Amellow ensemble of golden-stone buildings set along a tranquil river, Oxford is without doubt one of England’s most beautiful cities, whose venerable colleges, manicured quads and cobbled lanes cast a gilded glow even when the sun isn’t shining.
Situated on a trade route between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex, Oxford was first settled by the Saxons. Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, created a ‘burh’, or fortified town here in 911. Oxford grew in importance and Canute chose the city as the scene of his coronation in 1018.
It was in medieval times that Oxford first became a seat of learning. Oxford University – the oldest in theback to the 12th century, when famous teachers first began to lecture in the town. Oxford’s first colleges, Balliol, University and Merton, were built in the 13th century, and more swiftly followed as the university gained a reputation for academic excellence.
