She grew up in Cambridgeshire, but returned to Somerville College on Oxford after winning a scholarship.
Sayers' "Gaudy night" is set in Oxford. Some examples of other mysteries set in the city include:
Back now, to Aldgate, and turn left into Pembroke Square.
St Aldgate's church is to our right, and Pembroke college to our left.
Circling the square clockwise brings us out onto Pembroke Street.
Note in particular....
Towards the end of Pembroke Street, the museum of modern art is on our right.
It was created from an old Brewery Warehouse.
If you are getting ready for a break, then the MoMA cafe is a good place to stop - the next stretch of walk lacks a choice of good refreshment.
At the end of Pembroke Street, cross St Ebbe's Street into Pennyfarthing place.
St Ebbe's is named after a Northumbrian abbess. Daughter of Ethelfrith, the king of Northumbria, she fled to Scotland on his death. She became a nun at Coldingham and latter the abbess . Died in 683
The church was originated in the 7th century, but most of the building was reconstructed in 1816.
The doorway is said to be 12th century.
Personally, I doubt it, since the carvings look, to me, remarkably like characters from the Simpsons.
Beyond St. Ebbe's church is the Westgate shopping centre, part of a major redevelopment of this area in the 1960's.
At the time there were a number of other radical plans for redevelopment of Oxford, including demolishing much of the Jericho area, and building a bypass across Christchurch meadow.
Thankfully the others did not happen. Regrettably this one did, but perhaps we are lucky that it remains as a reminder of the damage that can be done by unenlightened development.
We will skirt the shopping centre, by turning left after the church, down a narrow passageway, and right into Turn Again Lane.
Here there is a row of 17th century houses, saved from demolition by the Oxford preservation tust..
Before 1960 this was an area of low quality housing which was demolished to improve the road system, and bring industry and shopping into the town centre.
On the right, set into the wall of the shopping centre, is a plaque to Roger Bacon (1219-1292).
"The great philosopher Roger Bacon, known as the wonderful doctor, who by the experimental method, extrended marvelously the realm of science. After a long life of untiring activity, near this place in the home of the franciscan brethren, fell asleep in Christ, AD1292"
Roger Bacon studied at Oxford, then in Paris, before returning to Oxford to study experimental science.
He emphasised the importance of mathematics ( "Mathematics is the door and the key to the sciences" ) carried out research into reflection and refraction, invented the magnifying glass, and studied medicine and astronomy. But he also invested time in searchnig for the philosopher's stone.
He wrote his Opus majus (Great Work) at the request of Pope Clement IV, but the Franciscans prohibited his books and imprisoned him for "suspected novelties". He only regained his freedom shortly before his death.
His observatory was over the gateway to folly bridge.
Improbably, this is supposedly sometimes mistaken for the castle by "American tourists", but in fact it was built in 1840-1 in a "Norman" style.
Back into Paradise Street, which we follow as it curves to the right and crosses the millstream.
The main remaining elements of the castle are the "motte" or mound, and St George's tower pictured here.
The castle was built in 1071 by Rober D'Oilly, a Norman knight, to consolidate his power as representative of King William, five years after the conquest - in which he had fought. The defensive perimeter of the castle encompassed today's prison, and county hall. St George's chapel, of which only the crypt remains, lay inside the castle, next to St Georges' tower.
During the anarchy of King Stehpen's reign, Queen Matilda was hiding in the castle as it was beseiged by Stephen.
Because it was winter the Queen managed to escape, acros the frozen river Thames, camouflaged against the snow in white clothes.
When I first created these pages, to the left, in St Thomas street was the only brewery remaining in the city. Now this is also closed.
The earliest documented brewhouse in Oxford was built at Queens College in 1336 although the two great Abbeys of Rewley and Oseney were brewing long before that. The monks of Oseney abbey built a brewhouse in 1452 as a source of income. It was later converted into a maltings and became part of the Brewery in 1763. It continued to supply malt to the Brewery until 1956. When King Henry VIII carried out the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1546 Thomas Linke built a brewhouse which was run by various different families until the Tawneys took over the lease in 1740. Over the next 50 years the Tawney's expanded the brewhouse and began to buy pubs. The Tawney's developed business partnerships and family relationships with the Morrell family, who had been brewers in London and Wallingford since the 17th century. In 1800 the brewery was established under the Morrell name. It continued to epand. In 1925 Hall's brewery closed, leaving Morrell's as the only Oxford brewery. The present buildings date largely from 1892-6. The architect can only have been chosen despite his name - H.G. Drinkwater.
We carry straight on, up Fisher Row, and then when that peter out, following the millstream walk.
The first house in Fisher row was built in the late 18th century for the chief brewer - Edward Tawney.
Millstream walk crosses two major roads leading into the city centre.
The first is Park End Strret. The second is Hythe Bridge Street.
As we cross Hythe bridge street, we transfer to the other side of the millstream
To the right of Hythe bridge street we can see Nuffield college on the other side of a low car park.
This was the site of the original canal basin.
Further north is the modern Gloucester Square development.
Nuffield college was founded in 1937. It is a postgraduate college, founded with an endowment from William Morris (Lord Nuffield). His original intention was to found a college for engineers, but the university persuaded him that Nuffield college should specialise in the social sciences.
We now follow the Oxford Canal to Jericho .
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